How to install new vacuum islands

[Ptjanis95]

Hi all - first post in a long time so please bare with me if this is in the wrong section. My father recently put me in charge of our biggest project at our car wash in a while. We need to remove and replace 20+ vac's on our property. I'm very interested in doing this and I'm happy with the responsibility considering I'm only 19. I am not sure how to set up the new bases for these islands. Right now we have a box about 2.5 feet tall, 2 feet wide, and 6 feet long. These bases hold 2 vacuums each. I imagine a lot of rebar and a lot of concrete surrounding a tube for electrical in a rectangular shape... or am I wrong? We can't seem to decide how to set it up perfectly. Since we're doing many vacuums we want it to be uniform.. we don't want to finish the first and have to keep changing our plan for the one after.
How do you guys have it set up? What's your strategy?
Thanks!!

 

[robert roman]

My answer would depend on what type of carwash this is and why is it necessary to replace 20 vacuum units?

 

[MEP001]

My answer would depend on what type of carwash this is and why is it necessary to replace 20 vacuum units?

Why would his reason for replacing the vacuum units alter your response?

 

[robert roman]

I don’t like answering questions with more questions but since you want to know.

Unless an asset has failed or there is need for additional capacities or capabilities, it rarely makes sense to replace it before its end of life.

Normally to make a sound repair/replace decision several criteria are considered - is failure rate too high, are maintenance expenses to high, poor suction, marketing obsolesce, etc.

For example, if wash is exterior express, central vacuum might be a good strategy as opposed to 20 + canisters.

 

[Earl Weiss]

More information is needed type of wash layout etc. central vac Maybe good individual or central vac maybe combos or to purchase stainless steel or aluminum basis for a nice look you may want to go with vaults in the base is depending on security issues you may want to consider extra conduit for alarms Cameras credit cards etc.

 

[Ptjanis95]

My answer would depend on what type of carwash this is and why is it necessary to replace 20 vacuum units?

the machines are old. the bases for the vacuums are crumbling and the tall light poles on most of them had to be torn down because they could have fallen at any moment and hurt somebody. most of them had to go, so might as well replace all of them now to cut down on downtime (and to keep a manicured, uniform look to the car wash by not having 2 different brands of vacuums). we are currently using a central vacuum that collects coins. (all the coins from vending, self serve bays, and vacuums are sucked into a PVC pipe system and deposited in one location). that system worked well for many years but now it has too many problems. we will say goodbye to the central vac as well as quarters at the car wash and accept bills and credit card only. so.. that's the reason why we're replacing them.

anyways ... does anyone have any different ideas on how to install new vacuum islands? thank you!!

 

[Earl Weiss]

Consider:
Stainless Islands - No Maintenance
Aluiminum Isalnds - No maintenance but finish will dull if wrong cleaner used.
Combo Vacs

I am guessing this is a SS location with one island for every 2 bays and Vacs facing opposite directions, one for each bay? If So consider.
2 different combos - One with Air Freshener and one with Shampoo.
3. Small seperate islands with a 30" space in between each facing the approach and a lighted canopy over both supported by poles on each island. That way a customer on either side can use either vac. (I have a similar configuration at one of my tunnels but the vacs face each other in the center.)
4. Install or future proof for later install of other machines like tire inflator, tire shine or something else. (I have mounted a tire machine on the pole that supports the canopy. as well as drop shelf vendors on an island between or next to Vacs.)

Ideas abound. Budget???

 

[Kevin James]

It all depends on what your budget is. Stainless steel is the best way to go. If you can't afford Stainless then foam them up and pour concrete, we have used hay bales to take up some of the volume inside, we also used larger conduit than what is required, normally we use 2 3/4" runs. Conduit is cheap when your doing the initial install.

 

[Earl Weiss]

FWIW I used to run conduit underground, up under, inside the vac islands. Very neat install but terrible if there is an issue like a car hiting the island shifting it and breaking conduit, or ground heaving or conduit rusting.

I now run the conduit inside the island to a junction box on the side. That box is connected by flexible conduit to a box stubbed up from the ground. Easy to access and fix.

 

[Ptjanis95]

thank you all for the advice. my father has already bought the vacuums from JE Adams. i believe they are 20" wide at the base. we have a lot of work to do so we'll be busy for quite a while now. we will weigh our options to find out what's right. (and yes most of the vacuums are set up between ss bays facing opposite ways. others are simply against a small concrete wall / fence.)

 

[chaz]

My thought, its a mistake to only take bills and credit....especially on vacs. Many of my customers use change from the cup holder to feed my vacs. I dispense dollar coins at my changer. My vacs a take quarters, dollar coins and bills. My s/s and auto also take credit. The only quarters dispensed at my wash is from change with purchase at my vendor.......still, each month I deposit about $1500.00 in bulk quarters to the bank!

