Car wash at home..?

[SabrToothSqrl]

I have well water at home, even with a 5 micron filter, then softener, then 1 micron, washing a car means horrid paint and glass etching crap left on the car. It was even worse before, when it was strait up well water.

SO. I've been using a local car wash with an unlimited monthly pass for $27/month. And it's worked out very well. It doesn't leave any spots, and when it does, they wash away no problem. Unlike the 2 cars my house water has ruined.

Now that we are adding another Tesla, the car wash cost will double . I already prefer to handwash anyway, and do at the car wash, in addition to the touchless.

A friend sent me this today,

50 GPD Spot Free Car Rinse System

Real deal or no? I'd really like to try before buying, but don't know if I can, or if anyone's used these. About 1 year of car washes for 2 cars would pay for this...

although I've really gotten used to just driving through the touchless almost daily when it snows or there is road salt. And every few days when not...

It appears to be a RO pump / filter atop a 50 gallon tub with a pump for the water... which... I guess I could build myself actually, as I'd prefer to set this up in my basement, and just plumb the water out to the hose hookup, with valves so I can use the hose for yard stuff too...

thoughts?

 

[SabrToothSqrl]

Alternatively, I've considered a holding tank under my rain gutter.. as rain water should be soft water. then just a pump and 1 micron filter. I run my house at 80 PSI, so I just need a pump that can hack 60-80 PSI.

Worth the build, or just drive to the car wash? I'd really like to wash my cars at home, but ruining the paint... not so much.

I know what filter/housing I'd just, mostly I guess I just need a pump?

thanks.

 

[Ianf]

Pressure washer run off the holding tank should be fine. Gauze in the downpipe to catch leaf litter and bugs, and an in-line filter before the washer should be good enough.

 

[Dborn]

I have well water at home, even with a 5 micron filter, then softener, then 1 micron, washing a car means horrid paint and glass etching crap left on the car. It was even worse before, when it was strait up well water.

SO. I've been using a local car wash with an unlimited monthly pass for $27/month. And it's worked out very well. It doesn't leave any spots, and when it does, they wash away no problem. Unlike the 2 cars my house water has ruined.

Now that we are adding another Tesla, the car wash cost will double . I already prefer to handwash anyway, and do at the car wash, in addition to the touchless.

A friend sent me this today,

50 GPD Spot Free Car Rinse System

Real deal or no? I'd really like to try before buying, but don't know if I can, or if anyone's used these. About 1 year of car washes for 2 cars would pay for this...

although I've really gotten used to just driving through the touchless almost daily when it snows or there is road salt. And every few days when not...

It appears to be a RO pump / filter atop a 50 gallon tub with a pump for the water... which... I guess I could build myself actually, as I'd prefer to set this up in my basement, and just plumb the water out to the hose hookup, with valves so I can use the hose for yard stuff too...

thoughts?

This system looks like it uses disposable filters. Aside from the purchase cost, you would need to factor in filter replacement costs...

 

[SabrToothSqrl]

That is correct. I wonder if I could just build the same thing out of home depot parts. Long as I have the 50 gallon tank part, almost anything should work. even 2GPH is 50 gallons in a day...

 

[David.85D]

Freshwater systems sells a lot of hardware if you decide to build your own.

You need a 50 GPD reverse osmossis system. They run $250 to $300. Remember that it will reject 3-4 gallons for each gallon it makes. You can plumb the waste water out into the garden.

Then a 50 gallon poly tank. Our local car wash gives them away.

A shut off valve in the tank Fe to turn off the RO system when the tank is full.

A big plastic drum won’t support pressure, So you will need a small pump of some sort to get the water out.

I would place it somewhere where a leak won’t cause any harm. Basement might be risky.

Rainwater seems even better.