Minimizing Water Usage

  • Every last Drop- when we do reverse osmosis it separates the water into two parts- the RO water which we use for the final rinse, and the “Reject”, or non RO water. However, the reject water is still softened and mineral free and charcoal filtered, far better than many other car washes use in their final rinse. So we then recycle the non-RO portion of the water to use for all the other functions requiring water in the tunnel, from mixing with chemicals to the high pressure arch, and a waterfall rinse before the final rinse.
  • Just enough- multiple sensors in the tunnel measure the car length, the front and rear of each wheel and tire within that length, and the height and shape of the vehicle. The tunnel controller knows the exact speed of the conveyor and then turns on and off each treatment at exactly the right moment, using just the right amount of water and chemical to do the job superbly, but not more than needed. This not only saves water, but means less wasted chemical to be handled by the sewage system.
  • More with less- Our new zero degree nozzles on the high pressure arch shoot much thinner streams of water than regular nozzles as they quickly wave back and forth at the car. This allows doubling the pressure without risking damage to the vehicle, and the skinny streams get into smaller crevices to dislodge dirt or residual chemical. This technology not only does a better job of cleaning and rinsing, but only uses half as much water as the traditional nozzles.
  • Results: so far with reuse of reject water and precise application alone we use less than one third of the water used by the previous car wash according to the water company in spite of providing many more treatments in the tunnel using water. We have only recently installed the zero degree nozzles and look forward to even less water usage.

Saving Electricity

  • With all its sophisticated equipment, a car wash is large consumer of electrical power. One of the largest is the huge central vacuum system, which must be on all day to be ready for customers to use or for detailing work by us. When it consumes a near constant amount of electricity regardless of how many hoses are in use. This represents as muchj as 40% of the electricity used by the car wash operations on a typical day. Therefore we have just purchased a very expensive and sophisticated piece of equipment, a Variable Frequency Drive. It makes the electricity consumption vary more with the number of vacuums in use at any given time. The manufacture anticipates this will reduce the power consumption by the vacuum system by up to a third, making a meaningful dent in overall electricity.
  • Similarly, our precise management of the on-off timing of treatments in the tunnel helps our electrical power consumption just as it did water usage. If you wish to learn more visit their official page!

Reducing Toxicity

  • Many chemicals used in car washes have some degree of toxicity. We constantly search for new chemicals, cleaners and other materials that are the least toxic available to do the outstanding job our customers deserve. One example, we use OxyClean for cleaning carpets and upholstery whenever possible.