Win2020_SSCWN_web

TRICKS OF THE
Hot water,
does it matter?
“Automatic
switch”
A customer discussed with me his concern about our SS using non-heated water for high
pressure rinses because he said it freezes on his car by the time he goes to dry it. Temps
were around 10 degrees F at that time. We have four high pressure functions (soap, wax,
clear coat, and rinse) and only the HP rinse is non-heated. I told him no chemical is injected
so it doesn’t need heat, but really that’s just the way my place was when I bought it. I don’t
think I need heated water for the wax or clear coat, but I never changed it. It got me thinking
though, would it be wise to switch to heated water for all HP functions during cold temps
(maybe 20 degrees or colder F)? I don’t think it would make much difference and this has
been the only customer to ask me about it. ACBRUNO
“Throttle back
the valves”
I have my HP rinse setup to automatically switch
to hot water at 30 degrees. Customers do notice
and appreciate it as the temps get colder. They notice
it the most when they go to another wash and
the rinse is cold.
Does it increase costs? YES! Does it wash better?
NO! Does it increase customer satisfaction? ABSO-
LUTELY! ERIC H
I see no need for a hot rinse at my location; my
competitors can’t keep up as it is, and I don’t like to
see grown men cry........ WAXMAN
Assuming your setup has cold water solenoids
that bypass the hot water tank on rinse, you could
throttle back the ball valves in the winter to warm
up the rinse, but not have it be full-on hot. Either
that or put doors on the bays and heat them, seems
like closing a valve would be easier. MEP001
I tend to be a little careful about reacting to customers
who want some specific feature, after I look
into it a little bit it almost never appears to be a
profitable change, just an entitled customer who
wants something. I checked the video after the last
person told me they paid for this wash and were
entitled to hot water (5 years ago), and they were
cleaning snow off their car, not washing.
Yes, I know ice is an issue when it gets really cold,
but do a quick spreadsheet - how many cars at what
ambient temp? How much to heat the water? How
many lost customers if you don’t, etc?
Speaking just for my wash, I believe hot water
rinse is a money loser, not a money maker.
I’ll also admit that I do use warm water on rare
occasions - like those rare 10-degree sunny Saturdays
with dry salty roads. But that’s MY decision
for specific reasons, not a reaction to one customer’s
demand. PAULLOVESJAMIE
I have hot and cold-water lines T’d into the tanks.
That way I can open and close them to increase
temps as needed. He is correct that at 10 degrees
he may end up with a block of ice if he uses cold
water. EARL WEISS
In some climates where the temperature of the
surfaces on the vehicle can be way below zero Fahrenheit
... I would think that hot could even crack
the glass???
On the flip side ... it is true that even with our
tempered water (lukewarm) (on soap only) sometimes
a customer will seek us out pointing out ice
formed as they were spraying initially. That customer’s
“lack of understanding” tends to be a rare
exception as most will just spend a bit more until
the surfaces gradually warm up albeit with more
spraying.
Summertime ... a motorcycle guy “stays in bay
not washing” to let engine cool down. Same guy in
winter “stays in bay not washing” with his vehicle
saying it needs to warm up????? MJWALSH
I operate tunnels and have washed plenty of cars
in below zero weather. I do not know how hot water
is by the time it hits the vehicles, but glass does not
crack although prior cracks will “grow”. It is the same
when cold water hits hot glass on a summer day.
As far as the motorcycle goes, the hot engine
getting hit with cold water should not be an issue
otherwise it would happen to a hot engine when it
rains. Depending on the age and technology some
(like my ‘95) may still have manual chokes and will
run better after warming up a couple of minutes.
EARL WEISS
28 • WINTER 2020