What temperature is your hot water to the bays in self-serve.

[Twodose]

Putting in a new 119 gal storage tank, the old one rusted out, just curious what temperature you use to the bays, in your wash in a self-serve.

 

[Greg Pack]

I think I am at 110. Comes out very warm, but not so hot that it liquefies globs of grease.

 

[Twodose]

I think I am at 110. Comes out very warm, but not so hot that it liquefies globs of grease.

Thats what I have been set at, seems warm enough but I have been in washes that the swivel to the gun is so hot you cant touch it.

 

[MEP001]

Thats what I have been set at, seems warm enough but I have been in washes that the swivel to the gun is so hot you cant touch it.

I wouldn't ever set it that hot. I don't want anyone getting scalded from a burst hose, especially when people let their kids handle the gun. 110-115 is where I keep it, or not so hot that I can't keep my hand submerged in it for five seconds.

 

[Twodose]

Right, thats what i would think.

 

[Eric H]

I'm set at 120 at the tank. By the time it gets to the pump stand and then out to the bay it has lost a fair amount of heat.

 

[JMMUSTANG]

I found that I needed 110 at the pump because I want it at 104-105 at the gun.

 

[2Biz]

I might be the lone ranger here....I have my HTP set at 100°....When its cold out, there's a much bigger temperature differential between the air and HP hose and is very noticeable. I get positive comments all winter long as I am the only one who heats water (that I know of) in my area. In the summer when its in the 80's and 90's, you can still feel the heat in the HP hose...100° Seems to work well for me.

As for cleaning cars better with heated water, it probably helps. But it doesn't cost much for the customer to perceive he/she's getting a better wash with the heated water. I believe you end up with more customers over the competition who doesn't have heated water.

 

[MEP001]

As for cleaning cars better with heated water, it probably helps. But it doesn't cost much for the customer to perceive he/she's getting a better wash with the heated water. I believe you end up with more customers over the competition without heated water.

I know it helps with cutting oily road film. I also agree that the customer value advantage is huge, but hardly anyone uses hot water in their SS here, and I really can't remember the last time I saw a customer check. I used to see that a lot.

 

[Twodose]

I might be the lone ranger here....I have my HTP set at 100°....When its cold out, there's a much bigger temperature differential between the air and HP hose and is very noticeable.

The HTP heater yo have, is that a 50 gallon? Also, how many bays are you heating with that?

 

[Rudy]

FWIW....the storage tanks last a LOT longer if you change the anodes every two years or so. Spend the extra bucks and use Magnesium instead of aluminum.

 

[Waxman]

I set my hot water storage tank for 120°. My furnace is connected to an Intermatic timer that stops heating up water around 8 PM and starts heating it back up again at about 6 AM. Other than the timer I don't change anything on the tank settings. I leave it set for 120° year-round.

 

[soonermajic]

A lot of guys in Okla & Tx turn their hot water off in the Summer.

 

[washnshine]

I might be the lone ranger here....I have my HTP set at 100°....When its cold out, there's a much bigger temperature differential between the air and HP hose and is very noticeable. I get positive comments all winter long as I am the only one who heats water (that I know of) in my area. In the summer when its in the 80's and 90's, you can still feel the heat in the HP hose...100° Seems to work well for me.

As for cleaning cars better with heated water, it probably helps. But it doesn't cost much for the customer to perceive he/she's getting a better wash with the heated water. I believe you end up with more customers over the competition who doesn't have heated water.

I’m in the northeast and there is a huge difference in my incoming water temp in the winter vs. summer. My incoming water temp right now is 45°. In June and the through the summer, it will be 65 - 70°. That plays a huge factor on tank recovery time, which means it won’t actually be 110° or 120° for a lot of customers at peak periods of high usage . Couple that with the heat lost as it runs through cold hoses and once it hits the air- even before it hits the car - on winter days, and that makes 120° not really 120° for many customers in the winter.

 

[2Biz]

The HTP heater yo have, is that a 50 gallon? Also, how many bays are you heating with that?

My HTP is 55 gallon 199k btu. I have 4 Ss bays. Most busy day was 4400 gallons used and it kept up fine....

 

[Car_Wash_Guy]

Are you guys meaning the temp @ your hot water tank is these temps or the temp at the water heater? I have my temp @ the WH at 120 I'm sure its much less in the holding tank

 

[OurTown]

Are you guys meaning the temp @ your hot water tank is these temps or the temp at the water heater? I have my temp @ the WH at 120 I'm sure its much less in the holding tank

115F inside the storage tank temperature probe well that controls the boiler. I'm sure is 5-10 less at the bay. Also we have gravity feed hot water so if it cools down then someone would have to run the bay long enough to use the water in the pipes from the storage tank to the gravity tank and its contents to get up to the correct temp. In our wash that might be four or five minutes.

 

[wyatt]

I'm at about 100 and I turn it off in the Summer. People never ask about in the Summer. But I just had to replace a heat exchanger at my wash and I was getting lots of questions why there wasn't any hot water.