My mobile detailing trailer has a 120 gallon tank and a generator. Yesterday I hooked up with a guy who is a Komatsu salesman and he gave me some work cleaning equipment ie: forklifts,sweepers etc. I want to ask you guys what might be some options for heating the water in the tank. I am thinking along the lines os a portable water heater ( electric) or some type of aquarium submersible heater. Something easily hooked up and unhooked for switching back and forth to a regular car job with cold h20.
hot h20 options
- Thread starter SteveL
- Start date
rollman
Professional Detailer
Hot water heater on the discharge end of the line or a heated pressure washer. You could look into those "instant hot" hot water heaters that mount under kitchen sinks. I don't know how much of a draw on power they are .
Not totally sure what you are trying to heat. You can buy a 110v water heater in 20 or 30 gal. size. Instant water heater usually draw a minimum of 240v and I would guess at least 20 amps. You won't get that much hot water out of them. There not designed to heat water going thru a garden hose. Even a water heater is going to take time to heat up the water. Brings me to my next question.
If your going to heat the water up and run it thru a pressure washer, you might want to check into the pressure washer. If the pump is design for cold water and you run hot through it, you can sieze up the pump. You need a pump that is designed for hot water use. I would consider a pressure washer that heats water.
Last but not least.. If you are using RO or DI water for your tank, becareful if you run those through a water heater or instant water heater. RO and DI water can be aggressive depending on grade. It can eat the copper tubing up in no time at all.
If your going to heat the water up and run it thru a pressure washer, you might want to check into the pressure washer. If the pump is design for cold water and you run hot through it, you can sieze up the pump. You need a pump that is designed for hot water use. I would consider a pressure washer that heats water.
Last but not least.. If you are using RO or DI water for your tank, becareful if you run those through a water heater or instant water heater. RO and DI water can be aggressive depending on grade. It can eat the copper tubing up in no time at all.
Your pump is probably rated at 140 degrees, unless it has a hi temp kit, which is very unlikely. If it is a low volumne pump it will be difficult to clean that type of equipment with that machine.
What you can do, if you are sure that you can get the business to justify it, is to buy a "hot Box" that is designed to be used with pressure washers. It heats the water after it goes through the pump and is usually diesel or propane fired. They can be had for around $1500 on up. If it is diesel powered, you will probably need a generator to run it off of, and DI water will eat it up,, eventually. Because of the design, you can easily bypass it any time you are doing cars to just run the DI water through your pump. For what it is worth, DI water is hard on a pump, too. It causes Hydrogen embrittlement. Makes the brass brittle, and break. With the coil it iwll cause rust, and eventually it will start spraying the rusty water on the cars you are washing and then leave serious rust spots on the surface of the cars that you will need to clay or do some serious polishing to remove.
For what it is worth, that is how I started out in the pressure washing business. Started detailing, then pressure washing and decided that pressure washing worked a lot better for me.
Scooter
What you can do, if you are sure that you can get the business to justify it, is to buy a "hot Box" that is designed to be used with pressure washers. It heats the water after it goes through the pump and is usually diesel or propane fired. They can be had for around $1500 on up. If it is diesel powered, you will probably need a generator to run it off of, and DI water will eat it up,, eventually. Because of the design, you can easily bypass it any time you are doing cars to just run the DI water through your pump. For what it is worth, DI water is hard on a pump, too. It causes Hydrogen embrittlement. Makes the brass brittle, and break. With the coil it iwll cause rust, and eventually it will start spraying the rusty water on the cars you are washing and then leave serious rust spots on the surface of the cars that you will need to clay or do some serious polishing to remove.
For what it is worth, that is how I started out in the pressure washing business. Started detailing, then pressure washing and decided that pressure washing worked a lot better for me.
Scooter
Sorry it took so long to reply, things have gotten very busy now that the rain stopped.
I ended up finishing the equipment with just cold water and a commercial degreaser. It was taking about an hour and a half per piece of equipment at $50.00 each. In order to have hot water and do this type of work regularly I think I would want two seperate mobile units. I spent a couple hours cleaning all my equipment so that I could do the cars I had for the next day.
I'll have to wait and see how much of that work I get in order to justify spending that kind of money.
This equipment had not been done for over a year, but now we will be doing it every three months, as it is an "insurance requirement" that they be serviced regularly.
I ended up finishing the equipment with just cold water and a commercial degreaser. It was taking about an hour and a half per piece of equipment at $50.00 each. In order to have hot water and do this type of work regularly I think I would want two seperate mobile units. I spent a couple hours cleaning all my equipment so that I could do the cars I had for the next day.
I'll have to wait and see how much of that work I get in order to justify spending that kind of money.
This equipment had not been done for over a year, but now we will be doing it every three months, as it is an "insurance requirement" that they be serviced regularly.