One of the best decisions I've made

[wyatt]

So this topic has been discussed a lot lately so I thought I would share my experience. At the 2019 Car Wash Show I bought Air Dryers for my ss bays and put them at my best wash location. BEST DECISION! I installed time meters on each one so I could track my ROI.

They have been installed now for 3 months and have an average of 32 hours on each meter/bay. I am currently at $2.50 for 4 minutes.

$37.50 per hour x 32 hours x 4 bays = $4,800

I spent 4,700 on the units so I have fully recouped my investment in only 3 months! The best part is, there's no chemical to worry about and I haven't noticed my electric bill going up. So they are almost free to run.

Thought this may be useful for anyone on the fence about it. I'm all about the numbers so I totally understand.

 

[APW]

Wyatt, which Air Dryers did you go with?

 

[wyatt]

Air Logic, they've worked great so far.

 

[Car_Wash_Guy]

$4800 installed or did you do the work?

 

[DiamondWash]

I too went with AIr Logic for my S.S bay dryers, they are already paid for in 2 years but the key is to use either a high-quality wax/clearcoat/drying agent to have customers always want to use it. I've been to too many sites where the owner skimps on that function and makes using the dryer pointless and waste of money for the customer which in turn won't use it again based on the water beading ability.

 

[wyatt]

$4800 installed or did you do the work?

I did the work, but it only took me about a day and a half to complete all the bays. Basic electrical skills is really all you need. Also, make sure to buy them at the car wash show as they almost always have a special.

 

[Earl Weiss]

I have te Diskin. Not as much use as Wyatt. perhaps a 2 year payback. Did 2 busiest "Superbays" as a test.

 

[OurTown]

We have the single three phase motor Super Air Shammee II in one bay and should be about a year and a half payback. We will install them in the other two bays when we remodel. The good part about these is that they should be lower maintenance because of the motor design and they have more power. The bad part is they cost hundreds more to install with needing a contactor and three phase breaker.

 

[Car_Wash_Guy]

I've thought about it in the past but not sure how good the take would be given I have a complimentary towel station. Maybe I can eliminate the work of the towels and increase revenue at the same time?

 

[OurTown]

With count up on credit card the payback will most likely be quicker. We have not switched to count up yet.

 

[Earl Weiss]

The bad part is they cost hundreds more to install with needing a contactor and three phase breaker.

Mine use the same contacter and breaker as the High pressure pump since only one can operate at a time.

 

[Waxman]

Mine were made by my clever friend Eric. They work great and the customers love them. They are used every day in my little 2 + 1 car wash. What a great idea to increase profits !!!!! My friends John and Eric told me for years to get them and now I wonder why I waited so long, because they are that good.

I even bragged to my kids: "...HEY; I figured out how to sell AIR!!! Who else is doing that ?!?!? Just ME and the HOSPITALS!!!" ,,,,,,,,Cue the eye rolls from the kids.

 

[OurTown]

Mine use the same contacter and breaker as the High pressure pump since only one can operate at a time.

That's true and it was suggested to me by Troy Diskin. These do pull more amps than our pump motors so the overloads might have to be swapped out for the higher load. It might not protect the pump motor as well but it's probably a minor detail. I also wanted a separate circuit for shut off but it does take up more spaces in the panel box vs the single phase version.

 

[1carwash1]

That's true and it was suggested to me by Troy Diskin. These do pull more amps than our pump motors so the overloads might have to be swapped out for the higher load. It might not protect the pump motor as well but it's probably a minor detail. I also wanted a separate circuit for shut off but it does take up more spaces in the panel box vs the single phase version.

How can the high pressure pump and Air Shammee use the same contactor?

 

[OurTown]

How can the high pressure pump and Air Shammee use the same contactor?

Now that I think about it I'm not really sure. It must have just been only the circuit that Troy told me to share.

 

[I.B. Washincars]

I'm guessing they are using the same circuit as the pump motor, picking up the power at the supply side of the contactor. This would be a very convenient junction, but with no power actually going through the contactor. The dryer would not actually be using the contactor for it's normal use as a relay, but just as a junction block.

 

[MEP001]

Obviously you can't use the same contactor for both, but you can use two of the same one (One for the 3-phase pump motor and one for the dryer if the dryer has a 3-phase motor or the 3-phase power is 208Y where each leg is 120V) and feed both contactors with one breaker.

 

[Earl Weiss]

OOPS - Sorry, Same breaker - new contactor.

 

[sunahara]

I have often thought about this and wondered if I should install them out of the bay itself. My vacuum islands are after the wash and often thought of putting there to get people out of the bay. I have often worried about spending to much time in the bay and thought this might work. Has anyone ever installed outside the bay?

 

[I.B. Washincars]

I thought this placement in this covered vac area would be a home run. Combined, they didn't bring in 5 bucks a week. They got damaged recently and I'm not even going to repair them. I'm eventually going to move them to a different wash, where the damage won't matter in the attic. I've got some in the bays at another wash and they get a decent amount of use. I have talked to others that have placed them outside of the bays and their results were similar to mine.