Pit-y the fool

[Debra Gorgos]

Pit cleaning: Worst job ever? Or should people just deal with it and realize it's just part of the job?

 

[mac]

Trust me. It is not the worst job ever. Dirty yes though. I use a company that pumps them out. Costs me $600 for six bays and may take 2 or3 years before another. And the best part is they give me money to put their dirt there.

 

[APW]

That blows my mind that y'all can go one, two, or even three years. I have to clean the five pits at one of my washes that I just cleaned 3 weeks ago again this weekend. The other two washes I can only go about 2 months before they have to be cleaned out. My biggest pit is 4 ft deep 8 ft long and 3 ft wide and it's the one that will make it two months.

 

[CentralTex]

We clean our pits every 2-3 months. From my perspective, no option, but to deal with it. We clean it ourselves.

 

[MudMoney]

Worst part is the smell from grain that is fermenting in the bottom .

 

[soapy]

I have to clean pits on average every 2 months. No way I could afford to be paying someone else to do it.

 

[DavidM]

Lots of variables. When I was a kid my dad paid me to clean pits with a bucket and a shovel. One of the pits was large with a manhole cover that required getting down into the pit to clean it. That was not a lot of fun but after watching Dirty Jobs, it is not the worst job ever, it may not even be the worst job in car washing.

Moved to a Handi-clam at the recommendation of guys on the forum and no more getting into the pit.

Now we have have the pits pumped, easiest solution but a lot more expensive.

David

 

[Waxman]

In 2019 I had a sewer problem which required me to climb into the tank and jet the line myself. This took hours. The problem was the 'plumber' had connected my new sewer pumps incorrectly, so the wrong diagnosis of the problem was made.

THIS was the hardest job at the car wash for me...

 

[mac]

That blows my mind that y'all can go one, two, or even three years. I have to clean the five pits at one of my washes that I just cleaned 3 weeks ago again this weekend. The other two washes I can only go about 2 months before they have to be cleaned out. My biggest pit is 4 ft deep 8 ft long and 3 ft wide and it's the one that will make it two months.

My wash is in a unique site. Affluent market area and customers that really don't get their cars too dirty. I wash the bays down by blowing and dirt to the vacant lot behind the place. Pits are 3'W by 3'D by 6'L.

 

[David Rolf]

Mine wash was built for rural use knowing mud was going to be a problem so they designed my pits 9 feet deep. Once every year and a half for me seems to be the average for cleaning. Dirty job! Keep those drain pipes clean with a jetter too! Overflowing pit drains with freezing weather is certainly no fun!

 

[MEP001]

Mine only has one pit, the rest have a drain with a basin that lifts out to catch most of the mud. The basins have to be dumped about once a week, which isn't a huge deal. The pit is huge, 4' across, 8' long and 8' deep. I don't know why they made it so deep, the lines from the other bays come in a foot off the bottom, so I can't let the mud get above that. It only costs $500 to have it cleaned once a year. The original owner managed to go his first 8 years without cleaning it.

 

[Greg_T]

My guess is that if I didn't shovel my own pits, we would need to get them pumped every 3 months or so, at a cost of $2,000 (which is just way too much for a wash of our turnover to absorb). We had them pumped once out of necessity, but will aim to never do so again. So each week I use old-fashioned shovels and buckets to keep the pits nearly empty. This also helps to keep drains and final discharge pit clean.

It seems that our pumping and disposal costs in Australia are much higher than US.

 

[Car_Wash_Guy]

I have a Ring-O-Matic and 2 Handi Clam. I usually have an employee hit the pits and dump it in my drying area. I have 2 Handi Clams...1 6' one for hitting the pits to buy us some more time, and a 15' one for hitting the interceptor.

Local septic company wants $500/pit to haul and dump ( they also need to test ). I pay a guy $300 to haul away the dried out dirt.

 

[Randy]

I have to shovel out my pits every 7 days in the winter and every 14 days in the summer. It's a real PITA! When your 70 years old it can be a challenge.

 

[cantbreak80]

99% of washes in my metro area have 500-600 gallon in-ground pre-cast concrete tanks under each bay…plumbed to a 1,500 gallon partitioned sand/oil separator buried out in the parking lot.

The bay tanks are topped with cast iron, traffic duty sewer grates. The s/o tank has a manhole cover over each section.

Prior to DOT and municipalities converting to liquid deicers from salt and sand we had to have the bay tanks pumped out about twice a year. The s/o tank had to be pumped every 2-3 years. Cost was about $2,500 per visit for my 8-bay.

After DOT switched to liquid deicers our 500 tanks could go nearly 1-1/2 years between pumping…there aren’t any unpaved roads for miles around!

Then, the local sewer district created a Sand/Oil inspection division. A tech shows up with a test rig and an iPad. He dips the tank and takes a photo with the iPad. An email is immediately generated showing the test results and remedy, if needed. (They allow only 10% of the tank’s capacity to contain solids…it’s usually only superfine sludge). The techs have been on the property searching for the source of waste stream contamination…anti-freeze, oil, toxins, etc. They take this stuff seriously because it kills the “bugs” at the sanitary sewer treatment plant!

The pumping company we used specializes in carwashes. Their trucks and facility are state-of-the art. They accept all responsibility for treatment and disposal.

25 years of ownership and I cannot recall ever touching the mud! My rural and mountain town friends…not so lucky!

Side note: Since liquid deicers were introduced…less cost for solids removal…more wintertime revenue from customers wanting to get the Mag Chloride off their vehicles ASAP! A Win-Win for the carwashes! And, I no longer have to have my windshield repaired/replaced on an annual basis. A loss for the glass shops.

 

[Greg_T]

25 years and no mud! Certainly not in our area!

 

[Bricks]

I have a Ring-O-Matic and 2 Handi Clam. I usually have an employee hit the pits and dump it in my drying area. I have 2 Handi Clams...1 6' one for hitting the pits to buy us some more time, and a 15' one for hitting the interceptor.

Local septic company wants $500/pit to haul and dump ( they also need to test ). I pay a guy $300 to haul away the dried out dirt.

Hi I’m closing on a car wash in a few weeks. Could you tell me who I could get to clean the pits and what the rules are? I’m In Muskingum county Ohio. Previous owner isn’t much help. Thanks!

 

[mac]

Go carefully here. If you are borrowing from a bank, they will do an environmental test. Find out all you can.

 

[Bricks]

Go carefully here. If you are borrowing from a bank, they will do an environmental test. Find out all you can.

Yes I’m borrowing a lot for this thing. My father in law owned it since last March and he asked me to watch it during the winter since he’s going to Arizona (bought a house) I couldn’t do my full time job and the wash...so I’m buying it. I’m asking for any pointers at all. The outcome of this wash is everything. I’ve worked in a factory for 25 years. This has to work. Thanks for any info!

 

[OurTown]

Hi I’m closing on a car wash in a few weeks. Could you tell me who I could get to clean the pits and what the rules are? I’m In Muskingum county Ohio. Previous owner isn’t much help. Thanks!

I would start by calling septic tank pumpers. Most won't clean car wash pits but you might find one or two that will. Ask specifically where they take the waste. Make sure you are sitting down when they tell you the price.