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Site layout and
wastewater treatment facility
to suit the characteristic of
the site are required for the
establishment of a car-wash. The
following is the standard for
car-wash equipment and layout.
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| [Entrance/Exit]
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It should be easy
and convenient to drive into a car-wash.
If the entrance is not clear or
inconvenience exists in entering
into a car-wash, drivers may choose
to go to another place due to the
inconvenience. And, leaving the
site after car-washing should also
be easy because, if not, it would
deteriorate the impression on the
car-wash, may cause inefficiency
of car-washing, accidents and other
problems resulting from congestion.
Accordingly, clear and large entrance/exit
and the convenience in driving in/out
are the major key success factors
in car-wash business. |
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| [Pipe
laying] |
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Water supply & drainage |
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In water supply works, the authorities
take part in until the installation
of water gauges and the owner is
responsible for the connection works
after that. Pipes should be laid
below 70cm under the ground and
corrosion-resistant material should
be used to prevent deformation.
And the pipe exposed above the ground
should be insulated and fixed. If
it is not fixed, problems may occur
at the lower part connections or
bent part. In drainage works, corrosion-resistant
pipes with large enough caliber
should be selected and the slope
is recommended to be over 3%. |
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Pipe laying for rainwater &
wastewater |
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Rainwater and wastewater should
be disposed through separate pipes.
(In some areas, they are disposed
together.) The pictures before &
during works should be prepared
to be submitted upon reporting the
completion of construction works.
Since wastewater is a kind of pollutant,
it is required to pay a keen attention
to prevent accidents caused by leakage
or freezing. |
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Electric wire pipe laying |
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Electric wires are vulnerable
to heat-damage resulting from overload.
Pipes laid underground are subject
to damage caused by oxidation and
the fact that the ground of car-wash
bays is always wet doubles the possibility
of the damage to the pipes caused
by moisture. Corrosion-resistant
material should be selected for
wire pipes and easiness in replacement
in case of wire damage should also
be considered. In pipe-laying on
the ground, excessive bending should
be avoided. The size of wire pipes
should be decided based on the planned
layout of machines, the capacity
& type of and distance between
machines. |
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Types of connection pipe laying |
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Water tank connection pipe,
toilet pipe, pump pipe and the
pipes to connect various equipments
or facilities are included in
connection pipe laying. Those
pipes are laid underground, on
ground surface, through or along
the wall or in the ceiling. All
the pipes should be fixed and
made of FLANG or UNION for easy
repair and replacement. A distance
from the ground, wall or other
structures should be given in
pipe-laying to secure the space
for insulating device such as
cover. |
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| [Layout
plan] |
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General car-wash |
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① Office:
It is recommended to locate the
office in front of car-wash bays
and use glass wall in order for
the customers waiting in the office
to see those in the bays. It is
very important to furnish waiting
customers with something to read/watch
not to make them to feel they are
waiting too long. (If they can watch
others car washing, they can feel
relaxed.)
② Businesses
incidental to a car-wash:
Representative is the lift for oil
exchange. When a car-washing business
decides to accompany auto repair,
cannibalism resulting from long
waiting-time should be avoided.
Dining business in car-wash site
is not recommended since the cars
of restaurant customers will be
an obstacle to car-wash business,
and vice versa. Unless a huge parking
lot is secured, dining business
should not be considered
③
Toilet:
Toilets should be provided separately
for women and men. Toilets should
be maintained clean, neat and sanitary.
It is suggested to place toilets
on one side with separate entrances
for women and men.
④
Bathing facility:
It is good to have a bathing facility
to be used after a day of working.
(Place it at the back of building.)
⑤ Lodging:
It is suggested to locate lodging
to be connected to office.
⑥
Engine room:
In addition to boiler, equipments
such as high-pressure washer, mat-cleaner
and vacuum cleaner are stored. Upon
planning the size, area and height
of the building, it should be considered
that wastewater treatment facility
is to be located inside the building.
⑦ Car-washing bay:
An area of 5 meters in width and
6 meters in length is enough. The
water used for car-washing should
flow into water collection basin
and rainwater should not flow into
it. Because the rainwater to car-washing
bay is to flow into water collection
basin, the bay area does not need
to be large. But, car-washing bay
for large automobiles needs to be
large to house required facilities
such as dock. It should be considered
whether the water and noise generating
from car-washing possibly bother
neighborhood. (Popular complaints
and environmental factors)
⑧
Ground:
Slant should be made for the smooth
flow of rainwater. In winter, accidents
can occur due to the freezing of
ground. Careful attention should
be paid to ground works and entrance/exist
should be constructed in connection
with ground works.
