Inherited CarWash with purchase of a lube shop

[DamandaKillion]

My husband and I inherited a carwash when we purchased our lube shop. We have over 20 years in the lube industry, and 0 in the carwash industry. Actually we have 2 years now, as we bought it 2 years ago.

I live in Lake Havasu City Az. No one seems willing to want to help so I have had to dive into things I don't understand to keep them going. Like repairing things. We have 2 self serve bays, and one touchless automatic. The automatic has a Wash Select, it had Nayax readers that literally never worked. So I pulled them out, and am in the process of installing Crypto Pay.

The water here sucks. So I put just under 6k in the water system to go from 650 TDS to 26 TDS, and it still spots. Is this normal? I get minimal complaints, but no one seems to want to dry their vehicles off. I even provide towels to them.

I also want to turn this automatic bay into a Full-Service option, and can't get anyone to come talk to me about vacuum systems. Was literally told by a company the idea I have is stupid. Its Very frustrating.

Any advice for a person who knows nothing, and is just trying to make the best of the building?

 

[gomerpyle]

No advice from me but I can commiserate. I am almost daily blown away by the people who don't want to take my money. I have reached out several times for various upgrades I am interested in.

Others with more experience will chime in but the key for me is finding a good distributor.

 

[Dan kamsickas]

There's been a lot of consolidation of distributorships over the last three to four years. The only ones I'm currently aware of in Arizona are Sonny's and NCS. There's probably some independent, one-man shows but they can be hard to hunt down.

 

[DamandaKillion]

There's been a lot of consolidation of distributorships over the last three to four years. The only ones I'm currently aware of in Arizona are Sonny's and NCS. There's probably some independent, one-man shows but they can be hard to hunt down.

They all tell me I am too far out. They don't even ask if I am willing to pay a travel fee. I have called every distributor. They're kind, and theyll send me the specs, and maps of systems. But that's all I get, unless I am buying an entire new system. For reference Havasu is 2.5-3 hours out of any major town in AZ.

 

[DamandaKillion]

No advice from me but I can commiserate. I am almost daily blown away by the people who don't want to take my money. I have reached out several times for various upgrades I am interested in.

Others with more experience will chime in but the key for me is finding a good distributor.

It boggles my mind. There's a central vac company local who wouldn't even entertain my idea. Its wild, I know its a pretty penny for a nice vacuum system.

 

[Dan kamsickas]

They all tell me I am too far out. They don't even ask if I am willing to pay a travel fee. I have called every distributor. They're kind, and theyll send me the specs, and maps of systems. But that's all I get, unless I am buying an entire new system. For reference Havasu is 2.5-3 hours out of any major town in AZ.

I wish I could be more help but we don't get into the central vacuum systems, although I can't see why you'd want something like that for a 2/1. Seems like overkill me. To me 3-4 stand alone pay vacs would be a better option. You could hand out tokens for free vacuum time to oil change customers.

 

[Greg Pack]

Try Kevin Schaum at 218-841-8259. He lives in Surprise, Az but travels extensively in the west.

26TDS shouldn't spot but you may not rinsing off all of the tap water

 

[DamandaKillion]

I wish I could be more help but we don't get into the central vacuum systems, although I can't see why you'd want something like that for a 2/1. Seems like overkill me. To me 3-4 stand alone pay vacs would be a better option. You could hand out tokens for free vacuum time to oil change customers.

I only want it, if I end up offering the full service option. Who ever engineered the building and set up have the lube shop traffic, operating opposite of the car wash. We have done great in the lube shop which means there almost always a line that my car wash customers get stuck in when exiting. So I really want to control the whole thing, which would mean adding a small central vac system to streamline the process.

The placement of my quarter vacs, are directly in the way of the lube shop. I have thought about adding vacuum islands, if I drop the full service car wash idea.

 

[DamandaKillion]

Try Kevin Schaum at 218-841-8259. He lives in Surprise, Az but travels extensively in the west.

26TDS shouldn't spot but you may not rinsing off all of the tap water

Thank you for that.

That's what I thought, and what the water experts told me, but it still does. I even have the soft water rinse at the end making 2 passes. I know on cars like my jeep, spotless is impossible because all of the crevices retain water. But small sedans like my honda have minimal spotting.

