MEP001
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The mercury relay from Kleen-Rite.
Clarification on System Setup
- Thread starter Bubbles Galore
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Bubbles Galore
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MEP001
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You want to select one with the same voltage as your controls. I'm assuming everything will be 24V just like a bay, so you'll need one with a 24V coil. The voltage being switched is not relevant.
Bubbles Galore
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mjwalsh
6 bay SS w/laundromat
Bubbles,
Mercury relays from KR are the best for our car wash vacuums so it stand to reason that they would tend to be the best for the pet blow drys etc.
I believe mercury relays have to mounted horizontally --- & that is the reason I did not use them. An electronic engineer told me that use of a snubber circuit (which I am not that familiar with) will extend the life of regular relays. I used some Magnecraft 30 amp din rail mount relays ---- time will tell how good they are ---- so far no problems but 4 months of use is not the best criteria.
Bubbles Galore
Active member
Anyone have a suggestion for where I could pick up some flexible wash hose similar to what KR uses? It seems like their pricing is pretty high for what is offered, but I can't seem to find a supplier. Would a restaurant supply company carry something like that?
http://www.kleen-ritecorp.com/p-4671-dog-wash-flexible-wash-hose-assembly.aspx
http://www.kleen-ritecorp.com/p-4671-dog-wash-flexible-wash-hose-assembly.aspx
Waxman
Super Moderator
How about this?
http://www.kittredgeequipment.com/product_p/770b0044hmlo-x.htm
http://www.kittredgeequipment.com/product_p/770b0044hmlo-x.htm
mjwalsh
6 bay SS w/laundromat
Bubbles,
This is what we bought except we also got a brush attachment that is made for the end of this hose assembly from T&S Brass Works ----It says specifically on both assemblies that it is made for groomers.
So far the sprayer has worked out good after a few months have passed since opening. We were tipped off by one of our last summer snow bird customers & also a hunter from Minnesota that their experience was that they did not like the hose at the Pet Washes that they tried in other states around the country. Other than that I never did try what Big Leo suggested or KR's.
That info & the fact that we were & are concerned about competition from places that are & could potentially offer non coin op Pet Washes.
On a side note of interest: Our 1st cat was just washed a few minutes ago & it did not seem to bother him!
http://www.selfservedogwash.com/faucets_sprayers.htm
This is what we bought except we also got a brush attachment that is made for the end of this hose assembly from T&S Brass Works ----It says specifically on both assemblies that it is made for groomers.
So far the sprayer has worked out good after a few months have passed since opening. We were tipped off by one of our last summer snow bird customers & also a hunter from Minnesota that their experience was that they did not like the hose at the Pet Washes that they tried in other states around the country. Other than that I never did try what Big Leo suggested or KR's.
That info & the fact that we were & are concerned about competition from places that are & could potentially offer non coin op Pet Washes.
On a side note of interest: Our 1st cat was just washed a few minutes ago & it did not seem to bother him!
http://www.selfservedogwash.com/faucets_sprayers.htm
bigleo48
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Told Bubbles I would post this and figured others may want to see it also. It is my solenoid setup for chem injection for my pet washes.
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/AGLb2n0HWMv0ltCAkahCAw?feat=directlink
So the warm water comes it at the top where the stand alone water solenoid is located. Under the water solenoid is an injector with a needle valve that controls how much fluid is sucked out of the solenoid block, then out to the wash tub. The individual solenoids in the block also have needle valves that adjust how much chem is drawn out of the chem bucket.
It typically takes 15 minutes to get the whole thing set properly and then you forget it unless something gets blocked. I had a bit of a problem with the conditioner as its suspension (waxy like substance that makes it thick) would separate and clog the solenoid and screen. I now mix 50/50 and it has been fine.
Big
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/AGLb2n0HWMv0ltCAkahCAw?feat=directlink
So the warm water comes it at the top where the stand alone water solenoid is located. Under the water solenoid is an injector with a needle valve that controls how much fluid is sucked out of the solenoid block, then out to the wash tub. The individual solenoids in the block also have needle valves that adjust how much chem is drawn out of the chem bucket.
It typically takes 15 minutes to get the whole thing set properly and then you forget it unless something gets blocked. I had a bit of a problem with the conditioner as its suspension (waxy like substance that makes it thick) would separate and clog the solenoid and screen. I now mix 50/50 and it has been fine.
