Monthly Archives: November 2020

Keeping Portable Toilets Warm In The Winter

There’s nothing worse than having to use portable toilets in Petaluma, CA in the sweltering sunlight in the middle of summer—except maybe having to use one in the freezing cold during the winter months. Granted, California generally has nicer weather than other areas of the country, but if you have to use a portable toilet in the cold, it’s a good idea to take these tips into consideration. As the person who is offering the portable toilets, think of yourself and what you would want when using them. Give that to your guests as well.

Place In The Sunlight

In the summer, you likely want your portable toilets in the sunlight so you don’t have to worry about the smells as much and you want to keep it as cool as you can for guests. In the winter, the opposite is true. You want the portable toilets to be in a sunny area, so they stay warmer. It’s hard to get down to business and remove clothing when it’s super cold inside the portable toilet.

Remove Cold Debris

While it may not be the norm, if there happens to be snow in the area, you will want to make sure to remove it from around the portable toilets. You don’t want guests to have wet feet, making them even more cold, and you don’t want them dragging that into the portable toilets, either. If it rains and then the temperature drops and there are frozen bits around the toilets, that should be removed or salted as well so people don’t slip. You want the area to be as safe as possible, which might take a little extra work.

Consider Indoor Locations

Of course, this all depends on where you are and what you need, but if you can place the portable toilets inside, like in a barn or another such thing, you might want to do that for the winter months. That will give them more warmth and shelter from whatever might be going on outside.

While California weather is generally warmer than other areas of the country, there are still cold snaps. Think about how you would feel having to use a portable toilet during some of the coldest times and then transfer those feelings to any guests you might have coming through. You want the best for yourself—and for them.

If you need help placing, cleaning, and considering what you need for portable toilets in Petaluma, CA, the professionals at American Sanitation Inc are here to help. Give us a call and you can come by and see what we have to offer. We’re here to help you get just what you need any time of the year. We want you to stay warm and have your needs met in every way possible. We’ll take you through the options and the steps you might need to take to keep things warm and toasty for everyone who needs to use the units you have provided.

Septic Tank Additives: Do Or Don’t?

There are a number of things you can do to your septic tank, but you know that if you make the wrong moves, septic tank pumping in Sonoma, CA could become necessary at a faster pace than normal. What about additives? Can they help you in your goals for keeping things running smoothly or do they hinder those goals?

The bottom line is really quite simple. Nothing is good for the septic system other than professional inspections, maintenance, and pumping. That’s a good rule of thumb to live by. It’s best to only get off the shelf additives if the professionals tell you to do so under certain circumstances. Don’t treat your septic system on your own, only by their advice.

Here are some of the common additives and what they do:

Biological Additives

These additives are natural compounds, like bacteria and enzymes. They are supposed to give you peace of mind in making sure that your system is working well, and the bacteria is working the right way. But if the system has been unused for a few months, like if you go away for the winter, there’s no reason to add those things. Your system should be producing the elements naturally on their own. The only reason to add is if your professional septic tank experts tell you as much.

Chemical Additives

Chemical additives are used to break down solid materials and remove clogs, but they are not natural or organic. That means they could actually do more harm than good when it comes to breaking down the matter in your septic system. Chemicals often kill bacteria, which is not what you want. They can also harm the groundwater and the environment as a whole.

If you are having septic issues, of course it’s tempting to fix things on your own in a cheap, easy, DIY way, but that’s not the way you should go. Instead, ask professionals for an assessment and the real solution so you don’t end up costing yourself more than you should. For best practices, maintenance, and other tricks, call the experts and get advice you can trust. The last thing you want to do is cause more problems than you already have…or make them worse.

Septic systems can last for a long time and you only have to pump them out every few years if you treat them right. If you need septic tank pumping in Sonoma, CA, call the expert at American Sanitation Inc. If you aren’t sure what you need, call us anyway and we can help you figure that out. You can get a septic cleaning, pumping, and inspecting schedule set up so you know what is needed and when. That will help you recognize when the time is coming. If things go wrong before that, you know something else is going on. While you might still want help right away, we’re here to help you figure out what you need so you can get things running smoothly yet again.

