The porta-john on our site has been needing servicing for a while now, but the guys can’t do it because it has been frozen. Normally in early Dec we don’t get sustained day-and-night freezing weather, but this has been a cold one and the expected thaw just hasn’t come. So finally we had to heat the john so they can empty it tomorrow. I guess you can all imagine what it smells like in there with a fan heater running day and night. Winter stinks.
Come for craft beer and a panel discussion! Friday, March 28, 3PM-5PM at Booth 727 The event will feature a casual panel discussion featuring some of the crew that helped…
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Dig into cutting-edge approaches and decades of proven solutions with total access to our experts and tradespeople.
Start Free Trial NowGet instant access to the latest developments in green building, research, and reports from the field.
Start Free Trial Now
Replies
In the few extended cold snaps we have had luck telling the porta-potty folks to bring a new unit and take the old one away. They can defrost the old on at their leasure. They won't want to do it but demand it and tell them you have machinery to lift the old one onto the truck and you will make it a priority for the crew chief to get it done when the truck arives.
I have heard that some sites, up north, drag the units into a heated enclosure, that's got to smell wonderful, for a night so they can be cleaned out the next morning. I suspect even something like a couple sheets of visqueen and a couple of incandescent light bulbs would get or keep the temperature high enough to make pumping possible.
This has worked a couple of times for us. Chemical toilets need to be serviced weekly, more often if used heavily, no matter the temperature. In the summer Florida heat any use at all makes twice a week about the only way to make use anything other than a desperation only, hold the breath, don't do it before lunch, experience.
I suspect that the real issue, short of the mercury going down close to zero F that the drivers don't want to work in the cold. Perhaps someone will chime in but I suspect the chemicals and wastes involved might not freeze until something well below 32F. Considering that slush shouldn't pose any great problem for their huge vacuum unit.
Get a little ceramic heater and an extention cord . The heaters are like 8" square . We use them all the time . Keeps the place nice and warm and they are easy to service .
Mike - Foxboro
I don't believe that they are allowed by law to transport them with waste contained within.
Not an approved transport vessel.[email protected]
It's Never Too Late To Become What You Might Have Been
Winter does suck. It's only going to be 59 F here today and it's raining..grrrrr. LOL, sorry.
They never heard of RV anti-freeze up there in BC ???
;o)
How long a minute is depends on what side of the bathroom door you're on.
They do use anti freeze but it still froze up. I think the drivers are being a bit wussy too.Lignum est bonum.
Then they aren't using enough.They are saving a dime up front, and losing a dollar in the long run.
How long a minute is depends on what side of the bathroom door you're on.
i'l agree with that. I pay for weekly service, if they fail to service it, they would not get paid. Period.I supppose it might depend how the service agreement is set up.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
There you go. There's one way they lose the dollar. The other way is in the money they have to pay someone to deal with the problem...Sure would have been a lot cheaper to use enough environmentally friendlier anti-freeze in the first place.
How long a minute is depends on what side of the bathroom door you're on.
I agree. Not sure how the payment is structured but they did come to the site twice and drove away without comment to anyone there. When the office was contacted was when we found out that they wouldn't service a frozen potty. Poor service all round - I really think their driver didn't want to get out the truck and face the cold.
Anyway it was serviced today and the heater remains so hopefully we will have no further toilet problems.Lignum est bonum.
They put road salt in the ones around here. I'm not sure what it does, but that's what they do.
---------------------
Swimming through the ashes of another life, no real reason to accept the way things have changed. Wrapped in guilt, sealed up tight.
The older I get, the worse is stinks. Can't remember a December like this in maybe 10 yrs.
I think this is my worst December in my career.