Big
Last edited:
mjwalsh
6 bay SS w/laundromat
Bubbles,
Hopefully, without offending a really great guy Big Leo -----
So far we do not regret leaving the Deskunk, Flea n Tick & the Free Disinfectant or see a drastic added chemical cost. In fact we increased the "free disinfectant" so that a regular customer who is familiar could use the 20 seconds 3 times or twice & leave it for us to use as we walk by or for the next customer to clean even further. As soon as our 60 second grace period comes up the "Free Disinfectant" dynamic sign on our touchscreen comes up. If they have the sprayer in their hand & squeeze the trigger they get the full 20 seconds otherwise the free time counts down --- that is the reason we say 15 second on the sign.
We can honestly say the customers are cleaning up after themselves very well so far & we steer away from any advertising or signs saying "leave the mess for us to clean up" We have disposable Dog Poo bags within arms reach for them if they do not want to touch the hair & disifectant with their hand. That way if there is a customer right behind them they can feel better about not being slobs. The dog tends to be a somewhat innocent party.
Hopefully, without offending a really great guy Big Leo -----
So far we do not regret leaving the Deskunk, Flea n Tick & the Free Disinfectant or see a drastic added chemical cost. In fact we increased the "free disinfectant" so that a regular customer who is familiar could use the 20 seconds 3 times or twice & leave it for us to use as we walk by or for the next customer to clean even further. As soon as our 60 second grace period comes up the "Free Disinfectant" dynamic sign on our touchscreen comes up. If they have the sprayer in their hand & squeeze the trigger they get the full 20 seconds otherwise the free time counts down --- that is the reason we say 15 second on the sign.
We can honestly say the customers are cleaning up after themselves very well so far & we steer away from any advertising or signs saying "leave the mess for us to clean up" We have disposable Dog Poo bags within arms reach for them if they do not want to touch the hair & disifectant with their hand. That way if there is a customer right behind them they can feel better about not being slobs. The dog tends to be a somewhat innocent party.
Bubbles Galore
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We will begin retrofitting the bay here shortly and will hopefully be open within 2 weeks or so. Lots of pictures to come.
bigleo48
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Not sure about the "really great guy" part, but no offence taken. I actually enjoy seeing and reading what other people are doing with their petwashes. I'm sure most of you guys can't drive by a car wash and not drive in and have a look.
In general, if people make a big mess they will attempt a clean up, but usually it stills needs cleaning after. With regards to the disinfectant option, I just took it off the dial for a couple of reasons. First, people were using it on their pets. Second, people where not generally using it and when it was used, it was only in the tub (not the surrounding area and aprons). Lastly, I wanted to use the space on the dial for something that is used. So now we just use a sprayer and spray the entire room once a day. Problems solved and room is properly disinfected. Don't really run into dog poop that much...we use the pet vac to suck that up when it happens, then just rinse the vac brush.
The only other chem removal was the "Flea-n-Tick" shampoo. It isn't even listed on the KR webpage, but was about 28 cents/oz. To get a decent lather/look you need a few oz/cust/min. You just couldn't make money on it and its effectiveness was doubtful.
Would like to see a picture of your coinbox/screen.
Cheers...Big
mjwalsh
6 bay SS w/laundromat
Big Leo & Bubbles,
I tried to send some pics a few weeks ago & now again today & even made the jpg less than Bill's 34.2 KB limit & they still failed to upload & I am just not set up with those free high quality picture download sites like the rest of you --- so don't think or feel I am playing hookey or being a rascal.
It really isn't a coin box ----it is slots with signs on a stainless steel wall on our console between the 2 dog washes. In the console it also drops vend items through a Lexan door on each side. You are familiar with HMI screens with PLCs so that is what is used. No one pic will give you the exact image because the image changes & is somewhat dynamic & there is a 2nd vend screen along with some set up screens for our own use that includes all the environmental settings too. The screens are all available through Ethernet. We are hoping to get technically set up so we can get a cell text message that is triggered by certain alarm settings or when an event is out of the parameters that we need. We use a replaceable polycarbonate shield to protect the HMI.
