It’s that time of year for getting your portable toilet business ready for the plunging winter temperatures, heavy weather, and damaging road conditions. It’s also time to brace for the slow season to sustain your profit margins. That means applying insulation to protect your portables from extreme outdoor conditions and adding a non-toxic antifreeze to the tanks. Storing the units in a covered space, if available, is recommended. For renting toilets in the wintertime, preparation for cold weather can be as simple as clearing snow or applying sand on icy walkways and steps.
Here are some essential preparations you should make to prepare your inventory for winter storage and/or for rental during the coldest months:
How to Prepare Your Portable Toilet Rental Business for Winter
Since things typically slow down a lot as the snow and ice and freezing temperatures start to move into a region, the big push for rental operators in affected states is to get the units ready for winter storage. Of course, in the modern portable toilet rental market, there is some amount of demand for units year-round, even in the coldest climate regions. In some work areas, winter recreation areas, emergency sites, etc., functioning portable toilets must be supplied and maintained.
Winterizing Portable Toilets for Storage
- Choose indoor storage: If possible, store portable units inside a shelter to protect them from the severe impacts of harsh winds, ice, snow, and very cold temperatures.
- Insulate exteriors: If portable toilets must be stored outdoors, wrap the units in blankets or other insulative skirting or other protective coverings to help reduce the risk of damage from exposure to the cold.
- Secure the doors: When storing units outside, lock the doors and turn the units so that the doors are facing away from winter winds.
- Protect roofs: Cover or prop up the rooftops on portables stored outdoors to prevent ice or snow from accumulating directly on the top surface of the unit.
- Drain plumbing systems: Drain the plumbing in restroom trailers, including the water pump, toilet water tank, and the water heater for sinks (if applicable) to help protect against damage from water freezing in the system.
- Treat tank and pipes: Pour the manufacturer’s recommended amount of a non-toxic antifreeze agent or brine solution into the toilet tank and flush the liquid through the pipes.
Preparing Portable Toilets for Winter Rental
Getting units ready for winter storage and/or preparing them for use during the winter in a cold climate is a challenge, but the consequences of not doing this critical work can be very costly. Frozen tanks are among the most frequent problems operators encounter during winter months. There’s much more to do to protect the unit against weather damage and to ensure its continued proper functioning for users in extreme conditions. To keep units protected and functioning in winter:
- Apply de-icing agents: Treat tanks with salt brine or other solution to reduce the freezing point and help prevent frozen wastewater from damaging the unit. (You can mix magnesium chloride or rock salt with water to create a de-icing solution. Magnesium chloride works better at lower temperatures, but rock salt may be more cost-effective, depending on actual conditions.)
- Use heating options: Consider heating pads for plumbing pipes or heaters for holding tanks to help ensure functioning at locations where the unit is an essential service, such as emergency service sites, construction sites, and wintertime public events. Ensure necessary ventilation and fire safety measures are in place.
- Use the sun to manage heating: Place the portable toilet at the customer’s site in a spot with sunshine to help keep the unit and the guest users warm.
- Position units for weather protection: if possible, place the unit on the customer’s property beside a building, retaining wall, solid fence, wooded area, other toilet units, or other wind shelter to help shield it and the guest users from cold winds.
- Gauge temperature: Mount a thermometer inside the rental toilet unit to monitor the temperature and manage the maintenance and protection of the unit as conditions may require.
- Remove ice build-up: Use an ice pick or other tool to break ice that is forming on your equipment, before it becomes a more serious problem.
- Enclose units: In cases of extended winter use, for example, at construction sites, sports venues, etc., you may find it most practical to build enclosures surrounding the units as temporary wind and weather shields.
- Keep access clear: Shovel snow or remove ice from entries as needed for the safety of users approaching the portable toilet units. Consider applying sand to improve traction in some areas, as appropriate.
- Monitor unit condition: Increase the frequency of your maintenance checks to catch potential problems that may be developing due to winter weather exposure.
Staying Profitable During the Winter Slow Down
If you’re in a cold winter climate, there are some actions you can take during the off-season to help generate some revenues and sustain overall annual profitability.
- Market to winter event planners: Be aware of upcoming seasonal events such as school events, Christmas parades, and other public activities that may need portable restrooms.
- Add restroom trailers: Trailers are indispensable in some northern areas for wintertime work, sports, events, etc. The trailers give users the benefits of heat, flush toilets, and running water in the sink during winter.
- Offer units to other operators: Consider contacting rental company owners at southern winter travel destinations who may have seasonally increased inventory needs.
- Diversify your service lines: Consider adding some other revenue channels during winter that are a good fit for your skills, vehicles, and financial means. For example, cleaning services, winter storage, snow removal, RV black and gray tank pumping, etc.
Making the Most of Winter in Your Portable Toilet Rental Business
Keep in mind that there are many things you can do during the winter off-season to maximize the use of your time and resources for the short- and long-term benefit of your business, your staff, and your family.
The slow season does mean less income, unless you choose to offset that reduction with other good earning alternatives, perhaps using one or more of the suggestions in that last section above. But, this time of year also offers a lot of important opportunities that you just don’t have during the busy season.
You can use some of your downtime for advanced team training to prepare one or more of your employees to take on more responsibilities to help run your business during the coming busy season. Catch up on your research on new field and admin technologies that can help your business. Read to enhance your leadership skills. Do some priority home repairs to keep your life running smoothly and promote work/life balance.
The list of valuable wintertime opportunities for portable toilet rental operators is endless.