I've never seen a frozen porta potty and here in MI, everything freezes solid for three months. Someone's not putting in the right chemicals.
blue
Gunnison, CO (81230)Save this Location
View ImagePartly Cloudy
-18°FFeels Like-18°F
Updated Dec 15 09:45 p.m. MT
UV Index:
View Image
0 Low
Wind:
View Image
CALM
Humidity:
View Image
57%
Pressure:
View Image
31.33 in. View Image View Image
Dew Point:
View Image
-27°F
Visibility:
View Image
10.0 miles
Having used many a portapotty but never having paid for one, what is the general price range for getting one on site? I would guess a lot would depend on how often it is pumped and how far the portapotty folks have to drive. And of course, there is probably wide price disparity depending on the part of the country. Just curious as to a ball park figure.
We pay $80.00 per month, & they pump them once a week.
I pay $105 with weekly servicing. Mine don't usually freeze. They usually put rocksalt in the urinal and God knows what in the "blue solution". Never thought to put a little space heater in there. That seat really frosts my azz some days. ;)
EDIT: That's $105 per month.
Edited 12/16/2005 12:05 pm ET by dieselpig
Brian,Cut a seat out of blue foam.The instant yer cheeks touch it, it's warm. No matter how cold it is outside.
How long a minute is depends on what side of the bathroom door you're on.
I used to pay $80/month a few years ago, then they quit serving the island so I bought a unit off him. Used it sporadicly for a year, until another guy started serving the island. For a year, I paid him $35 per visit on call when needed to service it and could get by on slow jobs once every three weeks more or less.
Then we both decided that I didn't want to own that piece of realestate anymore. I sold it to him and now I pay him $95 a month and he services it every week. It has only frozen once when it stayed below -20°F for a coouple of weeks. He took care of adding rock salt and getting it pumped though.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Then we both decided that I didn't want to own that piece of realestate anymore.
LOL.
run a cord and hang a 100 watt bare light bulb hanging down from the ceiling.
amazing how much heat that single bulb will give ya in a little plastic box.
I have always considered making a loop or zip tie a hook on it ... for "two position" heating ... hang full length down low to "heat the seat" ... then ... hook it up and out of the way for "general reading light" ...
never left one burning over nite ... bet it'd be nice and warm first thing the next morning ... always worried about it being a bit too warm and melting the damn thing or burning down someone's house.
Jeff
Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
"The house is fine boss, but the Porta-John burnt to the ground"
Oh the horror.
Duo purpose with the light Jeff, you can catch up on some reading!
God knows you cant stand to be in there long enough in the summer to stop and read the graffiti!
Doug
I thought salty poop would still freeze at -20F.
I found that comment to be hilarious. What's that say about my current mindset?
I've been drinking so it sounded profoundly funny to me, Sometimes I have to delete my posts that sounded funny at the time because they really aren't at all when I'm sober.
Now it's even funnier.
Me too! Good buzz going now...
At least you've got an excuse. I'm sober. Just slap-happy. Tough week but it's over, production was still good, I picked up a nice check today, and I can feel my azz cheeks again. That's reason enough for me to celebrate.
It's been a long week for me.
pepperoni heats them up
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
U working up and over the hill this month?
<P class=MsoNormal style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN style="COLOR: #993366"> </SPAN></P>
<P align=center class=MsoNormal style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1"><SPAN style="COLOR: #993366; FONT-SIZE: 9pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">Welcome to the <BR>Taunton University of </SPAN><SPAN style="COLOR: maroon; FONT-SIZE: 9pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">Knowledge </SPAN><SPAN style="COLOR: #993366; FONT-SIZE: 9pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">FHB Campus at Breaktime.<BR><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>where ... <BR></SPAN><SPAN style="COLOR: #993366; FONT-FAMILY: 'Berkeley Old Style ITC T'; FONT-SIZE: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">Excellence is its own reward!</o:p></SPAN></P>
Been going over the hill just on weekends! The owner of the company has a Ranch by Rifle Co. Had major wind damage a few weeks back & we have been helping out.
Ours is working fine, and the last two mornings were -24 and -19. I can't smell anything when it's that cold!