When it comes to washing vehicles, utilizing spot-free water is a requirement for business' in the car wash industry. Eliminating the labor associated with drying vehicles reduces payroll and increases productivity, all while keeping the vehicles cleaner and customers happy.
There are two ways to remove the dissolved solids from the water in order to produce spot-free water; Deionized filters (DI) & Reverse Osmosis systems (RO). DI filters contain a resin which absorbs the dissolved solids in the water, but the resin can only filter so many gallons of water before it becomes exhausted and needs replacing. The resin itself is very costly and hazardous to regenerate, so DI filters are typically rented from a local company and exchanged as needed. Renting incurs a recurring rental fee and resin exchange fee each time they are replaced, with extra bottles being rented and on-hand in order to ensure spot-free water is always available.
RO systems on the other hand filter the water by separating the dissolved solids rather than absorbing them, requiring minimal maintenance and more consistent water quality over time. Although RO systems have a higher upfront cost, they quickly pay for themselves which is why every car wash and dealership invests in an RO system for vehicle washing as opposed to renting DI filters.
Identifying the amount of vehicles washed per day is the key in determining the size of RO needed for your business. We strongly recommend sizing up to ensure the system is not running 24/7, while also allowing room for growth in washing volume needs.
