Petit 360 and Cold Weather

[GoBuckeyes]

A little update on our 360’s that were installed in November. We finally got some cold weather here, last night it got down to about 15F. With one door and floor heat the bay stayed around 30F, then dipped a bit colder. About 10:30 this morning we got two emails regarding ‘motor run on’. Turns out the drive wheels were slipping on the rails for both the arms and the carriage. At 10:30 it was probably 23F outside which is nothing. Why they wouldn’t heat the rails with heat tape or circulated anti-freeze is baffling.
We have exit doors to finish installing which apparently will be a priority now and should help considerably. But the reason I wanted to bring this up is so anyone else in a cold climate thinking of installing I-360’s can think about it in advance. It would be a lot easier at the time of install to either run hoses thru the bay rails and trolley rails and circulate antifreeze or have your electrician run a circuit to the bay and the carriage to use heat tape.
If you have any door issues in the middle of the winter your machine isn’t going anywhere. Just something to think about.

 

[jubalr]

To what temperature do you continue to wash cars with only 1 door and floor heat? I have the same setup regarding flloor heat and 1 door, but we shut down the wash when it gets to about 28 degrees. If we add 2 doors we could wash colder of course, but we don't get that cold very often.

 

[GoBuckeyes]

We wash cars down to zero degrees outside. If we shut down when it’s 28 we’d be out of business. Winter time here is money making season.

 

[jubalr]

We wash cars down to zero degrees outside. If we shut down when it’s 28 we’d be out of business. Winter time here is money making season.

I understand and agree. But with just 1 door I wouldn't expect to be able to wash that low. I have an Oasis XP with the winter package and it runs hot water from the floor heat through the equipment and rails, but I wouldn't expect to wash cars that low with only 1 door. Maybe it would and I'm just too conservative in my approach.

 

[GoBuckeyes]

We had an Oasis Typhoon we just replaced after 20 years of service. Great cold weather machine. Washed many days at 0 with one door.

When I was younger and dumber we didn't have any doors and still washed into the single digits. We shoveled a lot of ice back in those days.

 

[Car_Wash_Guy]

I have 2 and we were down to -5 a few days ago with multiple evenings in the single digits. All i have is floor heat and I had no issues. You need to get that second door up to retain some heat in there. I actually messed up the settings on the the doors and my exit door was staying open during washes on days =>22 and that kept the bay cold enough to freeze my entrance door shut ( just in the very corners where the heat tubes aren't near)over night.

 

[soonermajic]

We had an Oasis Typhoon we just replaced after 20 years of service. Great cold weather machine. Washed many days at 0 with one door.

When I was younger and dumber we didn't have any doors and still washed into the single digits. We shoveled a lot of ice back in those days.

Good for Oasis! Great honest family ran business, in the heartland...

 

[Toms PTcarwash]

I have a Ryko Monarch that also runs on floor mounted rails. I have front and rear doors. This machine continues to do a good job washing cars, I have replaced darn near every part on it a couple times in the last 18-20 years but it keeps on ticking.
In very cold weather 25 or less on a windy day ice will form on the rails and render it useless unless I crank up the heat in the bay to 60 or so.
During the winter when temps are way low, I shut it off at about 6pm and reopen at 9 am.
If I didn't have doors, it would be useless at about 30 degrees as the rails continually are covered with water.

 

[TSchmitz]

Just had an issue with our Petit during single digits in the morning. The entrance eyes froze over from the undercarriage mist. When the doors would open, the undercarriage would turn on, then off within a second and the door would close before the car entered. Essentially trapping them between the door and pay station gate.

 

[GoBuckeyes]

Just had an issue with our Petit during single digits in the morning. The entrance eyes froze over from the undercarriage mist. When the doors would open, the undercarriage would turn on, then off within a second and the door would close before the car entered. Essentially trapping them between the door and pay station gate.

We had this same issue for another reason. Our undercarriage is during the first presoak pass as they are parked over the spray bar. Our previous machine had it as you drove in and so customers were pulling half way in expecting the UC and then backing out, then the door would close trapping them outside.
You need to change the door setting so that it doesn’t close until the car is parked as opposed to when the entrance eye is cleared. That will at least solve the issue of them not getting their wash and possibly getting hit by your door.

 

[GoBuckeyes]

This is the setting I’m referring to. It’s under Setup, Doors….

 

[TSchmitz]

This is the setting I’m referring to. It’s under Setup, Doors….
View attachment 5039

Much appreciated!

 

[SplashDash]

I understand and agree. But with just 1 door I wouldn't expect to be able to wash that low. I have an Oasis XP with the winter package and it runs hot water from the floor heat through the equipment and rails, but I wouldn't expect to wash cars that low with only 1 door. Maybe it would and I'm just too conservative in my approach.

We don’t have doors at all & wash in sub zero temps , we make sure all heat tape is working on rails & use wrapping on pipes like they do for trailers seems to work. We do have to knock off ice daily on all walls & cables .