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Self Wash Bay Systems

B

Blue Wave

New member
I have 2 self wash bays and want to upgrade 15 yr old equipment. Can anyone recommend a system for me? Coleman Hanna system vs Jet Wash ( Mark VII). We are in a rural setting with plenty of mud and work vehicles. I currently have a MARK VII Auto wash and like our current distributor for MARK VII.
 
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Self-Serve equipment is like Mexican food. It's all the same basic ingredients, just arranged differently. No earthshattering changes have happened in the equipment room regarding SS equipment. Buy from your Mark VII guy. The customer will never know/care what kind of equipment is delivering the product to the bay, any more than you would care what brand truck delivers it to you..
 
I agree with 2 previous post. I have one of the original Hanna self serv equipment units. Over the years we have completely rebuilt and/or replace everything except the stand.
 
Blue Wave said:
I have 2 self wash bays and want to upgrade 15 yr old equipment. Can anyone recommend a system for me? Coleman Hanna system vs Jet Wash ( Mark VII). We are in a rural setting with plenty of mud and work vehicles. I currently have a MARK VII Auto wash and like our current distributor for MARK VII.
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Why replace it? Our pumping equipment is 37 years old. We keep it in excellent condition with minimum amount of work on our part. With only 2 bays it'd be snap to keep it running. I think the key to maintaining the equipment is to have a general knowledge of how it all works and having a good mechanical ability.
 
I agree with the rest of the folks here. But if I were looking at a new SS system I would give Etowah valley equipment a shot at it You can buy new bay boxes from them and small auxilary functions if needed. The customer would think it was all brand new.
 
Thank you all for your input. The wash is 20+ years old. We have owned in for 2yr. Unfortunately the wash was not maintained and we have spent the past few years rebuilding it. I do not want to the spend the money... The current system is leaking, floats get stuck, we have mineral buildup, we are in a harsh climate and the system needs a less manual weep system. How about this question instead. If you were building a brand new SS system. What is your favorite brand/type.
 
Blue Wave said:
Thank you all for your input. The wash is 20+ years old. We have owned in for 2yr. Unfortunately the wash was not maintained and we have spent the past few years rebuilding it. I do not want to the spend the money... The current system is leaking, floats get stuck, we have mineral buildup, we are in a harsh climate and the system needs a less manual weep system. How about this question instead. If you were building a brand new SS system. What is your favorite brand/type.
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Your looking at about $9000 to $10,000 to replace your pumping equipment. You can buy a lot of spare parts for that. I would keep fixing what I've got repair the leaks, replace the floats, install a Dixmor weepmizer.
 
I was in your boat when I purchased my 6 bay, 30 year old, car wash in May 2017. I replaced an old and worn down Mark 7 IBA that had a Hamilton AW4 front end with a Razor (ver 3) and an ICS Playstation, HUGE change in perception, performance, and profit in just one year.

Last summer we replaced our 5 bay SS equipment that had two working functions (HP Soap and Foamy Brush) with KR SS equipment with 12 functions. Equipment was run into the ground. Again, a massive change in the 3 Ps. If done again I might take another look at the various SS equipment available. KR was the most bang for the buck however my go to guy at KR passed away recently so I am doing more on the fly learning. Might be worthwhile looking at a new system as the technology has evolved to a degree but make certain the company support team is strong. Paying a slight premium for a name brand over say KR gets you the support team (or it should). KR equipment is solid, no complaints, just miss my phone a friend line....I would also add a few dollars to install SS equipment you can run from your iPhone as that has been a huge plus on the IBA side. We have become known for our outstanding customer service after years of neglect from the previous owner.
 
A 2 bay self serve. I can replace every pump,motor,solinod,fittings,hoses everything but the control cabinet if it's not been hacked up in 2-3 days. Is the stand frame itself stainless or galvinized i would let it roll and "Get Paid". Maybe get some new meters and stainless booms and replace all the lines and low pressure system maybe.
 
I'm with everyone else here. Actually took their advice years ago and modified my old Mark VII stand as I had the time and $$$. Here is a thread I started back in 2010 outlining the changes I've made along the way. Looking back at how the old Mark VII was plumbed, I often wonder what the Engineers were thinking except for the maintenance contracts they thought they'd get! You just couldn't work on the plumbing of the original stand. There are Lots of pics in the thread...Like others have said, the only thing the customer see's is what comes out the gun! I'm all for the KISS method....The new Erie valve system I designed has been in service for about 5 years. I've never had a single failure, but when I do, I have a complete new assembly to drop in....What would take days to complete with the original stand should only take me minutes now. With individual ball valves at the gravity feed tanks, makes it even easier to manage. If I were to design a stand and tanks from scratch, I wouldn't change a thing, except maybe a SS rack instead of the old steel one! :-)

https://www.autocareforum.com/showt...ld-quot-Mark-VII-Pump-Stand&highlight=modding
 
If you're deterined to buy a new pumostand take a look at etowah valley. I saw one in use not long ago-small footprint, looked easy enough to work on, and the price is about as low as you're gonna get.
 
Blue Wave & others,

All of the above from the experienced operators ... make some good points. I would just add that we have never regretted having had the ability for about 25 years via a few quick disconnects both electrical & hose wise to switch over in the event a pump & its accessories did have a problem. We did that at the same time we made it so we can also use a separate reel to use more than one pump including the backup for quicker WASHDOWN. We affectionately call our "on wheels spare pump setup" with its waiting receptacles ... our little robot.

Why ... our business tends to go in bursts because of the weather. Downtime during a burst of business affects your bottom line more than one might think.
 
May want to look at a direct inject system from D&S. Entire package would allow you to add TS, Blowers, etc. Probably get several years of minimal breakdowns.
 
I know someone who went with the D&S and Hydra-Flex system, and he hates it. Aside from systems of this type being wasteful on chemical, he's had tons of solenoid and injector failures, clogs, etc. The guy who sold it to him and installed it got tired of working on it and tried to sell him another whole new system after just three years. On top of that, there's only one pump for all low-pressure functions, so if it fails you could be down for days.
 
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