There
are an estimated 60,000+ vehicle washes in the United States including
automatics. self-service, rollovers, tunnels and truck washes. Thus
there is a tremendous opportunity for significant cost-savings from
softened water in this continuing growing market.
SOFTENING
Softened water for washing is the basic water treatment process used.
This is premised on the principle that washing with soft water produces
cleaner vehicles while using less chemicals and detergents. This
reduction and corresponding cost savings varies depending on the raw
water hardness. The following chart is a summary of savings reported by
the ICA (International Carwash Association).
|
Water Hardness (gpg) |
Estimated Detergent Savings |
|
2-5
grains |
15% |
|
5-10 grains |
25% |
|
10-15 grains |
35% |
|
15-20 grains |
45% |
|
20+ |
50% |
Soft
water keeps heating bills down since hardness scale builds up in water
heaters reducing the heat transfer capacity of the unit. It also
provides less maintenance on the nozzles, plus reduced friction between
the brushes (or cloth) and the surface of the car.
REVERSE
OSMOSIS
Industry
studies show that spotting can start to occur when the TDS (total
dissolved solids) is 75 ppm (parts per million) and above. The two
treatment methods used to achieve spot free rinsing, are Reverse Osmosis
or De-ionization. According, to a recent survey, 46.4% of operators use
RO while 8.2% use DI for their spot free rinse. The main advantage of
RO is that since there are no chemicals or regenerants, operating costs
are significantly lower than DI. Also, RO does not require handling
hazardous chemicals or a regenerant chemical neutralization system.
From an
operator-'s perspective, some of the advantages of RO for spot free
rinsing are:
1). Reduces complaints by the customers seeking a quality wash.
2).
The addition of RO spot free rinsing, is a way to justify price
increases.
3).
Few customers complain about the value received from the additional
charge.
4). In addition to added revenue from higher prices,
another income booster is the elimination of rinse and cheater waxes.
With certain water conditions, these rinse aids will leave a film
on the car.
5). In
a full-service operation, re-assigning, the detailing employees can
virtually pay for the cost of the spot free rinse system within
months. This
also reduces the likelihood of scratches that may
occur from hand wiping, as well as the number of towels used.
Furthermore, the final blower is operated less thereby reducing
the electric bill.
6) Bottom line advantages are improved customer satisfaction, creating
repeat business and an increase in revenue.
Note:
Self-serve operator's state that spot-free rinse generates $1,300
(approx.£710) additional income per bay.
Spot-free
rinse systems are used in all types of car washes from the smallest
self-serve to the largest full-service conveyor. Automatic car washes
require 6 to 10 US gallons of RO water to provide best results. For
self-service car washes, 200 US gallons per bay per 10hour peak is
typical. In either case an adequately sized storage tank is essential.
A properly sized storage tank will lower your RO cost and improve
performance.
CONTACT:
Keith Parker
Email
Tel: +44 (0) 1603 877222
