Easy Updates

Published in Auto Laundry News April 2007

Updates for self-service car washes are plentiful and many are easy to install. However, the assumption “more is better” is not always true. Some sites do not benefit from many add-on options.

Simple and numerous additions are marketed annually. These updates are designed to create new income or to improve market share. Several of these options simplify operation, increase reliability, and improve efficiency, while others only provide a customer service or increase maintenance concerns for the operator.

Determine a Starting Point

It is important to analyze the existing car wash facility before exploring possible options and cost feasibility. A beginning point may be established by creating a checklist to determine features provided and prioritizing improvements desired for the facility. Determine the most profitable options for the car wash by polling customers and other car wash operators.

By examining industry history, predictions may be established regarding direction and profitable updates selected. In the past, car washes offered hot soap and rinse at 600 psi, had no safety shut-off trigger guns (escaped pressure wands flew around the bay beating the vehicle and vehicle washer senseless until the “off switch” was utilized on the bay meter), and employed mechanical coin acceptors that jammed constantly. The first updates included:

⯁ High-Pressure Spray Wax ⯁ Stainless Steel Spring Booms and Wand Holsters

⯁ Higher-Pressure Pumps ⯁ Non-Marking Bay Hoses

⯁ Trigger Spray Wands and Unloader Valves ⯁ Fragrance Dispensers, Carpet Shampooers

⯁ Cold-Water Rinse ⯁ Display Vendors

⯁ Solid-State Timers ⯁ Electronic Coin Acceptors

⯁ Automatic Chemical-Proportioning Valves ⯁ Spot-Free Rinse

⯁ Low-Pressure Foaming Brush, Tire cleaner, Presoak

By analyzing this list, each improvement may be assigned to one or more of the following categories: Convenience, Safety, Efficiency, and Reliability.

Convenience

Customer conveniences should be added to increase sales to existing customers and attract new customers. Conveniences may be further classified as bay selections, operation, payment methods, and other amenities.

Bay Selections

Systems are equipped with many more selections than in the past. Adding more functions is a fairly simple task, requiring minimal equipment and labor. Newer bay selections include Bug-off, Tri-color Foam Conditioner, In-Bay Handheld Dryer (e.g., Air Dry Shammee), Surface Protectant (such as RainX®), In-bay Vacuum Cleaner, Fragrance Dispenser and Carpet Shampoo.

Pat Pearson, vice president of sales and marketing for Diskin Systems Inc., manufacturer of the Air Dry Shammee, indicates the feature is the third most popular function in the bay behind Rinse and Soap. Pat states the average vended time for the Shammee is 4 to 6 minutes and operators should expect an increase in income of 8.5 percent to 13.7 percent.

ECOLAB®, the manufacturer of Rain X®, introduced the product to bead water from glass surfaces and to improve visibility in the rain. The silicone and polymer formulation is now being utilized not only on glass, but also paint and chrome surfaces in self-service car washes to bead water and leave a lustrous shine. Marketing tools and name recognition of the product encourage customer testing and the performance of the product enhances the function.

Magic Mists’ in-bay fragrance/vacuum/carpet shampoo shows popularity in colder climates, while many warmer-climate facilities may yet find popularity. Small, expensive properties seek inventive ways to maximize income with limited space.

Converting a self-service bay into a rollover automatic bay targets a new demographic segment being attracted to the car wash. The activity in the self-service bays entices automatic users onto the site. A percentage of crossover customers will use the automatic as well as the self-service bays, increasing business and income in both segments.

Operation

Repeat customers are encouraged by continuous improvements creating smoother operation while making the bay more “user friendly.” These features include double overhead bypass booms, piezoelectric pushbutton meter boxes, brightly colored bay panels, better lighting, and lightweight non-marking hoses. Color-coordinated numeric instructions and meters also make the bay simpler to use. Adding more bays, vacuums, or vendors reduces wait times and deters competing car wash expansion.

Payment Options

By presenting several payment options — coins, tokens, bills, and/or credit cards — all customers may be satisfied. Equipment and operating costs versus income increase should govern practicability. While vandalism and theft are concerns at some facilities, demographics and volume of qualified users should be the determining factor. Coin/token acceptors are used to allow either coin or token initiation. Tokens are pre-sold or dispensed from a credit card or bill-to-token changer. The value of the token may be set to encourage use and since tokens have no cash value, vandalism and theft are discouraged.

