rejuvenating plastic vacuum domes

[Main Street Carwash]

Does anyone know a way to bring the color back on faded vac domes? Also wondering if anyone has ever painted them and how did that go?

 

[Car_Wash_Guy]

I've been thinking about the same. My first thought was some type of plastic paint - I've seen Rustolium plastic paint in Depot.

 

[Main Street Carwash]

That is what I was thinking as well. I saw a post circa 2008 by Earl Weiss stating he painted some and was wondering how they held up over time. Any input Earl Weiss?

 

[OurTown]

If you have the domes lighted then the paint probably won't let any light through.

 

[Randy]

The best thing you can do with the plastic vac domes is to replace them. They look like crap shortly after they've been painted.

 

[slash007]

I have a few that are painted blue and I had the same concern about fading, but they have been up for 2 years now with no visible deterioration. I pulled them from another wash, so no idea what they used to paint them. Of course no light goes through now, but most of the vacs barely showed light through the dome to start with.

 

[Main Street Carwash]

I am not lighting the domes so no concerns there

 

[OurTown]

We inquired about replacing our Doyle stainless domes with new red plastic ones and possibly lighting them. Doyle said that the new ones they mold have more UV resistant pigment in them but they don't transmit as much light as the old ones. We decided to keep our stainless domes and plan to dress them up with a custom wrap.

 

[Main Street Carwash]

The domes I posted about are on Coleman round vacs. I have about 10 old vacs with stainless domes so I may see if I can retrofit those to the Coleman vacs. I prefer stainless anyway.

 

[Earl Weiss]

The spray paint that says it is for plastic from HD worked great unless you want the light to shine thru. Did it for Yellow, Red and Blue. Even changed the color on a couple. After about 4 years it needs to be done again.

 

[Car_Wash_Guy]

Maybe try getting a garbage pail big enough to hold them, and submerge them in that with hot water and RIT clothing die for a few hours? I used to use that stuff when I was a kid to die the abs plastic pieces on my radio control cars

ETA:

https://www.amazon.com/Rit-DyeMore-Advanced-Polyester-Acrylic/dp/B00U2IXIZO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1532373999&sr=8-3&keywords=rit+dye+red

 

[Greg Pack]

Maybe try getting a garbage pail big enough to hold them, and submerge them in that with hot water and RIT clothing die for a few hours? I used to use that stuff when I was a kid to die the abs plastic pieces on my radio control cars

ETA:

https://www.amazon.com/Rit-DyeMore-Advanced-Polyester-Acrylic/dp/B00U2IXIZO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1532373999&sr=8-3&keywords=rit+dye+red

interesting idea, but I wonder f you should just paint the dye onto them.

 

[robert roman]

Does anyone know a way to bring the color back on faded vac domes? Also wondering if anyone has ever painted them and how did that go?

You might want to try headlight restoration kit that you can buy at any local auto parts store (i.e. Simoniz, Turtle Wax, Gator, etc.).

 

[PaulLovesJamie]

Many moons ago when I had stainless vac domes, a salesman told me to put on 1 lighted dome and prepare to be shocked. He was right, I was - revenue in that vac immediately outpaced the other vacs, significantly. So I moved the lighted dome to a different vac, and revenue followed it.
Anecdotal, I know, but within 2 months I put the lighted domes on all my vacs. And yes the light/glow is visible in the evening/night.

My domes are faded again, they're on my "replace list." I may try the RIT dye technique, thanks for that idea, but I wont paint them. For around $100 each I suspect I'll end up replacing them this fall.

 

[OurTown]

Many moons ago when I had stainless vac domes, a salesman told me to put on 1 lighted dome and prepare to be shocked. He was right, I was - revenue in that vac immediately outpaced the other vacs, significantly. So I moved the lighted dome to a different vac, and revenue followed it.

That's interesting. When you tried this experiment did your overall vac revenue go up or did some of it just get moved to the new lighted dome vac? What happened to the overall vac revenue when you put lighted domes on all? We were all geared up to do this until Doyle told us that the new ones don't transmit as much light as they used to. He thought it was no big deal because according to him as time goes on less and less operators are lighting the domes.

 

[I.B. Washincars]

Frankly, I quickly tired of fixing the lights. Whenever I would service them down the road I would take that crap out and trash it. Maybe if you're a little, puny, one horse, piddling a$$, small potatoes operator like Randy, you may have nothing better to do than tinker with them. Me, I can find better things to do, like jab at Randy over the web.

 

[PaulLovesJamie]

Frankly, I quickly tired of fixing the lights.

Fixing the lights??? 5 vacs with lighted domes for around 20 years -- I change a light bulb about once every year or so, otherwise zero repairs.

That's interesting. When you tried this experiment did your overall vac revenue go up or did some of it just get moved to the new lighted dome vac? What happened to the overall vac revenue when you put lighted domes on all?

For the first one I put on, I think the customers just followed the lighted dome like moths. When I did all 5, revenue went up. A lot? I dont recall, that was a long time ago.

We were all geared up to do this until Doyle told us that the new ones don't transmit as much light as they used to. He thought it was no big deal because according to him as time goes on less and less operators are lighting the domes.

Sounds like an excuse from doyle if you ask me.
In addition, lots of people/operators do & dont do lots of things, quite a few that dont make sense. Flags, banners, waving gorillas, flowers, we do all kinds of things to attract attention - lighted domes are an inexpensive low maintenance visual attraction if you ask me.

 

[OurTown]

Overall I like the idea. Maybe the new ones would just require higher lumen bulbs under them. How many years would someone expect they last before they start to look faded? I'm sure it varies some according to the amount of sunshine though. (Seattle vs Phoenix)

 

[soapy]

I have stainless domes on mine and added a few outdoor flood lights to sit on top of the dome. Some come on when the vac is activated so people can see in their cars at night better. In areas where I wanted more light at night and did not have a pole light etc. I added 2 or 3 to the top of vac with light sensors so they come on at night a provide light full time. Little 15 watt LED flood lights put out a lot of light and you can run them off your existing vac circuit.

 

[I.B. Washincars]

Fixing the lights??? 5 vacs with lighted domes for around 20 years -- I change a light bulb about once every year or so, otherwise zero repairs.

Between 4 washes, I think I have 27 vacs. The D&S had a 2' long fluorescent that was terribly in the way when changing motors. The Fragramatics had two fluorescents in each vac, not as much in the way, but they were different than the D&S. A couple of J.E. Adams just used an incandescent so they weren't really a big deal. Regardless, whenever I attempted to repair them I never seemed to have the right bulb, starter, ballast, magnificot, or whatever. My washes are in Podunk, Ky towns and I seemed to waste a buttload of time running around looking for piddling a$$ light parts. You, having 5 identical vacs at one wash can stay on top of it. They just aren't worth it to me...sue me