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What is the average lifespan of a portable toilet?

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lifespan of portable toilets

Portable toilets are quite durable but they certainly do not last forever. These units are normally a place of respite, where you empty your bladder or bowels from all of nature’s pressure. Each portable toilet is designed and maintained to serve a lot of people before it packs up and gets replaced by a new unit. This essential unit takes regular trips to festivals, attends brilliant outdoor weddings, greets a legion of pressed and impatient runners and makes the work of some construction craftsmen a lot easier.

These portable facilities are made to be quite robust because they’ll be constantly mounted and transported in vans or trucks across motorways, streets and rural roads. The stability of these units makes answering a number one or two a more relaxing affair that effectively shields an occupier in the event of torrential rainfall, snowfall or sunshine.   

Life-span of a toilet 

The life-span of toilets varies between 10-30 years. A few toilets are believed to last more than three decades. The longevity of these toilets is made possible due to the high mass of Polyethylene. Polyethylene is also known as polythene or abbreviated as PE. Polythene comprises saturated, non polar and high molecular weight hydrocarbons. The elements or properties of Polythene can be split into electrical, optical, mechanical and thermal properties.  They are the most common form of plastics in the world with an annual global supply of about 80 million tonnes.

They are used in the manufacturing of a variety of products such as plastic bags, plastic films and containers. The use of Polythene or PE in the manufacturing of portable toilets makes these units lightweight but robust to withstand constant usage, regular movements and exposure to a variety of seasonal elements like rain, dew, dust, snow and sun rays. The high-density of Polythene ensures they can be easily cleaned via several methods like high pressure hot wash or steam cleaned. With the presence of high concentration of PE, these units do not easily absorb odours and ensures they can be easily power washed and transported from different locations a couple of hundreds of times before they require servicing or eventual replacement.

It is quite clear that the presence of Polyethylene improves the durability and increases the lifespan of portable toilet units. As the high PE density in these facilities also prevent rot and the congregation of harmful bacteria, they can easily withstand a variety of cleaning agents and do not crack or leak under a variety of pressure. Overall, contemporary mobile toilets are not just designed to make you comfortable today but are durable enough to ensure you could easily use it with peace of mind in years to come.

When you next hire a portable toilet unit, do not worry too much about its durability as they have an impressive lifespan and are often serviced and maintained by portable toilet hire companies to ensure users have an appealing experience on sports, party, wedding or construction sites or venues. A big attribution of the longevity of these portable units is their high density in PE and the care provided by toilet hire firms.

 

Written by Wayne Clarke, owner of WC Portables with 25+ years experience in portable toilets for construction sites, home renovations and diverse events such as weddings, parties, sporting events and festivals.

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