jason_tipton
New member
was wondering if anyone had experience or advice on remote monitoring self serve equipment. Any direction would be great.
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Remote Monitoring Self Serve
- Thread starter jason_tipton
- Start date
jason_tipton
New member
[QUOE=MEP001;78985]What kind of remote monitoring of equipment are you looking for?[/QUOTE]
Something that can monitor money in to self serve bays and into changer and so forth. The more things it can monitor that I can verify by pc or phone the better. A system that I can see what has happened with out being on site.
Something that can monitor money in to self serve bays and into changer and so forth. The more things it can monitor that I can verify by pc or phone the better. A system that I can see what has happened with out being on site.
I use this http://www.washremote.com
It does far more than just monitor $$$. It records daily weather history. It sends me text/email alerts to equipment problems. I can turn bays/iba on/off via my smart phone or anything else I want to. It handles my credit card acceptance via broadband and my wash club/frequent washer program. Fleet cards, gift cards and much more...very diverse system with good customer support. No, I am not affiliated. Just been happy with the system since it was installed almost 3 years ago.
It does far more than just monitor $$$. It records daily weather history. It sends me text/email alerts to equipment problems. I can turn bays/iba on/off via my smart phone or anything else I want to. It handles my credit card acceptance via broadband and my wash club/frequent washer program. Fleet cards, gift cards and much more...very diverse system with good customer support. No, I am not affiliated. Just been happy with the system since it was installed almost 3 years ago.
bigleo48
Active member
My WashPay system from Unitec, like many others does the cash monitoring for me. Over the last few years I've upgraded my cameras for better visual monitoring (along with plate recognition). I also have it posts snapshots of all my cameras every 30 secs and I view that on my browser to get a quick view of what's going on...usually with my smart phone. My Geovision camera system also has an I/O module with 16 inputs and 8 outputs. That allows me to control the bays and some monitoring points. I also use controlbyweb products to monitor temperature and control some devices (like pwr cycling the change machine, some servers, etc). My M5 IBA has great web control and monitoring.
So all this control allows me to get a feel of whats going on remotely, deal with customers who have problems over the phone and track cash. I don't know how carwash operators dealt with all this stuff 10 years ago!? Last fall I help a customer in an SS bay from my iphone during a cruise in the middle of the Gulf!
So all this control allows me to get a feel of whats going on remotely, deal with customers who have problems over the phone and track cash. I don't know how carwash operators dealt with all this stuff 10 years ago!? Last fall I help a customer in an SS bay from my iphone during a cruise in the middle of the Gulf!
jason_tipton
New member
If there is something that needs to be addressed I contact the guy in charge and he addresses my needs.
I guess I need to know more specifically what you mean by "operating your wash remotely". I've been trying to get them to develop an app that will empty the trash cans but they just can't seem to make it happen
jason_tipton
New member
If there is something that needs to be addressed I contact the guy in charge and he addresses my needs.
I guess I need to know more specifically what you mean by "operating your wash remotely". I've been trying to get them to develop an app that will empty the trash cans but they just can't seem to make it happen
I am thinking of investing in a wash out of state and is a drive that wouldn't allow me to be on site. I want to be able to confirm money in to my machines (bays, changer etc.) to reconcile with deposits. This along with good camera system I think I can make it work and it's worth a deeper look for me. Thanks
Yes, http://www.washremote.com would work for you. I have access to multiple detailed accounting reports. You also have the ability to monitor/be notified via text or email when an event happens. Such as...a changer door opens, the lights turn on, high/low temp, etc...if you can add a contact switch to it, you can monitor it, be alerted to it and turn it on/off. Very versatile and flexible system. Call and ask for Brian. He will give you an online demo. Tell him Ric from Michigan said hello.
I have a lot of experience with this as I live 2 hours away from my wash.
I first installed a plc from Phaedrus, a company in the UK. You have to write your own programming for it but it was pretty easy to figure out.
Later, I installed a more sophisticated plc from Triangle Research. I believe it is a Trilogic unit. It uses different programming-- ladder logic, and also wasn't too hard to figure out. I can remotely monitor lots of things, including how much money is in each coin box.
I am eventually going to migrate to an Avtech "room alert" product, which I am testing now. It is a more out-of-the-box solution and you can connect many sensors-- keeping track of outside temps, hot water temps, boiler cycling on and off, or whatever. Their product also integrates with Axis IP cameras and although I have fiddled with that I have not put it into use yet.
One note-- I gave up long ago trying to track each coin plus to know the exact number of coins in any given coin box. Instead, I just track how many times the timer starts up and turns off. From experience, I know that when any bay is getting up to 200 washes I need to go collect the money. Originally my changers filled up before the coin boxes but I switched from 500 bill capacity to 700 capacity (each) and now everything pretty much gets full at the same time. Hope that helps .....
I first installed a plc from Phaedrus, a company in the UK. You have to write your own programming for it but it was pretty easy to figure out.
Later, I installed a more sophisticated plc from Triangle Research. I believe it is a Trilogic unit. It uses different programming-- ladder logic, and also wasn't too hard to figure out. I can remotely monitor lots of things, including how much money is in each coin box.
I am eventually going to migrate to an Avtech "room alert" product, which I am testing now. It is a more out-of-the-box solution and you can connect many sensors-- keeping track of outside temps, hot water temps, boiler cycling on and off, or whatever. Their product also integrates with Axis IP cameras and although I have fiddled with that I have not put it into use yet.
One note-- I gave up long ago trying to track each coin plus to know the exact number of coins in any given coin box. Instead, I just track how many times the timer starts up and turns off. From experience, I know that when any bay is getting up to 200 washes I need to go collect the money. Originally my changers filled up before the coin boxes but I switched from 500 bill capacity to 700 capacity (each) and now everything pretty much gets full at the same time. Hope that helps .....