Winter2024_SSCWN_web

That’s a pretty good list. I like to add to the list:
people who try to do maintenance on their cars and
people who try to wash off their old engines and car
parts. - OBZENMATT
One of my favorite pics.
February- huge busy day.
This was about 10 trucks
worth. Colder than hell!
Greg is right - it takes
time to train customers.
After all these years we
now have customers policing
customers. You catch
some people on camera.
The big offenders are
usually a landscaper, tow
truck, septic pumper etc.
with a name or number on the truck. Call the boss
and call them out on it.
Word gets around and problems go way down!
I can also shut the bays off from home but no
longer watch the cameras that close. - SHINEPRO
How do you rig shutting your bays down? I’ve got
to do it. We all train our customers but there will always
be that element. [This one guy was] was spraying
his truck bed out yesterday and I could see the
degreaser he was spraying the bed down with. I was
50 minutes away at my other wash watching this idiot.
Would’ve loved to cut power on him! - TRAVELER17
I have a system from a company in Utah.
Controlled by the website. It’s a relay system that
wires into the bay boxes in the workroom or any
other function you want to hook it to.
I can shut the bays off, put time on a bay, close
the automatic, open the automatic doors, turn the
attic heat on, check the temp in the attic trough,
turn the change machine off, turn the workroom
lights on… and this can all be done from my phone.
Pretty [darn] handy system.
A word of caution: Shutting the bay down on
someone is something I rarely do anymore because
1 in 5 will get pissed and you end up fixing the
wand after they slam it to the ground! - SHINEPRO
You guys can rig up something simple with a home
automation system like YoLink. They sell a tiny wifi
relay that will handle 5 amps. just kill the power to
the timer or (better yet) just open the timed output
circuit. Would cost $25 for the hub and $25 for
each device you want to control. I haven’t mounted
one remotely in a bay yet. I’ll try to put one in a meter
door and make sure it gets an adequate signal.
Another option are the inexpensive four channel
relays you can buy on Amazon for around $25.
To use that though it may have to be centrally
located in the equipment room and wiring run
to the bay. Although tempting to try, I don’t
think I look at my cameras often enough to
catch offenders. - GREG PACK
If you stay open after a snow and salt event, not
trying to be mean, but what do you expect?
When this happens, I spend a lot more time at
the car wash and keep the snow and salt clods
pushed out of each bay. Other washes in town
let it build up so bad people don’t use their
wash. I’m a firm believer that you get what you
put into it....I make really good $$$ when it’s like
this and work a little harder to make sure all customers
have a good experience! - 2BIZ
This is probably the worst part of owning the car
wash, people will do this $%^*. I have just learned
to try to embrace it the best I can. It is too darn
hard to chase every one of them down and there are
so many folks going through that trying to educate
them will not work for me. - DESIGNFLAW
The 10 relay boards were about $500 each.
Plus, the boxes, wiring, etc. $1500.
Go to their website– they have a demo of their free
app. - SHINEPRO
You are right....I totally
misunderstood.
The topic was trashed
bays!!! This is what
trashed bays look like!
Yep, that is paint!
…Luckily it was a
water-soluble latex
paint....Took me a few
hours with my 4400
psi pressure washer to
get it cleaned up. - 2BIZ
I caught one doing the same thing about a year or
so ago, I asked her if she would like it if I pulled in
her driveway at her home and did something like
that, her response was, “I wouldn’t mind” ...my response
was. “Then, why the hell are you doing it
here!!!” Her options after that were to pay me $500
for the clean-up or the next step was I was going to
call the law. She pulled out $500 and left. Took me
about 3 or 4 hours to clean it up as well. - CBCHEVY4X4
I came in this morning to find one of my bays completely
coated with mud. It took close to an hour to
wash down all the walls and floor. About an hour
later I got a new 3 star Google review from a guy
complaining about being charged $20 for 20 minutes
and he didn’t even finish washing when it hit
the limit. The actual charge was 30 minutes for $20.
I checked the charges on Nayax and figured out he
had to have been the one that destroyed the bay. I
replied to his review stating the actual price and
time then found him on Facebook, now I know
who he is and I can’t wait to run into him around
town. - HEYVERN
I also use the Control By Web relay (X-WR-4R3-I)
to turn off 24v to the bay meters and toggle the
power to the change machines to reset them. I use
(X-408) to monitor the status of everything like
power outages, water leaks, changer - out of service,
bay power tripped, and door open/closed. It runs
through an app on your phone that you can customize
to fit your needs and then set your notifications
accordingly. I had previously used, and still do use
a few sensors, from a company called Monnit. It’s a
wireless platform that works well but has a little lag
time in the ability to turn the bay power off. - SCOTT S
I think we all draw our own line about what is
“acceptable.” We have an unattended wash in
a rural location, near too many 4WD tracks.
So, mud, hay and manure are all just part of
life for us. But from time to time we have had
paint and grease all over a bay, which has been
a huge headache to clean up. And my discovery
of a bay full of maggots was completely out of
line! - GREG_T
I’ve had the same...Dumped out maggot infested
fish! Maggots completely covering the bay floor
and in the pit! Of the two, I would take latex
paint any day! Maggots are harder to kill than I
expected… - 2BIZ
Eternal sunshine of the spotless hydrominder
I’m having problems with a hydrominder. The water pressure coming through is
barely noticeable. I’m not getting any chemical pull through due to the low pressure.
I took it apart and the valve is in pretty rough shape. I’m thinking this is the problem
but don’t have a replacement confirmation. Anyone have any insight? - NOOB
The black plastic vertical piece is called an “educator.”
Take it off and take it apart and see if any gunk has accumulated.
- EARL WEISS
The first thing to check would be the screen on the
water inlet. I’d order the plastic valve and the diaphragm
kit that goes into the valve. - RANDY
I checked the screen, and it looks pretty clear. I have
good flow before entering the hydrominder. I believe
my constriction is coming from the minder. - NOOB
You might want to replace the valve, stem kit and the injector.
Or just replace the complete hydrominder. - RANDY
We had this problem when we re-opened at one of our
IBAs after who knows how many years. A rebuild kit solved
the issue. It probably just needs the rubber diaphragm, but
might as well replace it all while you are in there. - KENO
Any time I have low flow I clean the inlet screen and
change the diaphragm and that usually fixes it. The
diaphragms are available individually for just a few
bucks. - GREG PACK
A diaphragm usually fixes it. You can replace the whole
stem kit if you want, but probably not necessary. These
are parts you need to have on hand, so order a stem kit
and a few diaphragms. - I.B. WASHINCARS
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WINTER 2024 • 35