Bay Meters Cemented in or Flush Mount?

[Twodose]

Which way is best and why?

 

[Earl Weiss]

By flusf mount do you mean recessed into the wall, and Cement is surface mount with cement buil up around it?

Unless you have really thick walls you are likely going to want a vault that is thicker than the wall and would have to build the wall out around it anyway. This build out would extend upward to encompass a meter which could be flush mounted, other wise you have an awkward protrusin just for the vault. If you have a vac it up system it may not matter.

 

[Twodose]

Flush mount > Surface mount to a finished wall.

Cemented in > built or cut into the wall.

 

[cantbreak80]

When I remodeled, I removed the partially recessed meter boxes that were near the center of the bays (who ever thought that was a good location?) and, installed the new boxes about three feet from the entrance ends.

My brick mason then added a course of “jumbo brick” to each meter wall, basically thickening the entrance end of the walls. This made the boxes flush-mounted and allowed for the installation of coin safes on the end caps. Yea!!!, no more soaking wet coins or water damaged acceptors and timers. They look less like an afterthought and the chances of vandalism/theft is greatly reduced.

A few years later, I visited a new facility and wished I’d thought of his installation. His back-to-back meters fed coin safes, too. But, the thickened end walls were built like full height columns turned 45 degrees…think diamond-shape on the end of the wall This placed the meters in the driest part of the bays and at an angle so the customers could see the display timers from anywhere in the bay. The safes were just like mine, accessed from outside the bay. But, he never got soaked by a customer when he collected the money.

 

[Randy]

We recess the coin boxes into the block wall at the end of the bay, piggy backed to the next bay with a round coin vault below for 2 bays. I’ve seen too many coin boxes that were mounted to wall pulled off the wall with a chain in the night.

 

[Twodose]

So say they get broken into, they are much easier to replace than when they are cemented into the wall, I’m just wondering, all my boxes have been broken into, if they were flush mounted it would be allot easier to replace them. So sometimes I think let them do it they won't get much money, get the insurance and replace them. Its allot harder to dig them out of the wall and replace. I wish I had put in a vacuum coin vault so they don't get anything. By the way, can you put a vacuum collection in through the walls and not trough the floor when installing?

 

[Earl Weiss]

By having seperte vaults they are les likely to attack the meters. This is one reason I used a seperate box for the bill acceptors. If they attack it, the meter still works and the bay is not out of order.

A local guy had half cylinders made of stainless bolted to the wall. They protrude a few inches from the wall with openings at the bottom for the vault and top for the meter box. They are filled with cement effectively recessing the vault and meter box opening a few inches.

 

[MEP001]

FWIW, "flush mount" means they are in the wall flush with the surface. What you mean is surface mount.

If there is no money in them, if the coin safe is separate and secure, there shouldn't be a big problem with them being surface mounted. I'd definitely rather have them flush with the wall just because it looks better. I've retrofitted washes with larger boxes and had to cut the brick for them to fit, then bolted them in, and with that method they could still be removed easily.

 

[Twodose]

The way we have always done it was to cement the boxes in, I never bolted them in, just cut into the brick or block and cement them in, what I’m saying is if they were surface mounted it would be easier to replace them if they were broken into, rather than using a small jackhammer to get them out and then cementing them back in. I’m in a rural area and the boxes were cemented in, the wash was only open for about a week before they salted the changer all 5 vendors and tried to break into every box, and we did catch the salters, they were high school kids.
They never got into the boxes but did allot of damage.
I’m just thinking if I redo the boxes to surface mount them instead of cementing them into the wall just to make it easier to replace.
Don’t think just because you’re not in a high crime area that these things won’t happen, these ridge runners and the people with the county mentality think its easy money.

 

[Twodose]

By having seperte vaults they are les likely to attack the meters. This is one reason I used a seperate box for the bill acceptors. If they attack it, the meter still works and the bay is not out of order.

A local guy had half cylinders made of stainless bolted to the wall. They protrude a few inches from the wall with openings at the bottom for the vault and top for the meter box. They are filled with cement effectively recessing the vault and meter box opening a few inches.

The meter may work but if they open your boxes your not making any $ if they can get the money back.

 

[Twodose]

When I remodeled, I removed the partially recessed meter boxes that were near the center of the bays (who ever thought that was a good location?) and, installed the new boxes about three feet from the entrance ends.

My brick mason then added a course of “jumbo brick” to each meter wall, basically thickening the entrance end of the walls. This made the boxes flush-mounted and allowed for the installation of coin safes on the end caps. Yea!!!, no more soaking wet coins or water damaged acceptors and timers. They look less like an afterthought and the chances of vandalism/theft is greatly reduced.

A few years later, I visited a new facility and wished I’d thought of his installation. His back-to-back meters fed coin safes, too. But, the thickened end walls were built like full height columns turned 45 degrees…think diamond-shape on the end of the wall This placed the meters in the driest part of the bays and at an angle so the customers could see the display timers from anywhere in the bay. The safes were just like mine, accessed from outside the bay. But, he never got soaked by a customer when he collected the money.

Years ago it seems all the bay meters we centered in the bay, i had also done this with the second carwash i had, moved from the center to the end of the bay.

 

[Twodose]

Years ago it seems all the bay meters we centered in the bay, i had also done this with the second carwash i had, moved from the center to the end of the bay. If you live in the frigid northeast in pa where i live the best place is on the left when you come in the bay and not in the center of the bay...it’s like -7 ° right now, i am down to one wash from 4 and i have it closed until it warms up some, we don't have the convenience of not being below freezing, it is a whole other challenge.

 

[Earl Weiss]

The meter may work but if they open your boxes your not making any $ if they can get the money back.

I think the incentive is to get $ , not just a free wash. Point being that whatever time it takes to repair damage does not put the bay out of order.