 

[soapy]

Check with Royce Industries in Las Vegas. They are located throughout the west and maybe able to help.

 

[OurTown]

Thank you for that.

That's what I thought, and what the water experts told me, but it still does. I even have the soft water rinse at the end making 2 passes. I know on cars like my jeep, spotless is impossible because all of the crevices retain water. But small sedans like my honda have minimal spotting.

Could the spots be one of your protectants?

 

[Axxlrod]

Are you sure you a Reverse Osmosis system for the water? Or just a water softener?

Central vac is overkill for what you want to do.

 

[DamandaKillion]

Are you sure you a Reverse Osmosis system for the water? Or just a water softener?

Central vac is overkill for what you want to do.

"Central vac is overkill for what you want to do." Okay. Thanks.

I have RO, Carbon tank, DI, Soft water. Its an entire system. The majority of my car wash operation room, is Water filtration.

 

[DamandaKillion]

Could the spots be one of your protectants?

I never even thought about this. I will look into this asap. Thanks

 

[The Waterboy]

As a water nerd when you say spots with 26 TDS my interest is peaked. Also I find it hard to believe you have any true "DI" unless someone sold you something you don't need. Can you lay out all the water treatment equipment you have best you can recall? I don't need model numbers or exact sizes but if you have all that water treatment equipment, it sounds like something else is wrong. It's also possible that not all of your water treatment equipment is just not installed/sized/programmed/working properly. Pictures also help a ton!

 

[DamandaKillion]

As a water nerd when you say spots with 26 TDS my interest is peaked. Also I find it hard to believe you have any true "DI" unless someone sold you something you don't need. Can you lay out all the water treatment equipment you have best you can recall? I don't need model numbers or exact sizes but if you have all that water treatment equipment, it sounds like something else is wrong. It's also possible that not all of your water treatment equipment is just not installed/sized/programmed/working properly. Pictures also help a ton!

I was wondering the same. Which is why I bought a TDS Monitor. I honestly have no idea the exact Lay out. I know I paid for the Carbon and DI tank to be installed last may. It was about 6k. The wash was operating on a RO and Soft water system with minimal salt.

When we got it The old owners were watering down the soap supply to not buy soaps. We bought soaps from the wash manufacturer. It was a SHIT show. But, we are gaining traction. Todays TDS is 36. It has gone up.

City Water - Carbon tank - Water Softener - Holding tank (I don't know why this is here)- RO - DI - Soft Rinse tank

Looks like that order.

 

[DamandaKillion]

As a water nerd when you say spots with 26 TDS my interest is peaked. Also I find it hard to believe you have any true "DI" unless someone sold you something you don't need. Can you lay out all the water treatment equipment you have best you can recall? I don't need model numbers or exact sizes but if you have all that water treatment equipment, it sounds like something else is wrong. It's also possible that not all of your water treatment equipment is just not installed/sized/programmed/working properly. Pictures also help a to

 

[DamandaKillion]

I was wondering the same. Which is why I bought a TDS Monitor. I honestly have no idea the exact Lay out. I know I paid for the Carbon and DI tank to be installed last may. It was about 6k. The wash was operating on a RO and Soft water system with minimal salt.

When we got it The old owners were watering down the soap supply to not buy soaps. We bought soaps from the wash manufacturer. It was a SHIT show. But, we are gaining traction. Todays TDS is 36. It has gone up.

City Water - Carbon tank - Water Softener - Holding tank (I don't know why this is here)- RO - DI - Soft Rinse tank

Looks like that order.

 

[Dan kamsickas]

City Water - Carbon tank - Water Softener - Holding tank (I don't know why this is here)- RO - DI - Soft Rinse tank

Looks like that order.

A RO with good quality membranes (98% efficient) should be able to get 650 TDS down to about 13 TDS.

Whoever did that install in your pictures should be ashamed. Looks like crap.

 

[DamandaKillion]

A RO with good quality membranes (98% efficient) should be able to get 650 TDS down to about 13 TDS.

How often are the RO membranes supposed to be replaced? This company told me rarely they told me to leave it alone. I have owned it 2 years, has never been replaced.