Water Efficient Car Wash System

How Can I Make My Car Wash System More Water Efficient?

• Detect and repair all leaks in the system.
• Install lower flow nozzles and run at lower pressure; adjust flow in nozzles, sprays, and other lines to meet minimum quality requirements.
• Maintain all water-using devices to original or improved specifications for the conservation of water, and replace worn equipment with water-saving models.
• Replace brass or plastic nozzles, which erode more quickly, with stainless-steel or hard ceramic nozzles.
• Check alignment of nozzles, and inspect nozzles for clogging on a regular basis.
• Install positive shut-off valves on all hoses and valves and in extractor sinks.
• Turn off all flows during shutdowns. Use solenoid valves to stop the flow of water when production stops.
• When washing towels or rags, use front-loading washing machines and reduce the amount of laundry by doing fewer but fuller loads.
• Identify discharges that can be reused and implement reuse practices.

In addition, there are specific measures that can be taken for each type of car wash. For a conveyor system, water can be greatly conserved by reducing conveyor time. Also, nozzles should be timed to turn on as the vehicle enters the arch and shut off as it moves out of range. For an in-bay automatic car wash, adjusting nozzle alignment, flow rates, and timing can conserve water.