A bay is a system of units
From the customer's side a car wash looks simple: a screen, a gun, programmes. Inside it is several separate units, each with its own job. It is worth understanding what they are before you buy — they determine both the price and the programmes you will be able to offer.
The control terminal
The face of the station and the only part the customer deals with. A touchscreen, payment acceptance (bank cards, MIR, Apple Pay, G Pay, QR code and cash), programme selection and balance. The housing is built for outdoor use: water protection, vandal-resistant construction and internal heating so that the electronics do not fail in the cold.
Water, warm water, foam, super foam, turbo brush, wax, osmosis, air blower, vacuum cleaner, turbo dryer, screenwash fluid. The set depends on the the configuration.
The pump group
The heart of the car wash. High-pressure pumps create the pressure the quality of the wash depends on, and their motors are rated for commercial round-the-clock duty — that is the fundamental difference from domestic machines. The number of pumps determines how many bays can run at once without the pressure dropping.
The power cabinet and the automation
Controls the power supply, the protection and the logic of the whole station. The pipework, the chemical dosing and the monitoring live here too. It is the automation that lets the car wash run without staff and send revenue and equipment data to the owner remotely.
Water treatment and osmosis
The water on site is almost always hard, and without treatment both the equipment and the result suffer. The water treatment system and reverse osmosis give a final rinse with no streaks — customers value the osmosis programme in its own right.
The console, the guns and the vacuum cleaner
In the bay the customer works with a swivel console, a high-pressure gun and brushes. Flexible hoses and lances are consumables chosen to match the load. The vacuum cleaner is a separate unit: it raises the average ticket by keeping the customer on site after the bodywork is washed.
Frequently asked questions
What does a self-service car wash station consist of?
A payment terminal, the pump group, the power cabinet, water treatment with reverse osmosis, a console with guns and brushes, a vacuum cleaner and optional extras — all in one bay, controlled from a touchscreen.
How many programmes does a bay have?
Up to 12: water, warm water, foam, super foam, turbo brush, wax, osmosis, air blower, vacuum cleaner, turbo dryer, screenwash. The exact set depends on the configuration.
Can you add features later?
Yes, the station is modular: you start with the base and add features as traffic grows, without replacing the whole set of equipment.