Bill validators are added to the bay to provide larger vending purchases. Since many in-bay bill-initiated meters do not dispense change, more time is purchased and revenue is increased. The primary advantage of in-bay bill acceptance is decreasing the initiation period. The initiation period is the time the vehicle arrives in the bay until the bay is initiated. A customer needing change to start the bay spends a few minutes parking the vehicle, traveling to the changer (typically located in the equipment room), and returning to the bay to start the equipment. This non-revenue-production time may be eliminated by providing bill acceptance in the bay meter.

Credit card acceptance has become very popular, and systems are becoming evermore sophisticated. For example, the flexible soft- ware package in Hamilton Manufacturing Corp.’s D.A.N. (data access network) product allows customers to tailor applications to fit operator requirements. According to Rich Mann, the company’s northeast territory manager, the newest software update (available March 2007) will notify the operator via text message or e-mail in the case of an on-site fault.

Other Amenities

These amenities include all services offered outside the bay, such as vacuums and other vending. These offerings are typically placed in conspicuous high-traffic locations to compete for attention with bright colors, flashing lights, and displays of products. Many times these extras are used to capture the attention of patrons to increase overall facility income.

Safety

Safety devices have enhanced the self-service car wash experience and prolonged the life of the equipment. These improvements range from trigger spray wands to high-efficiency electric motors with thermal overload protection. Belt guards have evolved to protect technicians and operators from rapidly moving components; moreover these guards are easier to remove and replace. Safety devices go largely unnoticed when working properly.

Efficiency

Equipment efficiency has been greatly improved with seemingly minor component improvements. The original triplex pumps delivered a modest 800 psi, but showed significant improvement over then-existing systems. Further advancements in pumps have developed ceramic plunger pumps yielding greater pressure capability than used in the bay. These plunger pumps have fewer parts and require less maintenance.

Electronics have continually improved reliability, versatility, and efficiency of the system. Solid-state timers progressed to bilingual digital-display timers with last-minute-alert horns and bonus-time features. Electronic coin acceptance is far superior to mechanical mechanisms, but has further improved to multiple-coin and -token discernment. Weep pulse systems reduce water usage while protecting bay equipment from freezing conditions. Even electric motors have developed higher efficiencies and ratings. The newest “Super E” high-efficiency motors are 90.5 percent efficient, as opposed to the older standard motor rating of 84 percent.

Electric motor contactors and starters evolved into variable frequency drive (VFD) inverters with astonishing capabilities. The VED operates a three phase electric motor with either single or three phase input, allows up to eight different operating speeds, operates as an electronic thermal protector to protect the drive motor, and disengages the low-voltage system when a fault is detected. Electric- motor-to-pump drive systems progressed from single “Vee” belts, to double “Vee” belts, to direct drive, then timing-belt systems boasting 99 percent drive efficiency. Efficiency improvements are simple to apply to new and existing equipment with smaller expanded benefits. Some components may be returned to manufacturers for updates then reinstalled, while other components may require replacement to improve the overall performance of the equipment.

Reliability

Reliability of equipment has been greatly improved with stainless- steel frames and chemical tanks, ceramic plunger pumps, stain- less-steel solenoid valves with chemical-compatible seals, thermal plastic delivery hose, color-coded shielded and stranded control wire, plug-in connections for control wire in the bay and equipment room, timing-belt drives, higher-efficiency electrical motors, variable frequency inverters, and various other component improvements.

Manufacturers make continuous enhancements in components produced. These improvements are intended to supply manufacturing ease, improve marketing advantages, and reduce warranty replacement costs. These enhancements improve the performance of components and may be implemented to further improve car wash equipment operation and durability.

Many improvements may fit into multiple categories. As an example, digital-display timers are a customer convenience in addition to advancing efficiency and reliability.

Setting Goals

Creating checklists — and prioritizing additions — is a means of setting goals for any business. Operators should begin budgeting and scheduling improvements immediately. Avoid complacency and stagnation within the market. By remaining competitive with updates, the facility may develop a secure market and remain profitable. Analyze improvement for profitability and long-term value. It is never too early or too late to implement easy updates at facilities.