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Important Questions

Before choosing your equipment, you should ask the following questions.

• Does the equipment have all stainless steel solenoid valves?
• Are the check valves stainless steel? Brass will wash out.
• Is the bay equipment (booms, wand holders, meters, etc.) all stainless steel?
• Are the fluid tanks made of stainless steel?
• Does the 360º boom have a lifetime bearing?
• Is there a spring hinge in the boom (to protect boom from damage)?
• Does the equipment have an intermittent weep or weep recovery system? A weep system saves 50 - 90% of weep water.
• Does the equipment have automatic mixing systems for soap, wax, and other chemicals.
• Are there leg and belt adjustment controls?
• Is there an oil drain plug for easy pump maintenance?
• Does the equipment have a stainless steel mounting plate for pumps & motors?
• Is the equipment UL or ETL listed? This is a requirement in most states.
• Are you dealing with a company that offers 24-hour shipping and service after you have purchased your equipment?

If you use Magic Wand Car Wash Systems, then your answers to all the above will surely be YES!

Competition

It is vital to know your competition! The best way to be competitive is to personally know each competitor in your area. Talk to each other and don't take an adversarial attitude toward them. You all have to share the market and learn to deal with one another. If a new car wash opens near your facility, overflow will drive more business to your area.

What About Wand Damage?

In our judgment, damage can be minimized by using a trigger handle. However, the problem doesn't stop here, normally there is a recirculating loop (the water coming out of the pressure release valve returns to the input of the pump). When the wand is off, the temperature of water in the loop will go up about 20 degrees a minute.

We found that a small hole drilled in the gun handle could serve as a weep hole or an anti-freeze hole during the winter. This allows a certain amount of water to constantly circulate through the jet. While it produces a very small spray, enough fresh water enters the system to carry away the heat generated by the pressure release valve.

Should Larger Facilites Use Individual or Communal Pits?

A self-serve bay does not generate enough water to carry silt over long distances. In most cases, it is impractical to use a large retaining pit (unless you want to wash the water into the pit). We have found that in combination car wash facilities, the bay with the pit in the center is much easier to keep clean. The water washes all of the silt toward the center, instead of spreading the silt all over the bay.