cityclean
06-15-2005, 05:04 PM
I am looking into putting three self-service carwash bays next to my laundrymat and was looking for someone who has already done it. I was wondering what kind of numbers you saw after doing it. I have seen car-vac's at laundrymats (I put a portable one at mine) but I have not seen a combination laundrymat and car wash.
SecretarytoBraveDave
06-16-2005, 09:03 PM
I have seen many locations like you describe, especially toward the beach when I have traveled. I am sure if you contact Michael Sokolowski direct he may have contacts through the association that may be helpful to you. But you will need to email him. He is the Deputy Editor of the CLA.
DuboisLaundry
06-18-2005, 12:44 PM
I bought my Laundromat & 2-bay Carwash in October. If I was designing it from scratch, I would have the service area with the pumps, soap vat, etc between the bays instead at one end. I'm not sure how you would address that with a 3-bay.
Are you in an area with freezing temperatures in the winter? The previous owner did not have an automatic weeping system. One night in November I underestimated the weather and froze some pipes. There was a manual bypass valve which allowed a trickle through the spray gun and foam brush.
I do have an automatic weeping system now, when the temerature falls to about 34 a valve opens and runs a trickle through the bay equipment until the temerature comes back up to nearly 40. I also replaced a lot of pipes and some other stuff and one bay still doesn't move soap. Sicne I rarely had another car waiting, I didn't persue it much until now. Our tourism business is starting to pick up and sometimes another car is waiting, so I ordered a new soap mixing assembly as rebuilding the old one didn't work.
Do you fix your own washers and dryers? The general mechanical aptitude and trouble shooting skills for laundry equipment are somewhat applicable, however, the car wash really is a different beast.