A car wash is only successful when it is profitable. To accomplish the goal, you need your equipment consistently in top shape. Whether you are starting a car wash or have been in operation for years, receiving scheduled car wash maintenance is essential for ensuring that equipment operates properly.

Routine maintenance is crucial for minimizing repairs. If you need help developing a plan, or you are looking to improve maintenance already performed at your facility, the following suggestions can be helpful.

1. Determine How Often Equipment Needs Maintenance Service

Before developing a schedule, it’s important to look at the specific needs of your equipment. You can learn about maintenance requirements by consulting the owner’s manual or contacting the manufacturer. This is especially helpful when you start a car wash, because not all equipment requires the same service.

Knowing the intervals at which equipment requires maintenance — and what type it needs — lets you set the proper schedule and maintenance protocols, so your team knows when and how to provide service that helps prevent breakdowns.

2. Consider Whether Outside Maintenance Service is Required

When you start a car wash facility, or when you run one on a tight budget, it’s tempting to have in-house employees perform maintenance to save money. Unfortunately, not every facility has personnel with the right expertise. In these situations, you may need a licensed, outside party to handle necessary car wash maintenance.

If you outsource maintenance, research to find a contractor with experience maintaining the specific equipment you have. Ideally, you may be able to hire technicians from the company who manufactured the equipment. Some manufacturers offer maintenance service for the equipment they sell. Hiring them ensures that technicians are familiar with the equipment.

3. If Outside Maintenance is Required, Try to Use a Single Provider

Using multiple maintenance providers can be costly. If you need outside contractors for car wash maintenance, it’s best to use a single provider. Using one provider often costs less, especially if the business offers cost-effective packages or bundles. It also saves time by simplifying the third-party invoicing process. Relying on a single provider also limits the business relationships you manage, as you start a car wash or streamline the operation of an existing one.

4. Be Sure to Budget for Repairs in Addition to Maintenance Services

You obviously need to budget when you start a car wash. When planning your budget, don’t forget to set aside funds for repairs. Even if you stay on top of maintenance, heavy-use equipment occasionally needs to be repaired. When equipment requires a repair or a new part, the cost may fall outside of existing maintenance contracts. Having money set aside for these occurrences ensures that you can perform repairs as soon as needed.

Conclusion

Because their business model relies heavily on equipment, preventive scheduled maintenance is especially important for car wash facilities. Without it, the chance of equipment breakdown increases. In addition to costing money for repairs, this can hurt the facility’s profits due to downtime.

Knowing the specific needs of your equipment — and finding an experienced contractor to perform maintenance — is critical. Whenever possible, rely on assistance from manufacturers like N/S Corporation to get the most dependable maintenance, without extra costs or delays.