Whether you’re planning an event or taking care of some work, portable toilets are one of the best ways to keep your site fresh and clean! Providing portable plastic thrones means your guests and employees will have the facilities they need to get through the day.
One of the questions we get most is from people wondering how often portable toilets need to be emptied. After all, no one wants to find themselves in a wafty situation. But it can take a fair bit of courage to peer into the holding tank and see where the level is at. While there’s no easy answer to this question, the good news is that we take care of maintaining our portaloos while they’re in use. That means we’ll be there to clean and empty them on a regular basis and ensure your event goes smoothly.
But it never hurts to know a bit more! So we’re going to go over the basics of portaloo maintenance to help you plan your next event.
How Often Do Portable Toilets Need to Be Emptied?
We usually recommend emptying portaloos once a week if they’re being used by 10 people or less. The more people using a portaloo, the more often it needs to be emptied.
But, generally speaking, if you have a portaloo on a worksite or at an event, emptying it once a week is a good starting point. In between emptying the portaloo you’ll need to keep an eye on the holding tank level. Portaloos are important for maintaining hygiene standards, but they only work if they’re clean and smell fresh. So keep up your regular inspections and talk to your portable toilet provider if it’s time to empty the tank!
Discuss a Maintenance Schedule with Your Portaloo Provider
Maintenance schedules are one of the things you’ll need to talk to your portaloo provider about. How often you need to empty portable toilets depends on a few things, including:
- How many portable toilets are onsite
- What sort of event or work is going on
- Whether food and alcohol is being served
- Whether the toilets need other types of cleaning
Emptying a portaloo’s holding tank is just one part of its maintenance needs. After emptying, the inside of the toilet cubicle is cleaned and consumables like hand sanitiser and toilet paper are replaced. Don’t forget, you can always call out your portaloo provider on an as-needed basis! If you notice your portaloos are looking full between maintenance appointments, get in touch and let your provider know.
How Do You Empty a Portable Toilet?
Modern portaloos are designed to be as easy as possible to service. Emptying them is usually done using a waste suction machine that vacuums the waste out and deposits it in a large storage tank. These tanks are usually mounted on the back of trucks so they can be taken away and safely disposed of. It typically only takes a few minutes to empty and clean each portaloo. That means regularly scheduled maintenance won’t disrupt your day.
Signs it’s Time to Empty Your Portable Toilet
There are a few things to keep your eye on when you hire a portaloo for more than a week. Perform regular inspections and look for these signs that it’s time to have your portable toilet serviced:
- The blue chemicals are fading. Portaloos use special chemicals to break down waste, neutralise odours and kill germs. These blue chemicals usually show up when flushing the toilet. If the flush water stops looking blue or if the smell of the waste is starting to become noticeable, it’s time to empty the tank.
- When the cubicle needs cleaning. It’s a good chance to have the whole unit emptied and cleaned when the floor, sink and other parts of the portaloo start to look dirty.
- When supplies start to run out. Portaloos need plenty of supplies like fresh water, hand sanitiser and toilet paper. If those things start to run low, it’s time to contact your provider for a service!
Keep Your Portaloos Clean and Tidy with Poles & Holes!
Portaloos have long struggled in the reputation department. But the reality is that modern portaloos are designed to look (and smell) clean for long periods of time. If you want to keep them that way, you’ll need to make sure you’re having them serviced on time! When you seek out portable toilet hire for events services from Poles & Holes we’ll work with you to figure out the best maintenance schedule for your needs. Whether you need portaloo hire Brisbane services for a small worksite or a large-scale festival, we can help. Contact us to discuss your requirements and we’ll figure out the right maintenance schedule for you!
