Doors for self service bays

[Derekpotts223]

We purchased a car wash this years with 2 self service bays. They do not currently have any doors on them for the winter time and are open at both ends. Last year they had some issues with freezing lines. How many have doors on their self service wash and would you recommend them for the winter?

 

[Randy]

We purchased a car wash this years with 2 self service bays. They do not currently have any doors on them for the winter time and are open at both ends. Last year they had some issues with freezing lines. How many have doors on their self service wash and would you recommend them for the winter?

It all depends on your location whether or not you need doors. Where are you located? We are in Pacific Northwest and we don't have doors or floor heat. To protect everything from freezing we use weep water.

 

[SparklesSS]

We have the roll up doors from Wynd Star. The doors are on a sensor to open when a customer pulls up to the entry pad. Climate here can get pretty nasty during the winter months and the doors certainly help keep the warmth in. They also provide privacy and warmth to the customer which is a huge factor during the colder days.

Positives definitely outweigh the negatives but a few negatives would be the cost of the doors. Another pierce of equipment to break or malfunction.

 

[Waxman]

I have big insulated doors on my SS bays. They are manually operated. I consider them a necessity. They aren't terribly expensive and they keep bays from freezing. They keep heating costs down. They are popular with customers who still 'need' to wash the car on bitter cold days. Doors are worth it.

 

[mjwalsh]

Waxman,

Do you use torsion springs, extension springs, or a counterweight system?

 

[Waxman]

Waxman,

Do you use torsion springs, extension springs, or a counterweight system?

Mine use torsion springs. There is some maitenance involved, but not a lot

 

[soapy]

I have had a few doors over the years on several SS bays. Things I have learned are 1. lock doors open or shut. Do not let the customer operate them as they may not raise them high enough and drive through the bottom panel, or the next guy does and either way you get the blame. Lock them open so that folks do not pull in the bays and pull the doors down and do mechanical work or other stuff you don't want. 2. even though you get a high wind rated door that does not mean they won't get blown out in a severe wind and they won't guarantee them. 3. I have one bay now that has 2 swing in style barn doors that are 10 feet high with the top 6 feet open. I lock it closed in late fall and lock it open in early spring. I personally love to wash my vehicle in this bay as it stops the wind and is much warmer. The problem is that as soon as the doors close the sales in this bay are cut in half. You will rarely see a woman use it since it creates a trapped feeling.