Tunnel pre-rinse

[washnshine]

I'm curious how other operators are setting up their first arch.

Are you applying your presoak/foamer to a dry car, or are you using a pre-rinse arch with only water to loosen heavier soils before the detergent?

Are you using high pressure or medium pressure water if you are pre-rinsing? Is anyone positioning high pressure equipment before any detergents?

This would probably not apply as much to locations that are prepping with high pressure guns, as that takes care of the initial wetting of the vehicle.

 

[Washmee]

I'm curious how other operators are setting up their first arch.

Are you applying your presoak/foamer to a dry car, or are you using a pre-rinse arch with only water to loosen heavier soils before the detergent?

Are you using high pressure or medium pressure water if you are pre-rinsing? Is anyone positioning high pressure equipment before any detergents?

This would probably not apply as much to locations that are prepping with high pressure guns, as that takes care of the initial wetting of the vehicle.

I foam on high PH presoak on a dry car. Then I use high pressure side blasters on the side of the car. I follow that with a foamer applying low PH soap before the car enters the friction part of the tunnel. Then I use a high pressure rinse before applying drying agent and spot free rinse.

[video=youtube;1Xcz7jgBIL0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Xcz7jgBIL0[/video]

 

[washnshine]

Thanks Jon - nice wash you've got.

 

[Earl Weiss]

I put on a low PH Pre soak with Slight air injection before foam soaps. Tried without this and Faom blew out of channels at the end. The pre soak also helps the foam run down the side of the car. As opposed to just putting foam on a dry car.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=le8ldby8q2g

 

[TEEBOX]

Hi Jon, agreed you have a nice wash. Out of curiosity, what kind of wraparounds are you using?
What manufacturers? If you didn't have the towel dryers there to finish dry off, would the front and backs be clean?

 

[Washmee]

Hi Jon, agreed you have a nice wash. Out of curiosity, what kind of wraparounds are you using?
What manufacturers? If you didn't have the towel dryers there to finish dry off, would the front and backs be clean?

The wrap arounds are from Peco. We also have a set of grill brushes from Sonnys. By getting double coverage, we get the front ends very clean. In order to get the rear of vehicles clean we spray them with a prep gun (high ph soap) and mop them with a hogs hair brush.

 

[TEEBOX]

The wrap arounds are from Peco. We also have a set of grill brushes from Sonnys. By getting double coverage, we get the front ends very clean. In order to get the rear of vehicles clean we spray them with a prep gun (high ph soap) and mop them with a hogs hair brush.

Thank you,

The reason I ask is I'm trying to stop the prepping. But it seems that the back still needs to still be prepped manually. I do the same thing for the rear of the vehicles as you do.

 

[Washmee]

Thank you,

The reason I ask is I'm trying to stop the prepping. But it seems that the back still needs to still be prepped manually. I do the same thing for the rear of the vehicles as you do.

With the type of washing conditions we get in the winter around here, it is almost impossible to get the backs clean without manual prepping. I also prefer to not have my wraps adjusted aggressively because I don't like the problems with mirror and rear wiper damage that result.

 

[washnshine]

I put on a low PH Pre soak with Slight air injection before foam soaps. Tried without this and Faom blew out of channels at the end. The pre soak also helps the foam run down the side of the car. As opposed to just putting foam on a dry car.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=le8ldby8q2g

Thanks Earl - you've got a good foam show and coverage. Is the foam neutral?

 

[Earl Weiss]

Right now it's neutral (KR Triple foam soap at 600/1) but I may play around with low PH and in some seasons eliminate the pre soak.

FWIW I have found double wraps essential to get backs of vehicles reasonably clean without the need to prep.

 

[TEEBOX]

Which manufacture do you use for your wraparounds?

 

[Washmee]

Washnshine, here are a couple of more videos of my side blasters and high pressure rinse.

[video=youtube;BaCfpDPfoag]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaCfpDPfoag[/video]

 

[Washmee]

Another

[video=youtube;JxO5WU1BnrU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxO5WU1BnrU[/video]

 

[Washmee]

One more

[video=youtube;vZN_MOrQLVo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZN_MOrQLVo[/video]

 

[Earl Weiss]

Jon,

Couple questions.
1. Do you use all the HP on all washes or is it different for different wash levels.
2. Is there a particular issue each of the HP functions serve? Wheels are a common issue. What issue is addressed with the side Blasters and HP Rinse?

Inherited a place with a top Blaster. with triple mitters it added nothing to the cleaning. I knew customers liked the appearnace. Closed off half the nozzles and bypassed half the water. Next step is to downsize the motor and pump. No one percieved a difference except me fot the water savings.

 

[washnshine]

One more

[video=youtube;vZN_MOrQLVo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZN_MOrQLVo[/video]

Thanks - great video of the tunnel.

 

[Washmee]

Earl,
I use the high pressure on all washes. The first HP(side blasters) is useful because my wash gets a lot of rural customers who often have gritty residue from unimproved roads. We also wash 3-500 vehicles a week that are driven around in the local steel plants and refineries. Most of them are also quite gritty. In addition during the winter months our local governments use a mixture of road salt and sand on the roads.
I use a HP rinse because I use a lot of soap in my tunnel. It takes more rinsing to make sure it is all off the vehicle.

 

[TEEBOX]

Jon, is your High Pressure equipment from PECO as well. Looks great!

 

[Washmee]

Jon, is your High Pressure equipment from PECO as well. Looks great!

Some of it is Peco and the rest was put together by me. The side blasters are just stainless pipe attached to a couple of posts that came of an old set of rocker brushes. The HP rinse arch is a combination of Peco and a modified AVW wheel blaster unit.

 

[TEEBOX]

Thank you! It looks great!