Cost Per Minute Analysis

[wrightwash]

I spent the past snowy Saturday evening crunching numbers trying to develop a cost-per-minute of use estimate.

5 Bay Self Service Car Wash
2HP Single Phase Motors on Cat310 Pump

Here's what I calculated below:

For Electricity Cost:
230V x 12 Amps = 2530 Watts
2530/1000= 2.53 Kilowatts/Hour
2.53/60= 0.42 Kilowatts/Minute
O.42*0.101 (TVA Current Rate) = $.042 (per minute run)
10% Deviation (End Rush, Switching) = $.046 (per minute run)

For Water Cost:
TVA Water Cost .0129 per Gallon
5GPM Pump = $.0645

The chemical cost is where I'm a little fuzzy.
I took each of my chemical costs, divided by the final dilution rate, and then averaged these numbers together.
Average Chemical Cost: $.149 (Parts Per 5 Gallon) This is assuming chemical is used for the minute.

Without taking wear and maintenance into consideration, I'm calculating it costs roughly $.26/minute.

Does this seem about average?
I know this is merely speculation, but I want to determine a baseline so that I can track all my P/L in a spreadsheet.

 

[CarWashBoy]

In todays world pricing, Bays and Vacs $1 per minute is the TICKET! we have been that way for 4 Years, Vac as Well..

 

[wrightwash]

In todays world pricing, Bays and Vacs $1 per minute is the TICKET! we have been that way for 4 Years, Vac as Well..

I'm far away from that! The local average is $0.25 for 35 Seconds!

 

[CarWashBoy]

That's about the same pricing in our area, although those washes are out of date and customers seem to pick the Wash that works BEST.. So we are higher for sure, but so is our income.. It's not all about price, it's Quality.. You get what you Pay for..

 

[PaulLovesJamie]

... cost-per-minute of use estimate ...

... track all my P/L ...

a
Not trying to be pedantic here, but "estimate" and "track" are not really compatible.
I get what you are trying to do, I've tried to do the same with some success. But eventually I always end up looing at actual numbers, which I can then use as a functional estimate moving forward. I.e. actual chem costs divided by actual minutes sold for a given time period, those are a lot easier to figure out and a lot more accurate/useful. To me anyway.

 

[wrightwash]

a
Not trying to be pedantic here, but "estimate" and "track" are not really compatible.
I get what you are trying to do, I've tried to do the same with some success. But eventually, I always end up looing at actual numbers, which I can then use as a functional estimate moving forward. I.e. actual chem costs divided by actual minutes sold for a given time period, those are a lot easier to figure out and a lot more accurate/useful. To me anyway.

I agree completely, I think there's just too many variables in place to get a strong number.

 

[wrightwash]

In todays world pricing, Bays and Vacs $1 per minute is the TICKET! we have been that way for 4 Years, Vac as Well..

We're $1 for 4mins on vacuums! All local competition is either $1.25 for a combo vac or .50 for 2 mins

 

[CarWashBoy]

We're $1 for 4mins on vacuums! All local competition is either $1.25 for a combo vac or .50 for 2 mins

In my opinion that is WAY to Cheap of pricing.. How can you make money at those prices.. We have lots of competition with same prices as you mentioned and we are $5- 5 minutes in bays and $3 - 3 minutes vacs.. Business is GOOD.. no coins, just credit debit, cash on all bays and vacs with Tap to Pay as well.. Vacs cleaned daily, new nozzles often and hoses replaced often as well.. If you are better than your competition it really doesn't matter.. plus you keep the bad guys out..

 

[GaCarWasher]

I spent the past snowy Saturday evening crunching numbers trying to develop a cost-per-minute of use estimate.

5 Bay Self Service Car Wash
2HP Single Phase Motors on Cat310 Pump

Here's what I calculated below:

For Electricity Cost:
230V x 12 Amps = 2530 Watts
2530/1000= 2.53 Kilowatts/Hour
2.53/60= 0.42 Kilowatts/Minute
O.42*0.101 (TVA Current Rate) = $.042 (per minute run)
10% Deviation (End Rush, Switching) = $.046 (per minute run)

For Water Cost:
TVA Water Cost .0129 per Gallon
5GPM Pump = $.0645

The chemical cost is where I'm a little fuzzy.
I took each of my chemical costs, divided by the final dilution rate, and then averaged these numbers together.
Average Chemical Cost: $.149 (Parts Per 5 Gallon) This is assuming chemical is used for the minute.

Without taking wear and maintenance into consideration, I'm calculating it costs roughly $.26/minute.

Does this seem about average?
I know this is merely speculation, but I want to determine a baseline so that I can track all my P/L in a spreadsheet.

Good evening. I am new to the site and considering buying a SS wash in my town. Thanks for the crunching of numbers: the first real thread I have seen as such. Too bad it got hijacked and everyone replied with their meter pricing not actual costs. Now a year later, do you think your numbers are correct?

I spent the past snowy Saturday evening crunching numbers trying to develop a cost-per-minute of use estimate.

5 Bay Self Service Car Wash
2HP Single Phase Motors on Cat310 Pump

Here's what I calculated below:

For Electricity Cost:
230V x 12 Amps = 2530 Watts
2530/1000= 2.53 Kilowatts/Hour
2.53/60= 0.42 Kilowatts/Minute
O.42*0.101 (TVA Current Rate) = $.042 (per minute run)
10% Deviation (End Rush, Switching) = $.046 (per minute run)

For Water Cost:
TVA Water Cost .0129 per Gallon
5GPM Pump = $.0645

The chemical cost is where I'm a little fuzzy.
I took each of my chemical costs, divided by the final dilution rate, and then averaged these numbers together.
Average Chemical Cost: $.149 (Parts Per 5 Gallon) This is assuming chemical is used for the minute.

Without taking wear and maintenance into consideration, I'm calculating it costs roughly $.26/minute.

Does this seem about average?
I know this is merely speculation, but I want to determine a baseline so that I can track all my P/L in a spreadsheet.

 

[CarWashBoy]

You are Very close depending, I would say 30 cents per minute if you give the Customer what they want and need to be Happy and Come BACK!

 

[wrightwash]

Good evening. I am new to the site and considering buying a SS wash in my town. Thanks for the crunching of numbers: the first real thread I have seen as such. Too bad it got hijacked and everyone replied with their meter pricing not actual costs. Now a year later, do you think your numbers are correct?

They are close! I would say we tend to be in the 25-30 cents per minute range. There are so many variables ultimately it's hard to average it out by the minute though.

 

[JMMUSTANG]

I agree with wrightwash, my Pit cleaning every year is between $5-7,000 alone. That is part of the wash cost.

 

[theoffspringer]

I agree with wrightwash, my Pit cleaning every year is between $5-7,000 alone. That is part of the wash cost.

How big are youre pits and how many do you have. I have 6 pits at roughly 750 gallons and i pay 250 a pit, and there done 2x a years rarely 3x