Adding a drive through wheel chemical applicator
- Thread starter carwashireland
- Start date
I haven't but I can tell you the benefits. IF a customer drives through at the correct speed it would do fine. It would most likely be controlled by a set of photo eyes. So if they drive through too slow you waste a lot of soap. Too fast and you don't get good results. That is just one of the issues with inverted L machines.
slash007
Well-known member
I had a set installed on both of my machines about 3 years ago. I knew going it it wouldn't do much since most people drive in too fast, but wanted to give it a try and offer more that the car waiting would notice. After a couple of years I took them out since all I was doing was wasting tire chemical. I would guess one out of every 20 cars drove it at the proper speed. Most sped right through.
PEI
Active member
I have them on all 9 of my Laserwash 4000's. It didn't drive sales, but it does do a good job on the wheels and rocker panels. We use to have most of our customers spraying their rooms before going in. Now almost none spray there rims, they just buy one of the washes with the wheel cleaner.
carwashireland
Active member
DiamondWash
Well-known member
slash007
Well-known member
Here is what I have installed. The large SS spinners are just water, the grey head next to it is for the TC.
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MEP001
Well-known member
I never got around to putting anything together, but I had planned to put together an applicator by using something like driveway signal switches and hose connected to a PLC and multiple pulsed sprayers, that way as someone pulled in they'd get exactly the same dose of cleaner on the wheels no matter how fast or slow they entered, and it could easily be programmed to not activate again if they backed up and drove forward again.
PEI
Active member
I simply programed for the wash to do the undercarriage with rust inhibitor. Then rather than plumbing from the rust inhibitor solenoid to the high pressure pump, I plumber out to the bay.
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washnshine
Well-known member
I’m thinking you’d also want some dwell time. With the spinner or spray right after the applicator and the customer driving even at a reasonable speed, it seems like you’d have almost no time for the chemical to work. Anyone with this set up finding that to be a problem? Seems like it might work better if it stayed on there until then H.P. rinse function on the machine kicked in but then you don’t get the rocker blast.
