cwguy.com blog

Car Wash Blog / Self Serve Industry Blog and Forum

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  • Another CWGuy on HydraFlex Hydra-Cannon water question?
    I just built a system that fixes the problem of pressure you are referring to. The answer is 2 fold. 1.VFD+ Pressure 2.Monitoring Sensor. Set up where VFD runs at say "40%" putting out 150psi. Then have a sensor that is inline (before manifold) to when a second bay calls for product, and pressure drops, it senses this, and increases the VFD to say 50% to make up for the difference, and retain the 150psi. So on, and so forth depending on how many bays you have. It will take some tweaking, but once it is set, it is set. Also, you only can have a maximum of 5 ports open at once, even if you have 6 different functions, as each bay can only have one selection running at any given time. Email me, and I can give you more info, and / or if you want to buy one rather than build one. It is a very expensive "trial and error" job, as the VFD, pump, and sensor have to do the job right, and give the correct pressures. They will not share any of their tech, as they want us all to buy from ...
  • Another CWGuy on HydraFlex Hydra-Cannon water question?
    Did you know.... You can purchase the "quick disconnect" injectors from "Hydraflex™®? ©" (don't want to infringe on ™®? or © :P) , however you cannot purchase the quick disconnect adapters from them. Hmmmmm? Isn't that nice? Why not? Oh, that's right you can, if you purchase one of their "Aqualab™®? ©." TEN THOUSAND dollar units. Then, they will sell replacement parts for it, which include the quick disconnect fittings. Very frustrating to say the least. IN A STORY NOT RELATED -> If you want to never ever ever worry about check valves again, look into the icheck magnum series which you can buy from Kleen Rite (low ph, high ph, and high pressure) Also, if you are tired of replacing brittle, cracked, sun-drenched, winter haggard poly line, step up and buy the parker (or equiv.) "air brake" line (type B, reinforced). it will last for over 20 years in a carwash, and will outlast stainless steel when running corrosive product thru. I have been running HF thru it for over...
  • Michael Simmons on Make your Fortune Washing Cars – A book? Car Wash people can read? JK :)
    I love your sense of humor, but everything is in the details of any business what separates the strong from the weak is just a few minor details. But that few can be huge, for instance I love Arbys for their sandwiches, but many years ago their facilities were just run down and dirty, back then I would never go to the bathroom in one. Instead I went to Mcdonald's to go the rest room. Now in current time Arby's has gotten the idea that a very clean and modern facility with upgraded equipment will bring in customers. They even have open wifi in many, so that being said a business is the true salesperson it projects an image. Now one must ask yourself what image do you want to project to the public. You yoursef as a owner of a car wash or any business must be the salesman, because without a sale no one has a job. Mike...
  • me on Make your Fortune Washing Cars – A book? Car Wash people can read? JK :)
    I don't think you read the post. Maybe since your not a car wash owner you didn't get the joke? But your a sales person so... :) Maybe in Ohio the government is more restrictive I don't know? But when the government lets people start businesses that they want. Unforgettably to many people have built car washes because of sales people. Which makes them bad investments... so depending where someone is from you will get your desired remarks. Also you are selling a high priced item so only car washes with money would call you... another fact. So of course they would be making money. I also disagree with 90% of your statements except the place should be clean. You do not have to purchase top "knotch" equipment. You can run a super car wash with any equipment on the market. But again your a sales person. :) But I strangely want to purchase a boiler now.... JK LOL :)...
  • Michael Simmons on Make your Fortune Washing Cars – A book? Car Wash people can read? JK :)
    I have met many car wash owners that do make money in the car wash industry. Here is what I have found they are very organized, they buy top knotch equipment, they maintain it everyday, they check their water everyday, they ask for help when needed. Many are true salespeople they get out and meet the customers give them hugs and attend community events. And lets not forgot about having a very clean facility, customers love neatness. Mike Simmons, Vice-President...

Not again!

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It is official: this 5 way intersection in Wylam is way to confusing for people.  Another Stop sign was murdered.  Also, someone forgot their stereo (or they prefer a giant hole in there dash instead).