⑨
Outdoor lights:
Outdoor lights should be allocated
in a way that they do not bother
neighborhood or hinder the entering
of customer cars. More than two
lights should be installed with
the influence to eyes taken into
consideration.
⑩ Vending
machine:
Place vending machine at the entrance
if there is a large traffic of population
in the street. If not, locate it
in front of the office.
⑪
Water collection basin (Wastewater):
It is suggested to place it underground
at the lower part of wastewater
treatment facility. The proper size
is 2m (width) x 3m (length) x 1.8m
(height). It is recommended to have
water flow into it through sedimentation
basin. It can be also placed at
the lower part of a car-wash.
⑫ Water tank:
It should be insulated when placed
at the upper part of a building.
If placed underground, it should
be closely attached to water collection
basin. Upon the design of water
tank, water condition such as secured
amount of groundwater should be
considered.
⑬ Underground
water development:
Because protecting structure provided
by the authorities is 1.2m x 1.2m
x 1m in dimension, an area of 1.6m
x 1.6m is needed. It should be carried
out before construction & ground
works since machinery equipment
is required for it. If the underground
water vein is located outside of
building arrangement site, underground
water development can be done later.
⑭ Sewage disposal tank
and others: |
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Self car-wash |
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In designing a self car-wash,
the movement of cars should be
taken into consideration.
① Office:
The concept of customer lounge
can be omitted in the office of
a self car-wash. Instead, it is
necessary to provide & sell
auto accessories. For the convenience
of customers, it is suggested
to locate coin exchange at engine
room in the middle of a bay. Or,
it can be placed at the entrance
or inside the office.
② Business incidental
to it:
Unlike general car-wash, self
car-wash is open day round. So,
lease or street-wagon offering
light food can be considered.
③ Toilet:
Toilets should be provided separately
for women and men. Toilets should
be maintained clean, neat and
sanitary. It is suggested to place
toilets on one side with separate
entrances for women and men.
④ Bathing facility: Can
be omitted.
⑤ Lodging: Can be omitted.
⑥ Engine room:
In addition to boiler, equipments
such as self car-washer sets &
chemicals, wastewater treatment
facility and water tank are stored.
It also needs to be equipped with
ventilation facility or ventilating
openings for boiler. Electric
panel and coin exchange can be
located. It is usually placed
at the center of bay. Consideration
should be given to its size and
height.
⑦ Car-washing bay:
Usually, 3 bays are constructed
each of which is partitioned.
If a space exists between the
ground and partition, water can
be splashed over the user of neighboring
bay. It is suggested to install
partition which is opaque up to
waist or chest height and transparent
above face. Roofing is not important.
Instead, lighting facility and
shading for summer time are required.
An area of 4.5m (width) x 5m (height)
where wastewater is led to central
trench to flow into water collection
basin is suggested. Slant is concentrated
on central trench. Coil charged
with anti-freezing solution should
be installed for the prevention
of accidents due to ground freezing
for which the owner of the car-wash
is responsible. (Anti-freezing
solution circulation system is
necessary.) To prevent rainwater
from penetrating the bay and water
from scattering around, wind direction
should be taken into consideration.
⑧ Ground:
Slant should be made for the smooth
outflow of rainwater. In winter,
accidents can occur due to the
freezing of ground. Careful attention
should be paid to ground works
and entrance/exist should be constructed
in connection with ground works.
⑨ Outdoor lights:
Outdoor lights should be placed
near vacuum cleaner, mat-cleaner,
washing stand and coin exchange
with close attention paid upon
the decision of installation location.
⑩ Vending machine:
Vending machine is suggested to
be located beside vacuum cleaner
inside. That for both cold and
hot beverages is preferred.
⑪ Water collection basin
(wastewater):
Same with the above (1)-⑪. It
should be placed under engine
room.
⑫ Water tank:
Place water tank close to underground
water collection basin or use
water tank in engine room.
