Building A Home Car Wash

[radioman]

Can you weld? or get a parts to a welder? I would purchase a local black pipe from a local hardware store. Buy 2 inch pipe or larger and 90 degree elbow. One long to reach over cars and short to go inside a larger pipe to make your "hinge" . Weld in another pipe or you can use 2 flat stock bars of metal on both sides to form a triangle gusset to give support to boom. The larger pipe (I am guessing 3 inch about 4 feet long) should be welded onto a flat stock that you can drill holes for mounting plate to bolt onto the garage wall. Once its all made up - you can fish the hose inside the pipes . Use the vacuum hose with lightweight string to pull through the pipe to create a pulling string to fish the hose inside of . Keep it simple - and cheap.

 

[txdon]

Yes I can weld, thanks for the alternative!

 

[Lou66]

Got my old brain to thinking,, I may build me one,, out in the pasture next to the well.. I have excellent water pressure without a pressure washer,, I have a 18' telephone pole that I was going to cut in half and use as corner post.. but I can stick about 4' in the ground,, take some gate hanger, L shape, build a swing,, like the top part of gate,, couple of hooks for the hose,, all welded,, about 10 high so I pull my tractor or balers under it,, got all the piping I need,, think may start that this month.. thanks for the idea,, Lou

 

[ptgdigger]

Nifty project, Don't get hung up on finding the aluminum angle , a jib crane type deal out of pipe would be sturdier, I've seen the stuff you can build Don and you can do better than the dude with the article.



I have built a few pressure washers and really with the price of a decent electric motor a good pump and the hose and gun it's pretty tough to beat the price on these pre-assembled units.3GPM@1500 is right where you want to be, no box store electric pressure washer is going to get close on the gpm. However the links the guy gave aren't the best places to buy most of that stuff, for instance the 3gpm at 1500psi unit he spec'd is now priced at $1269.00 at PWdirect, watercannon.com has it for $1079.00 Here #11M72

Filters: Filters and Screens : Pressure Washer Parts and Accessories

Nozzles and Hi-lo holders: Nozzles Accessories : Water Cannon

Brushes: Pressure Washer Brushes : Water Cannon

Cheaper booms: 3000 PSI Reflex Car Wash Booms w/S.S. Boom Arm

Do post up when you get the wheels rollin on this project, I enjoy this stuff.

Ray

 

[aczlan]

Don't get hung up on finding the aluminum angle , a jib crane type deal out of pipe would be sturdier

If doing it, I would go with pipe because then I could put the hose inside the pipe... A local carwash is setup that way.

Aaron Z

 

[94BULLITT]

You could get a Foam cannon for a pressure washer. Instead of building your own car wash.

Pinnacle Pressure Washer Foam Cannon HP, foam lance, foam gun, pressure washer foam gun

 

[DT86]

I once worked for a little car wash company that was called Magic Wand, in Bristol Va. Maybe some of you all have used their products, they sold equipment in almost every state and over seas. They have since been bought out.

Anyway, for the over head booms they used three pieces of 304 Stainless Steel 1" square tubing, welded in a Y shape much like the picture in the link. The horizontal arm was about 3 1/2 or 4' long, the vertical section was about 18". The 3/4" hose ran through the horizontal arm, terminated in a pipe fitting welded to the boom and then a second hose, screwed into the bottom of the same fitting, dropped down to give you the reach required. I handled hundreds of those stupid things and can not remember what the hinges were like.

Don't know if any of that helps but this thread had me thinking back a few years and thought I'd mention it.

 

[txdon]

It will be a few weeks before I order anything. Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm slowly formulating exactly what I will need. Here is a picture of the location. I will need to put in a pole between and outside of the the two garage porch poles, it will be about 2 feet higher than the porch - about 9' tall. the 180˚ boom will be attached to the top. The hose will run under the porch roof to the pressure washer inside the garage.

 

[Rustyiron]

Riptides - those booms start at $900 very nice, but I like the economy setup in the link better, just a need to find a swivel pole to hold the hose.

aclan - I was thinking along those lines until I saw the setup in the link. What would be the advantages or disadvantages of a simple $120 electric pressure washer instead of the $1000 wall mounted 220v washer? Volume? Longevity? Pressure control? Soap siphon? I'll have to look at some specs.

Chasemech and Lou- That is the best benefit of the car wash it will no longer be ME. (Well, that's the game plan anyway.)

Kieth - I will try find aluminum first and steel second, I don't want a wooden boom. I really need to find that 10' Aluminum L - that's the hold up right now.

Forgeblast - I like the boom instead of a reel because as Yago says: "I strongly recommend having this arm (boom) as it keeps the pressure hose clean and off the ground, and keeps it from getting hung up on bumpers and tires as you move around the vehicle."

I built and owned a 7 bay car wash and got a lot of parts (replacement) from Car Wash Supplies, Equipment, and Parts - Kleen-Rite Corporation
I don't think that they are highly restrictive on who they sell to.

 

[txdon]

Rustyiron, Most car washes have a separate hose for the soapy brush. Can I use the same hose for each and is there any pressure reducing/foam expanding thing I need for the brush handle?