Adding air selection to rotary switch...

[acbruno]

Has anyone ever done this? I haven?t heard or seen this installed before but I think it might be a good idea, easy to implement, and not very expensive. I?m looking at adding air to one of my two open selections on my rotary switch. I?ll just run an air hose from my compressor to one side wall in one of my wash bays and add a small coil hose in there for customers to drag around to their tires. A solenoid will turn the air on/off.

Pros
Customers use more time.

Cons
Hose will be dropped on the ground and customers will have to move around it.
High pressure hose could get stuck on the mount depending on how it is installed.

I would think this has been done before but it must not be cost-effective or something. Let me know your thoughts or point me to some write-ups on this topic.

 

[MEP001]

If you're going to go to the bother of adding a selection and hose, why not add a wall-mount boom? For around $100 you would eliminate your concern of the hose getting left on the ground if you use a coily hose and a boom.

 

[Earl Weiss]

My thoughts:
1. Coil hose will not last
2. Csutomers may finfd the air overpriced. Here Bay time is approx 50 cents a minute or $2.00 for 4 minutes or so. air machine time is usualy 50 cents for 4 minutes.
3. Depending on your layout you could add a seperate coin box on the outside wall of your building. Box would hold the coin mech, timer and Solenoid valve. Just run supply line into and then out of the box.

 

[Mel(NC)]

I agree with Earl that you would be better off to add a separate air vendor on an outside wall. Customers would probably not be willing to pay the start up fee if all they need is air. However, if they need air, they would most likely pay for it regardless of whether they washed their car.

I made an air vendor using spare parts a couple of years ago and it brings in about $10./ week. I would guess that half or more of the people stopping for air don't wash their cars.

 

[dclark3344]

FREE Air

I have a realtor sign out front that state on one side "? Checked your tire pressure lately?" The other side in big letters FREE AIR.... I think it builds customer good will and we express a desire to keep them safe because their life depends on the tires they are riding on. I refuse to give free vacs like my competitors have done but I will give the air away and it only cost me a very little with a hose reel and connected to my main air compressor. We are going to make another sign that states under inflated tires waste gas and put you at risk of a blow out. Please check your tire pressure every 3 months FREE here, the life you save may be your own.