⑬ Underground water development:
Because protecting structure provided
by the authorities is 1.2m x 1.2m
x 1m in dimension, an area of
1.6m x 1.6m is needed. It should
be carried out before construction
and ground works since machinery
equipment is required for it.
If the underground water vein
is located outside of building
arrangement site, underground
water development can be done
later.
⑭ Vacuum cleaner, mat-cleaner
& sink:
These three are to be placed at
the opposite side of bay. The
number of vacuum cleaners should
not be less than that of bays
while 1 set of mat-cleaner and
washing stand is required, respectively.
A larger area is needed for car-washing
and drying.
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Automatic car-wash (*Door type or
tunnel type car-wash established
in a gasoline station) |
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① Office:
It is not necessary to have an office
for automatic car-wash in a gasoline
station. Instead, it is suggested
to have a simple structure at the
entrance to prevent possible managerial
problem and inconvenience of staff
resulting from the distance from
oiling facility.
②
Businesses incidental to it:
Various businesses can be considered,
however, big profits are not feasible.
Auto repair has the lowest degree
of risk.
③ Toilet: Same
with the above.
④ Bathing facility: Same with the
above.
⑤ Lodging: Same with the above.
⑥ Engine room:
Engine room should be equipped with
heating facility generating warm
air to prevent the water at brush
from freezing as well as store compressor,
pump, electric panel, wastewater
treatment facility and boiler. Upon
the allocation of area for engine
room, it should be considered that
relatively large amount of chemicals
and others are to be stored. It
is suggested to use the empty area
inside the existing structure to
save space.
⑦ Car-washing
bay:
Area requirement varies depending
on machine specification. For door-type,
an area of 4.8m x 12m is required
and additional space for entrance
& exist should be provided.
For the turning at an angle of 90
degrees, approximately 5m is needed.
While tunnel-type is covered with
housing when installed, it is better
for maintenance and machine life
to store door-type in housing when
it is at a standstill. Since preliminary
cleaning of the car before its entry
into washing machine is critical
in car-washing, it is important
for a car-wash to be equipped with
all the required equipments and
the space for drying after car-washing.s
⑧ Ground:
Noticeable difference does not exist
in the ground for door-type washer.
The only requirement is that water
should not flow in from outside
and wastewater should not flow into
other than water collection basin.
In tunnel-type washer, water leakage
along the wall is commonly observed.
To prevent it, careful attention
should be paid to finishing.
⑨ Outside lights:
Place outside lights at the entrance
and exit.
⑩ Vending
machine: Can be omitted.
⑪ Water collection basin (wastewater):
Capacity requirement of water collection
basin depends on the capacity of
the car-wash and wastewater treatment
facility. In case of door-type,
the capacity required for general
car-wash is enough.
⑫
Water tank:
Same as stated in (1)-⑫. Tank for
water-recycling can be installed.
⑬ Underground water
development:
Same as stated in (1)-⑬. Since all
the facilities and equipments in
a gasoline station are directly
related to fire prevention, it is
necessary to closely examine related
laws and ordinance.
⑭
Other facilities:
Provided as an additional facility
to a gasoline station, automatic
car-wash possibly causes congestion
of cars which need oiling and washing.
Proper countermeasures (Example:
mirror, signal lamp) should be taken,
especially in the area of dead angle.
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| Drivers
give the car a wash
once a week. |
According to the survey
made from 100 respondents
of drivers, more than
half of them give the
car a wash using automatic
car-washer at gasoline
station followed by
empty lot near house
(19%), self car-wash
and professional car-wash.
48% of men and 52% of
women responded automatic
car-washer. It is because
many gasoline stations
offer free car-washing
to the customers of
over a fixed amount
of gasoline, which enables
them to do car-washing
and gassing up at once.
Giving the car wash
at an empty lot (22%
of men/ 16% of women)
seems to be based on
economical consideration.
In terms of age classification,
half of each age bracket
chose automatic car-washer
at a gasoline station
followed by empty lot,
self car-wash or professional
car-wash answered by
those at their 40s (30%)
& 50s (31%), 20s
(28%) and 30s (22%),
respectively. As to
the frequency of car-washing,
more than half of the
respondents regardless
of gender answered more
than once a week, followed
by every other week
(27%), once a month
(17%) and less than
once a month (5%). The
fact that once a week
is the most frequent
answer regardless of
age bracket and car
model means that most
people give weight to
the cleanness and exterior
of the car. |
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