Prepping your worksite for cold weather? Call United Site Services to winterize your porty pottys!

As this is written, Thanksgiving is fast approaching, with the rest of the winter holidays close behind. All around, people are preparing: figuring out how big a turkey to buy, who to invite over for the holidays, what to do on New Year’s Eve.

But if you’re responsible for onsite sanitation at a construction site, there’s another urgent question on your mind, especially if you’re in a northern state: “how can I keep my porta pottys from freezing solid once the temperatures drop?” The short answer is easy: winterize them. But how to winterize them? That’s a little trickier.

Winterizing your porta potties requires a little planning, and the right expectations. 

Let’s start this discussion with a simple truth: nobody can guarantee that your porta pottys will make it through the winter without ever freezing. There are too many variables, and even the most robust winterization efforts won’t do much good if the weather is severe enough. Sometimes, Mother Nature wins. But that doesn’t mean you can’t plan to beat her.

In fact, before winter settles in, there are a number of proactive changes you can make to reduce the chances that the water in your porta potty holding tanks will freeze. We can work with you to evaluate your best course of action. For example…

• Take advantage of the sun. Sunlight isn’t as powerful in January as it is in June, but it can still be strong enough to warm the inside of a porta potty and keep the water from turning solid.
• Minimize wind exposure. Even if your porta potty is in direct sun, the wind chill caused by a strong breeze can counteract the sun’s warming action. A location that’s both sunny and shielded from the wind is your best bet.
• Consider a temporary indoor location. If you have a garage or similar structure on your construction site, you might be able to move one or more of your porta pottys indoors during the coldest weather.
• Keep the area clear of drifted or plowed snow. One sure way to drop the temp in your porta potty is to let snow drifts pile up around it or to put it someplace where plows deposit the snow they’re pushing. Keep the area as clear of snow as you can.

We’ve been providing porta potty rentals to construction sites, events, and industrial sites across the country for years, and in all kinds of weather. With our unmatched experience, and the smart use of our proprietary, environmentally-friendly additives that help protect against freezing without resorting to chemicals like methanol or magnesium chloride, nobody is better prepared to keep your porta pottys up and running during the winter months.

Let us help! Call United Site Services to get our advice on a rental and service plan that meets your needs, and will help keep your porta pottys working this winter.