 

[Ptjanis95]

My thought, its a mistake to only take bills and credit....especially on vacs. Many of my customers use change from the cup holder to feed my vacs. I dispense dollar coins at my changer. My vacs a take quarters, dollar coins and bills. My s/s and auto also take credit. The only quarters dispensed at my wash is from change with purchase at my vendor.......still, each month I deposit about $1500.00 in bulk quarters to the bank!

Unfortunately it's not my decision. We've been in this business for more than 35 years (and the laundromat business since 1960) so needless to say we are very familiar with coin op machines and what kind of work is required for them. The dollar is worth less and less with every passing day. What can you really get for a dollar nowadays? You cant even get a burger from McDonalds anymore!! I understand that some customers may be upset that they have to spend 1 dollar or 2 dollars even, but I believe that more customers will benefit from not having to use the changer than will be upset that the machines only take bills / credit. and obviously people love using the credit / debit cards. swipe swipe swipe away!! also, this means that we don't need to constantly refill changers.

 

[chaz]

It has nothing to do with the value of the dollar. it has everything to do with customer convenience, I want to make it as easy as possible for my customers to spend their money with me. If you don't accept coin or change bills, a customer with larger bills has no way to spend cash at your wash. Not everyone has credit/debit and or choose not to use the cards for smaller transactions. Sure, I'd love all credit/debit because even with fees there's no going to the bank and no risk of robbery....but until we are all plastic, I welcome most forms of cash as well.

 

[Ptjanis95]

We are also installing bill changers ($20 bill = a ten and 2 fives, $5 bill = 5 ones) to facilitate the process. this, in my opinion, is another small step towards automation. and sure, not everyone has a card.. but...

"Last year 27 percent of all point-of-sale purchases were made with cash and that number is expected to drop to 23 percent by 2017, according to a report published Wednesday by Javelin Strategy & Research, a market research firm."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/07/credit-card-payments-growth_n_1575417.html --- from 2012

27% of Americans statistically use cash. I would bet they have at least a couple dollars on them (or a 5 to break in the machine, just as people change dollars for quarters now). and if they don't? maybe they have a card. and if they don't have a card? then we just lost a customer. Frankly, it's a risk we're willing to take.

 

[Randy]

Please don’t tell me you’re going to put in a “Bill Breaker” changer!! They are a PINTA!! and they are a maintenance nightmare. I won’t sell them anymore, that's how much I like them. A few years ago we’ve figured out how the put a USA Technologies card reader on the front of a bill changer, only If you’re dispensing Tokens. Almost 70% of our business is plastic. I tired to post a picture but it was to big.

 

[Ptjanis95]

Randy, AFAIK we are going to go through with the bill breakers. we have three of them currently, one that dispenses just ones and two that dispense fives and tens. we haven't had much of a problem with them at all for the six years we've owned them. to be honest I'm not sure of the brand. what brand do you sell? i believe they are from Rowe

 

[I.B. Washincars]

I agree that not accepting quarters is a huge mistake. I only dispense about 40% of the quarters in my vaults. The other 60% are carried in. I can't imagine turning my back on several hundred dollars a week. Thinking you are going to convince the customers to do business your way, just so it will make it easier to process the money, is not only not smart, but futile. My 2¢

 

[pgrzes]

I put in new selector doors and Cryptopay on a few vacs a few months ago. I take $1's and $5's in bays, dollar coins, tokens, quarters and credit cards. Quarters are 20-1 over credit cards and dollar coins, 3-1 over tokens and bills. I have never in 12 years had to go to bank and purchase quarters. I am getting ready to switch over to dollar value tokens and dollar coins, but will always continue to accept Quarters. Everyone has some quarters in their car and if thats all they have I want them to put it into my machines. I don't want to dispense quarters anymore but why not accept them? Just my opinion, take it for what its worth!!

 

[Earl Weiss]

Ask 5 Wash Operators a question and get 10 opinions. Demographics play a role. When I put in Bill acceptors and card Readers in the bays, quarter usage dropped by half.

I probably need to bring in about $1000 a month in quarters. This is due to people coming in and getting $20 in quarters and never using the wash as well as those Changing $5.00 and larger bills who spendless than that.

 

[Ptjanis95]

So when quarter usage dropped by half, was that a good thing? of course it was! yes you'll have to pay more for credit card fees.. it saves so much time that it's worth it and its more convenient for the customer. we also have to continue to buy quarters, $1000 at a time from the bank. this has been an inconvenience to us. we have bigger (more revenue generating) things to attend to (115' tunnel, 9 bays, the detail shop, the laundromat, the rental properties...) i understand that complacency is what kills. i view this more as a small step towards the 21st century than as laziness. i get that a lot of you guys are in opposition to this move. I think it's pretty bold but eventually this is just going to be the way it is.
it costs more to make a penny than a penny is even worth. as prices rise quarters become less and less valuable.