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Louisiana Invasion!

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I am not kidding: the Louisiana people are invading Alabama. 75% of the cars have a Louisiana tag.  Going the other way are Alabama tags going to help with at&t trailers and “Huffmaster Disaster Response Team”.  Just because this guy named Gustav is coming from Cuba to Louisiana.  He seems like a really bad guy.

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I found a walking stick!

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I guess someone it going to be missing this?  Well, I guess it is mine now. I think I know someone who wants this for Christmas.

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Nothing better than smelling like Wild Cherry all day!

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Not really sure how this happened but when I moved the wild cherry bottle a leak occurred.  I had to dump the chemical in another bottle and I smelled like wild cherry all day!

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Purchased a used MEI off ebay.com and it actually worked!

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I purchased a MEI Mars AE 2631 D7 off ebay.com and received a D5 but everything worked fine.

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I called Mars to ask them the difference between model number D7 and D5.  The tech was very helpful and actually knew off the top of his head what the answer was.  The D7 part denotes the bill stacker count at 700 bills, D5 500 bills.  So games-people-play-and-more (the ebay seller) just did not give me the correct bill stacker but it was a really good deal at $160.

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House no more

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It is kind of like someone is trying to clean up the neighborhood?  They removed the burnt down house across the street from my car wash.  Now there is just garbage from people dumping.  So a good improvement!

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Monetize this?

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If I could just figure out how to monetize repair work in bays when it is raining.

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Stop sign

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You are supposed to stop at the stop sign on the road.  The key is stay on the “road” and he was going the wrong way on a one way street (but that is another lesson).

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Someone stole my Guitar Hero III Legends of ROCK!

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Someone left a new Xbox 360 version of Guitar Hero behind the dumpster for me!  Then someone must have stolen it?  That has to be the reason why there are just boxes and not a guitar.  Also I got some powder Similac.

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Neon transformers should not kill you?

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Around a week ago I took down some neon tubes and transformers from my Dad’s car wash he sold (they are ripping it down to build a CVS).  I decided to test the transformers because my Dad said they didn’t work.  I also borrowed a transformer that worked from Greg to make sure the tubes were actually good.

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So I take the transformers out of their boxes and observed the connections but I am not really sure how to hook up the neon.  I searched around the interwebs and still could not figure it out.  The problem I am having is with the ground (green wire) and what it is connected to?

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The first step was to find a tube that worked using Greg working transformer.  I found a tube which lit up just fine.

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Next step: I tried 2 unknown transformers and got the same results, sparky fire looking things and the neon was not lit fully.  I then (this was a total mistake) grabbed both ends of the transformer (so the electricy could run all the way through my body) and shocked myself, then the neon was fully lit and there were no more sparks.  I did have it grounded on the plug though, the same as with the known working transformer.  So are my 2 transformers bad or the ground bad?  Not really sure.

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Hunter’s Creek Auto Wash / aka Car Wash

My GPS said “Gatorland Carwash” at 14513 Gatorland Drive, Orlando, FL. but the name does not really matter.

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First picture is the front view and the second picture it from the entry road next to a Flex-Serve.

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Front view: I like the glass block and the road sign.

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Vending:  I like the “Suggestions” box and it is interesting that they replaced the Dilling & Harris Vend-Master product door.  They replaced the plastic with metal.

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Back view:  First picture show painted arrows on the ground which is a good idea.  I just doubt it would help.

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Bay:  Some interesting notes are the crappy foam brushes and the garbage can in every bay.  I love the large timer conversion.

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Automatic:  PDQ Laser 4000 had an interesting purge setup in the automatic.  Not really sure what or why it was purging though.

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Vacuums:  They has some weird vandalism problems?  I actually had someone steal my gun off my Fragramatics fragrance vacuum before.  They unscrewed the gun and took it.

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Harbor Freight crappy air regulator

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My $20 air regulator from Harbor Freight started to leak and caused the air compressor to run yesterday.  Looks like the crap remover is cracked.

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buy and sell car wash equipment also sometimes :)