What's new

lighted vac domes???

Waxman

Super Moderator
Joined
Aug 31, 2007
Messages
6,046
Reaction score
1,685
Points
113
Location
Orange, MA
i'll be putting 2 additional (used) IVS vacs in this spring at my little car wash. my plan is to place them in a mulched area between the lot and street. I think I should install the lighted domes. it has stainless domes now.

what is your experience adding lighted domes to the vacs???

thanks!
 

WikiWash

Member
Joined
Feb 25, 2014
Messages
285
Reaction score
5
Points
16
Location
Merica!!
All my vacs have lit domes with LED bulbs. I like them and make the site pop a little. Besides changing the bulbs there really isn't any maintenance.
 

PaulLovesJamie

rural 5 bay SS
Joined
Aug 30, 2007
Messages
1,320
Reaction score
229
Points
63
Location
Kutztown PA
I asked the same question at a trade show about 15 years or so ago. The sales guy told me to buy 1, and if that vac didnt produce twice as much revenue as my other 4 vacs I could return it. So I bought one. I was shocked at the result: 3 months later I installed them on every vac.

Now, I'm not saying my vac revenue doubled, but it did go up, and customers absolutely had a big preference for the lighted dome vac.
I use the smaller CFL (7 watt?), it's on 24x7. They last a few years, and no, it does not appear that the vibration is a problem.
 

MEP001

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 30, 2007
Messages
16,665
Reaction score
3,946
Points
113
Location
Texas
Plastic domes won't get stolen for scrap, and (according to someone from Doyle I talked to at the trade show in Arlington yesterday0 the plastic domes make the vac a little quieter.
 

soapy

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 1, 2007
Messages
2,894
Reaction score
855
Points
113
Location
Rocky Mountains
On a few of my vacs I added some LED flood lights on top of the stainless domes. I hooked some vacs to come on when the coins were put in and others to come on using a photo eye. These little LED flood lights really light up the area around the vac at night. At night people really flock to the vacs with the lights even though all are under light poles. On one vac I even added 3 of the LED lights to be a area light since it did not have a light pole with good results.
 

mjwalsh

6 bay SS w/laundromat
Joined
Sep 7, 2007
Messages
3,134
Reaction score
173
Points
63
Location
North Dakota
On a few of my vacs I added some LED flood lights on top of the stainless domes. I hooked some vacs to come on when the coins were put in and others to come on using a photo eye. These little LED flood lights really light up the area around the vac at night. At night people really flock to the vacs with the lights even though all are under light poles. On one vac I even added 3 of the LED lights to be a area light since it did not have a light pole with good results.
Soapy,

Can put a link of pics or post pics of the LEDs you put on top of your stainless vacs?

Thanks Mike
 

Ayerule

Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2015
Messages
81
Reaction score
8
Points
8
Location
FL
All of the vacs have plastic tops.
To light them I went to Home Depot to buy 24v transformers and CFL bulbs. Took 10 minutes per vac to wire. Wired them to the feed so they're on 24/7.
The sunbleached ones almost looked white at night. So I bought new domes and color matching vacuum hoses. Customers comment on how the new colors pop and spruce up the place.
 

soapy

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 1, 2007
Messages
2,894
Reaction score
855
Points
113
Location
Rocky Mountains
Mjwalsh I posted some pictures and instructions a couple of years ago on the vac light details. I have not had any problems since then with the lights. The lights were around $60 at Lowes with built in photo eyes.
 

mjwalsh

6 bay SS w/laundromat
Joined
Sep 7, 2007
Messages
3,134
Reaction score
173
Points
63
Location
North Dakota
Mjwalsh I posted some pictures and instructions a couple of years ago on the vac light details. I have not had any problems since then with the lights. The lights were around $60 at Lowes with built in photo eyes.
Thanks, Soapy. Your approach makes more sense to me than the lighted domes or the lighted nozzles that we tried & did not last.
 
Etowah
Top