If you have been searching for “How Porta Potties Work” you are probably considering portable restrooms for a special event like a wedding, festival, or even a home remodel project. We have covered how you can make your own porta potty, but if you are a survivalist, there are other options for prepping and camping needs. Things have become a lot more sophisticated from the standard bucket. If you don’t know about chemical toilets or chemical porta potties, then it is time you learned.
Chemical toilets aren’t something that is new. The idea has been around for a very long time. The design and effectiveness has really improved over years. Many large RVs will come with them, and they are definitely a large step up from the bucket style potties.
There is also the other option of finding a small portable style that you can keep with your camping gear, in your car or home.
What is needed for a chemical porta potties?
Many chemical toilets are flushable, which lets you have comfort from home. These style of porta potties will look like a toilet that you have at home.
They separated water tanks. The upper tank has fresh water for flushing, then the lid and bowl. The lower tank holds the waste water. Some of the fancier models will have toilet paper holders that are hidden in small compartments. The number of flushes that you will get will depend on the size of the porta potty that you buy.
When you are looking online, many sites will tell you the size of the upper and lower tanks and then the average amount of flushes that you will get from that model. The larger the size, the more flushes that you will get without having to replace the water. For larger families and groups, you want to have a larger chemical toilet.
You need to keep in mind that the larger the tanks, the heavier it will be when it comes time to empty the tanks. If you want more frequent cleanings over heavier loads, then you need to take that into consideration.
The flushing mechanism is just a basic water pump and can be used by battery, electric, or manually. When it comes to the manual option, you won’t need to worry about being in a situation where you are without electricity.
How does it work?
Before you use your chemical porta potty, you will need to fill the waste compartment with the right chemicals and the fresh water tank with water. If you have the battery operated version, ensure that your batteries are good, and it may be best to keep spare batteries.
Ensure that only toilet paper and human waste are used in the chemical toilet. Feminine hygiene products, handy wipes, and trash should be disposed of separately because they will clog up the unit.
Using a chemical toilet, is similar to using a regular toilet.
Should we use special toilet paper?
You may, but it isn’t required. The whole reason for chemicals in the chemical potty is for things to be broke down quickly. Many chemical toilet companies will tell you that quick dissolving toilet paper is best. The truth is, if you don’t use a bunch of toilet paper, then regular 1-ply will work fine. Quick dissolving toilet paper is best with larger families.
What chemicals should be used?
There are a lot of chemicals that are sold for chemical toilets. Some will kill bacteria, break waste down, mask those nasty smells, and others will do a combination of these. There are eco-friendly chemicals that will give you more option for disposal.
Various chemicals will also give you an option for having them in powder cake, dry powder, and liquid forms. Ensure that you have read over the recommending products on your paperwork that you get with the toilet.
Keep in mind that most of the chemicals will begin to lose effectiveness around 3 days. If you aren’t constantly using your unit, then empty it out and clean it or make sure that you are adding chemicals as needed when it isn’t being used. The last thing that you want is for waste and chemicals to get dried out which causes you to lose money and products.
How should we empty and dispose of the waste water?
Many portable chemical toilers are easy to clean. Just disconnect the waste tank, and clean it out. Some will have pourable spouts and others use a removable top but this will vary between models.
When you are reading the instruction manual, be sure to find the air valve button. This is a key to emptying the waste. Not releasing the trapped air could cause nasty water to splash on you.
Whenever you are disposing of waste will be one of the most important things that you need to consider. Because you are dealing with chemicals and human waste, you won’t be able to dump it where you want. You may contaminate local water sources which could cause you to get a fine.
Chemical porta potties shouldn’t ever be poured straight into the sewage system because of the chemicals. The best place to dispose of it is at a dump station. You will find these at RV parks and campgrounds. Otherwise, you will need to dump it down a working toilet so that everything can be cleaned at a waste treatment plant.
The right storage between uses
Ensure that you are cleaning out the whole system between uses according to the manual. Ensure that it is being stored in a place that is out of the elements, so that the materials do not get damaged.
Overall, chemical porta potties are a good investment
If you want to make the investment of a chemical porta potty, then it may become a valuable resource. They are not hard to care for and will come in handy during normal situations and even emergencies.
