How do portable toilets work?

How do portable toilets work? – If you’ve spent any time at a music festival or at a construction site then you are probably familiar with portable toilets. You may even have used one yourself! But if you’re planning to hire a portable toilet for your event or a construction site, then it’s best to familiarise yourself with the basics.

What is a portable toilet?

A chemical portable toilet is a movable, self-contained toilet solution. In essence, a chemical portable toilet is a 2.3 metre by 1.1 metre plastic box. Most chemical portable toilets feature a locking door, a toilet, a urinal and a forearm wash basin. The forearm wash basin is essential as it means that your loo complies with health, safety and welfare regulations.

Chemical portable toilets are completely portable. You don’t need a ground hole, a septic tank or connection to the mains. Chemical portable toilets should be treated with chemicals on a weekly basis to eliminate odours.

But a chemical portable toilet is just one option. A hot wash toilet is a portable toilet which has both hot and cold running water. This is a hygienic option that allows people to wash their hands thoroughly in warm soapy water.

A mains connected portable toilet is a portable toilet that connects to the mains, just as your regular toilet does at home. These toilets can be flushed and don’t need the same amount of chemical treatment. They are a good option for long-term construction projects located somewhere with full sewage and water connection.

How are portable toilets installed?

Before installation begins, each portable toilet must be steam cleaned for hygiene. Chemical treatment may also be required. The portable toilets can then be loaded onto the back of a vehicle and can be driven to their destination when they need to be installed.

The installation process itself varies depending on the type of toilet. As chemical portable toilets are self-contained units, installation is a relatively simple process. A mains connected portable toilet will need someone to connect the portable toilet to both the water and the sewage outlets.

How are portable toilets cleaned?

One method of cleaning portable toilets is with a vacuum pump module. A vacuum pump module includes a tank that can hold a certain amount of waste and a certain amount of freshwater. A typical model might hold 750 litres of waste and 380 litres of fresh water.

In most cases, cleaning and emptying portable toilets is a service that is performed by the company that you hired your portable toilets from. It requires special equipment and it could even be dangerous if not performed properly, so it’s essential that you get assistance from someone who knows what the are doing.

Why do construction sites hire portable toilets?

Construction often takes place in locations without easy access to a toilet, which poses a problem for construction workers. If the nearest toilet is a ten-minute walk from your site then you might find that toilet breaks will take up too much time. Construction site owners also have a legal duty to provide their workers with a toilet. You can check the HSE guidelines to see how many toilets you should provide for your workers.

Want to know how many portable toilets you should hire for your construction site or event? A member of our team of LetLoos will be happy to help you. Call 0800 368 8373 to discuss portable toilet hire or even arrange a next-day delivery.