Don’t Put These Things Down The Drain Into Septic Tanks

When you buy a house with a septic tank and you’ve always been on city sewer before, you might have questions about what you can and cannot do. One thing to know is that no matter how good you are to your system, you will still need septic tank pumping in Petaluma, CA every few years. However, the better you are to the system, the more infrequent those pumping needs will be. You want to take the best care of the system so it will take good care of you and your family as well. Here are a few things you don’t want to put down the drain since you know it will end up in your septic tank:

Solid Waste

While you might have a garbage disposal in your sink, that doesn’t mean you should use it constantly. Put any solid waste in the trash. Run the garbage disposal as you wash dishes and crumbs and other things go down the drain. But don’t count on it to cut everything up. The more solid waste that goes down the drain, the slower your septic system is likely going to run. You don’t even want something small like coffee grounds going down, if you can help it.

Anti-Bacterial

There are lots of chemicals that kill bacteria and while you may want to use those on kitchen counters, you do not want to use them in your septic tank. The tank works by using bacteria to break down the waste that is in the tank. If the bacteria are killed off, there’s nothing left to break down the waste. The tank will fill up and need to be pumped out sooner than it would have otherwise, which will cost you more.

Lots Of Water At Once

The septic tank can only process the waste water so fast. You will want to space out what you do in your home with the water. While it might be convenient to run the washing machine and dishwasher at once, that’s too much water doing into the drain field at one time. Instead, space things out and do only one at a time so the system isn’t overloaded.

Grease/Fat

Putting grease or fat down the drain is an easy way to get rid of it, but it can cool and then clog the drains, causing slowdowns in the entire system. If it makes it down the pipes and to the septic tank, the same thing happens there. It’s best to wait for those things to cool and then put them in the garbage.

When you are in need of more advice about septic systems, whether you need septic tank pumping in Petaluma, CA, or you want to understand the rules of the road a bit better, the professionals at American Sanitation Inc are here to help. Give us a call and ask questions whenever you have them. We’re here to help you keep things running well.

Keeping Portable Toilets Clean For Longer Events

No matter what kind of event you are having, if you are going to be in need of portable toilets in Sonoma, CA for multiple days, you might wonder how you are going to keep things clean and presentable for the duration. When you work with these tips and the professionals in the industry, you can keep things looking nice for the whole event. Here are a few things to keep in mind.

Place Toilets Just Right

You will want to survey the land and place the toilets in the right locations. If you place them strategically, they will work better for you. For example, don’t place them where there is a tendency to be a lot of mud or people will drag that through on their shoes. You will want to perhaps try and put them in a shady location if it’s going to be hot, so they don’t get as stuffy inside. The right location can make all of the difference in keeping them operational during longer events.

Have Enough Toilets

When you speak to the professionals, you will want to figure out how many toilets you need to keep things as clean as you can. Think about how many people you plan to have around, how long the event is, and other such specifics so you can get the right number of toilets for the event you have in mind. If you don’t have enough, they will likely get very messy and dirty very quickly and the guests won’t be as happy, either, since the lines will be longer.

Stock Hygiene Supplies

Make sure the toilets have handwashing stations with plenty of paper towels and soap. You will also want to have garbage cans nearby so people will clean up after themselves and not leave those things lying around. You could also put in some cleaning tablets, air deodorizers, and other such things to keep things nice for longer periods of time.

Get Professionals On The Cleaning Jobs

Depending on how long the event is, and how busy the toilets will be, you might want to set up a schedule for the professionals to come in and check out the toilets, emptying them and cleaning them as needed. You can also assign a staff member of your own for the event to walk around and check them at a regular interval to make sure they are stocked with toilet paper, wiped down, and so on.

While having portable toilets in Sonoma, CA is a necessity for certain events, you want to make sure they are clean and presentable for the duration of longer events. The professionals at American Sanitation Inc have worked with clients from a variety of different areas and we are sure to be able to answer your questions on how you can keep your units clean and nice for the guests who will be attending. Talk through the choices and options with us and we’ll reach a good solution for your venue and time period.

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