What's new
By:
Car Wash Forum

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Rotary Dial, pump on and off.

A

APW

Well-known member
This is my first car wash with a rotary dial meter. The customers rotate the dial around and around. I guess they cannot figure out what selection they want so everytime they pass high pressure rinse the pump cuts on just for a second and back off. Do you think I should put a time delay in line or will on and off so much really hurt the pump or motor?
 
IF motor is being cut on and off several times the "inrush" or surge current could damage an electric motor field coils over time.

Knew a guy who was cutting centrifugal pumps on and off several times before using them, "He was priming the pumps". He no longer works there.
 
I can only assume it shortens the life of the motor and contactor, but so very few washes have a delay timer on the pump I've never given it much thought. It certainly wouldn't hurt to have an on/off delay timer.

A lot of washes I've seen have the soap, rinse, and wax lined up on the switch with the foam brush before soap. I guess that was the earliest solution to having the pump turn on and off too much.

I've watched a lot of customers turning the dial trying to find the function they wanted. I redid the decal in bilingual and it didn't help because they can't read. There's a picture of the foam brush on the selection and they still can't find it, not sure what to think about that.
 
Here is a little test that will make most of you wonder about your average customer. Simply add a line at the bottom of your menu board that says "Ask the attendant for your free $20 bill" You will sit there all day with nary a question.
 
mac said:
Here is a little test that will make most of you wonder about your average customer. Simply add a line at the bottom of your menu board that says "Ask the attendant for your free $20 bill" You will sit there all day with nary a question.
Click to expand...

I believe that one. The wife and I argue on a regular basis about how much signage to have. She wants more words and I want less. We have come to the conclusion that the signs are just there to point to when a customer does something wrong. That's the only time they read them.
 
OurTown said:
I believe that one. The wife and I argue on a regular basis about how much signage to have. She wants more words and I want less. We have come to the conclusion that the signs are just there to point to when a customer does something wrong. That's the only time they read them.
Click to expand...

100% true. I mostly put signs accepting that they are only there to point to them when the customer does something wrong. For any issue that doesnt' have a sign, of course the customer says "well you should put a sign saying that".
 
I have 3 phase motors that look original on the Mark VII stand. Mep is correct about Soap, Rinse, and Wax if wired correctly with the Electro-Switch Rotary. It is designed so that soap, rinse and wax are all Make Before Break contacts which minimizes stopping and starting...The rest of the contacts are Break Before Make. I don't have delay relays on the motor starter. No issues here....
 
2Biz said:
I have 3 phase motors that look original on the Mark VII stand. Mep is correct about Soap, Rinse, and Wax if wired correctly with the Electro-Switch Rotary. It is designed so that soap, rinse and wax are all Make Before Break contacts which minimizes stopping and starting...The rest of the contacts are Break Before Make. I don't have delay relays on the motor starter. No issues here....
Click to expand...

FWIW, you can order Electroswitch in different configurations. The 8 and 10 position 2-stack from Kleen-Rite are make-before-break only on the 2x stack. I used to order for a distributor direct from them and they were make-before-break on both stacks. You don't want that because you'll have customers figure out that you can "balance" the switch between soap and foam brush and they'll both run.
 
mac said:
Here is a little test that will make most of you wonder about your average customer. Simply add a line at the bottom of your menu board that says "Ask the attendant for your free $20 bill" You will sit there all day with nary a question.
Click to expand...

You need more signs. One that says "Read the sign" And one that says "Read That Sign".
 
And signs that say "No refunds if you don't read the sign." Maybe one that says "$100 fee if I have to point to a sign for you."
 
I bought the time delays from zoro.com and it works like a champ. I set them on 1.5 seconds
 
MEP001 said:
FWIW, you can order Electroswitch in different configurations. The 8 and 10 position 2-stack from Kleen-Rite are make-before-break only on the 2x stack. I used to order for a distributor direct from them and they were make-before-break on both stacks. You don't want that because you'll have customers figure out that you can "balance" the switch between soap and foam brush and they'll both run.
Click to expand...

Bringing back this thread. Mep, explain what you mean in your post please. Reason: I've got a bay that once a week or so customer will get HP soap in the rinse position on the rotary switch. I've replaced the solenoid twice. It's got to be electrical. Could my switch be "making" both the rinse and HP soap (next to each other) at the same time? Don't know the hours on the switch- could be oldish'. Thanks.
 
It's unlikely but possible. You can confirm if it's electrical or not easily enough by using a voltmeter.

I recently had a really oddball problem at a wash that took me some time to figure out. Bay 2 had soap on rinse. I checked everything I could think of, even closed every valve to the pump but the cold supply to the rinse solenoid and there was still soap on rinse. I figured it was the high pressure line to the bay trapping soap and replaced it. It turned out to be a bad check valve at the boom for the presoak, so high pressure was pushing through the presoak line through the solenoid stack, through the DEMA Mix Rite, then back into the water supply to the rinse.
 
Not what was asked ... but the "no momentary 'motor on' during customer selection process" was one of the perks of the GinSan menu button format that we saw for on our coin boxes.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top