There are some pics that are on the local media links that I posted before when I first announced you all that we were finally open. Those same internet shortcuts or links are also on another post by me on this forum a month or 2 ago.
I am going to need some serious time to get much more picture narrative out.
MJ
mjwalsh
6 bay SS w/laundromat
Our locally fabricated tubs have 3 sides high with only the front access area with sliding door lower --- so most of the mess is contained in the tub itself. This is a factor why cleaning "just the tub is helpful" Yes, the dogs drool, drip & track in front of the tubs some. We have tiny surface holes in a bin floor at the rear of the tub so the hair tends to wash into small piles before going into the actual 48" x 6" rear bin & drain area. Like Big Leo said, it is still necessary to do a once a day more thorough cleaning or even more often. Maybe our signs got the point across better but we honestly have not had people use the disinfectant (that times out) on the pets instead of the tubs. The majority do use the free disinfectant & it does help the cleanliness & odors. It seems Tom Hoffman posted about his friend's petwash's free disinfectant & that is where I got the idea. I disagreed with Tom when he said he did not think that foot switch elevating tubs would be helpful. With our lower population base, hopefully, the smooth elevating up & down range will attract & keep more people coming with their dogs here locally.
The 30" x 48" total floor space in our tubs definitely helped with those 2 Great Danes & 2 St. Bernards & other larger dogs that I have seen washed diagonally.
MJ
MEP001
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Use Bill's new photo gallery or a hosting site like imageshack.us to upload images. I prefer the latter because you can upload almost any size image, and it gives you a forum link which you can paste right into your post to display it on this page (and it's completely free). If you sign up your images will be stored and accessible forever. Looks like they even have an iPhone app.
Bubbles Galore
Active member
Bubbles Galore
Active member
And now for 2 and 3 :-/
2. Should I epoxy coat the floor?
3. What can I do to neutralize the smell in the pit to ensure it won't be offensive to humans or dogs.
Thanks in advance!
Posted from my BlackBerry using BerryBlab
MEP001
Well-known member
There aren't many pet washes here, but they go for pricing like mjwalsh. I would think that with a $1 start you'll get more people bringing their own shampoo to "bucket wash" and only paying to rinse.
I wouldn't epoxy coat the floor of anything that gets traffic or stays wet. You might consider rubber tiles - I've seen several lube shops that have done that, and it's non-slip and easy to clean.
After I have the pits pumped there's usually a period where the water stinks until the pits get about half full again. When it becomes noticeable, I wrap a chlorine tablet in baling wire and hang it from the grate so it's a few inches below the water. It lasts about a month and kills the bacteria that causes the smell.
I feel like pet wash prices are way too high in general - has anyone tried pricing more like a self-serve (at least 2 minutes for $1), or would it be cost-prohibitive? I hear guys saying they get $600-800 a month per tub. I know there aren't enough people willing to pay to wash a dog to make as much as a self-serve bay, but would it attract more people if it were more affordable to use?
I wouldn't epoxy coat the floor of anything that gets traffic or stays wet. You might consider rubber tiles - I've seen several lube shops that have done that, and it's non-slip and easy to clean.
After I have the pits pumped there's usually a period where the water stinks until the pits get about half full again. When it becomes noticeable, I wrap a chlorine tablet in baling wire and hang it from the grate so it's a few inches below the water. It lasts about a month and kills the bacteria that causes the smell.
I feel like pet wash prices are way too high in general - has anyone tried pricing more like a self-serve (at least 2 minutes for $1), or would it be cost-prohibitive? I hear guys saying they get $600-800 a month per tub. I know there aren't enough people willing to pay to wash a dog to make as much as a self-serve bay, but would it attract more people if it were more affordable to use?
bigleo48
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Mep,
Gotta see your setup!
Bubbles,
I'm $5 for 7 minutes. Don't go to cheap and keep the startup high or you're gonna get the bucket washer types. $1000 per tub per month is not unreasonable unless you have lots of competition.
Smell is bacteria, so spray with disinfectant daily and no problems.
Big
Gotta see your setup!
Bubbles,
I'm $5 for 7 minutes. Don't go to cheap and keep the startup high or you're gonna get the bucket washer types. $1000 per tub per month is not unreasonable unless you have lots of competition.
Smell is bacteria, so spray with disinfectant daily and no problems.
Big
