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Water Reclaim - What is the best system?

C.Duncan

Wash Zone
Our city doubled our property taxes this year and now have just increased our water and sewer charges by 73%. We run 3 Laserwashes and 2 wand bays at this site. Our overall expenses based on past years will be increasing by $50+ k/yr. We are scrambling to drill a water well &/or install a reclaim system. I have checked out a few of the reclaim systems on the web but was hoping I could get some feedback on what systems out there are working really well. Our area has a ton of heavy mud so not going to be an easy task to reclaim. Cam
 
Good Reclaim System

Pur Clean/Pur water has very good systems. I have used the 100gpm system and it does a good job. The people are also great to work with.
 
I'de like to put in a good word for Catec, located in Sarasota, FL. I've sold and installed about a dozen of them and they work as advertised. They also have what I think is the best warranty in the business, three years on the ozone generator and pumps. With three autos I am surprised you haven't already installed one. I suggest you also go ahead with the well. Between the two you can keep that extra 50K in your pocket.
 
Out of interest Cam, what province/city in Canada do you operate in?

I'm preparing to enter the industry up here (BC) but I'm wary about water hikes and the upcoming HST eating into profits.
Thanks in advance!
 
Reclaim system

I'm not going to put anyone on blast but I would very careful who you choose. I would go with whoever your installer likes and can warranty the install. I'm currently purchased a unit from someone listed in the previous post. Not very happy with them... If they dont resolve I will share their information warning other operators... They didnt provide any preconstruction support that was pertinent. The precon is critical to the overall success of reclaim... Not only that but their system has had problems with the hydrocyclone durability and they do'nt want to send me a new one. Small company trying to compete with the big boys and they need more talent to pull that off.
 
Since you are facing a substantial increase in operating expense from water usage and are considering well water, I would proceed very carefully.

Reclaim is not a like most carwash sub-system’s like a wax arch, tire shine or pay station that can be plugged and played.

Reclaiming water can have a profound effect on your overall carwash business because water is the single greatest resource you use in washing cars and the quality of product water can greatly affect the finished product.

There is quite a lot to consider other than price or service availability when installing a reclaim system at an existing wash.

You may to have to make considerable upgrades to the infrastructure. You may need to change chemistry and/or adjust your processes. You will have to determine where it is best to use the product water to gain the greatest benefit and avoid the most common problems. And so forth.

It will take a team effort; you, the carwash equipment supplier, the chemical supplier and the reclaim equipment supplier.

You would be well advised to consult with many or all of the reclaim equipment suppliers to determine their level of experience and success in doing something like this as well as doing your due diligence to verify their qualifications and results.
 
I would like to suggest that you act as advised by the posters here, and let us know what each says. Could be interesting. To do this the best way, you should have three inground tanks, with baffles, of at least 1,000 each. I like the well idea the best.
 
Since the high capacity of most carwash reclaim systems prohibit mechanical blending, baffles with high drops have proven to give the most satisfactory results. Yes, they must be carefully positioned so they create a mixing action and yet do not cause restricted flow that can cause plug ups, losing production.

I like PurClean equipment and know some of the people making and selling it.

However, RykoPro, can you please explain to me how not having baffles in reclaim system means that other systems are not good as you implied in your statement?
 
Why would you want baffles in the pits if you did not need them? A good system does not need baffles. Why would you want the extra expense and headaches of baffles in an underground tank that must be cleaned and pumped out regularly?
 
So I guess that all these people who have been putting in baffles, all these yesrs, using many different systems, have simply been wrong. Thanks for setting us straight.
 
No they were just sold a bill of goods they did not need. There are thousands of working reclaim systems in operation without baffles. Why waste money on unneeded components?
 
“Why would you want baffles in the pits if you did not need them? A good system does not need baffles. Why would you want the extra expense and headaches of baffles in an underground tank that must be cleaned and pumped out regularly”

“So I guess that all these people who have been putting in baffles, all these yesrs, using many different systems, have simply been wrong. Thanks for setting us straight.”

“No they were just sold a bill of goods they did not need. There are thousands of working reclaim systems in operation without baffles. Why waste money on unneeded components?”

The other day I commented on a thread where someone was asking for advice on detailing. I came back and offered some friendly advice. Another person followed up by asked about my credentials; did I ever detail cars or own and operate a detail shop. I followed up by give a brief description that I do have lot of detail experience and I have owned and operated many different types of detail operations.

You keep trying to convince us that baffles are expensive (compared to what), that a system without baffles doesn’t need lift service on occasion to remove silt (this is not necessarily so), that people have bought a bill of goods with a system that has baffles (based on what) and why waste money on unneeded components (again, on what basis).

I believe all Mac and I are after is some type of facts or information to support your claims.

With all due respect, to do otherwise, is like trying to promote a TV sitcom that dubs laughter throughout the script to convince people that the show is funny and then the show is cancelled shortly thereafter because, in fact, it was not.
 
From the tanks I've bought, baffles are less than $100 per tank. On a typical installed reclaim system of say 35K to 40K, that's a 0.25% increase.
 
Never used them in 20 years of installing hundreds of reclaims. Why use them if you dont need them? Do you use cyclonic separation? How many reclaims have you installed Robert, how many do you maintain and repair? You two are like peas in a pod..........
Not here to argue, just never needed baffles, if you want to "baffle" you customers with BS go for it. If thats what you have to do to make your system work, go for it, I am just basing this on 21 years of actually fixing and installing car wash systems.
 
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