CR Spotless cost to use, worth it???

charlesu · 05-18-05, 01:49

Help me decide if a CR spotless system is worth the money?

I figure that a 2.5gpm pressure washer used for 5 min each rinse uses 7.5 gallons.
If I wash the car 2x per week that would be 15 gallons each week.
15 gallons per week is about 780 gallons per year (15x52).

The most cost effective unit is the 300 gallon one. If I buy that with 2 refill cartriges it will cost $410 plus shipping so about $450.00. The cost per gallon becomes $450/600 gallons, or $.75 per gallon. The yearly cost becomes 780 gallons X $.75 or $580 per year.......

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Is it worth $580 per year for spot free rinsing????

Rollman · 05-18-05, 02:45

After your initial purchase of the 300 gallon unit you'll save on the per gallon cost . Buying the 4 filter pack is the cheapest per gallon cost at .29 cents per gallon . This doesn't include what ever the shipping cost would be How much could shipping be $20 ? That would bring the cost per gallon up to 32 cents. The initial invertment of $310 + shipping is when the water cost the most. $1.15 per gallon ?

Is it worth the money , I think that depends on where you live ,what your washing and how your water is . If you live in FL or AZ where the sun get very intence and water dries real fast it might be worth it to you . If your washing an RV under these conditions the waterspots might drive you nuts.

Don't forget you can rent DI units or buy DI water locally. Check your Yellow pages

mrecktid · 05-18-05, 03:46

I doubt you'd be using 15 gallons a week.

First, you should be using regular tap water for your washes.

Second, the deionized water should only be used for final rinsing. I think Mark Waldron said he only used 2-3 gallons for the final rinse, so if you washed your car twice a week, that's 5-6 gallons. About 33% of what you thought you'd be using.

charlesu · 05-18-05, 04:15

Thank you for your input guys, for some reason this is a difficult decision for me. I really would like the unit but shipping is a killer.

Rollman, I am in Hawaii and shipping for the wall mounted, 100 gallon unit alone is over $100.00 I will be in SFO in a few weeks and CFspotless told me they could ship the unit to my hotel for about $20. But in the future, replacement cartriges will double the cost when shipping is taken into consideration.

I did check locally for a DI rental. Cost, $172 for the first month and $55 each additional month with a 600 gal unit. Recharge fee is $122, so this is not a practical option for me.

mrecktid, I cannot se only using 2-3 gallons for the final rinse since a pressure washer outputs 2.5 gpm. That would mean I would only have about 1 1/2 minuites to rinse the entire car. Not too sure I could do that??

Keep the comments coming......I really want to be convinced!

Rollman · 05-18-05, 05:03

I didn't see where you were located .

Shipping is a killer to the islands .

Beav · 05-18-05, 08:37

mrecktid, I cannot se only using 2-3 gallons for the final rinse since a pressure washer outputs 2.5 gpm. That would mean I would only have about 1 1/2 minuites to rinse the entire car. Not too sure I could do that??

Not all pressure washers put put 2.5 gpm. You can get a Black and Decker that puts out one gpm at 1300 psi. I do think that mark waldron is right. If you actually think about the on trigger time for a rinse it is not more that 2 or 3 minutes. The lower the water flow the longer the on trigger time the higher the water flow the shorter on trigger time. DI or RO water is the only way to go. No more towels and micro scrathes and no more worries about one section of the car while you are doing the other. Go for it.

teamgomez · 05-18-05, 08:40

Lower your expense by 60% and get a 1gpm pressure washer like I did (B&D 1500PW). Perfect for home use and saves my cartridges like you read about! At 1gpm- your 300 gal cartridges should last for at least 40 washes (and that is using the DI for the whole evolution except filling up the bucket).

Hope this helps!

charlesu · 05-19-05, 01:48

1gpm pressure washer? How well does this work compared to others (mine is a gas 2500 psi).

teamgomez · 05-19-05, 05:18

1gpm PW won't saw a 2x4 in half and this is a benefit when washing cars (harder to hurt them). I'm very happy w/ mine; use it once/wk on the cars; 1/mo on all my house windows.

MorBid · 05-19-05, 07:10

I'm doing a beneift cost ratio for as well for the CR Spotless system in trying to pick one out.

I have a mobile setup in a detached garage w/2 25 Gallon water tanks running my Karcher 1600 PSI 1.6 GPM PW.

In the summer months I can get the wheels/wells and the car done on about 15-20 gallons. But I am thinking about adding another step (Rinse, foam, wash, final rinse) so the 300 gallon setup might be the best (less refills)

I lived on Ohau (Kanehoe/Waikiki) for seven years and having anything shipped out there is expensive. That's going to be a tough call.

I'm trying to develop a touch-less wash system at home and if this CRSpotless system can bring me towars that end it'll be worth the $$.

Washing a black car is hell.

charlesu · 05-20-05, 07:35

Thanks for the info.....

I did'nt know there was a 1 gpm washer available. This got me thinking if there was a way to reduce the output on my 2.5 gpm, 2500 psi pressure washer. I'll start another thread to explore this....

MorBid, yes shipping suck out here. I don't know how Amazon is able to ship stuff to Hawaii for free with their SuperSaver rates, but they manage and it comes via air!

MorBid · 05-20-05, 08:02

Well I was talking to the head maintenance engineer at the plant whose Network I manage today and what do you know.

We have several DI Water setup's around the plant. These twin cylinders are about 4 feet or so in height. They don't replace the filters like the CRSpotless, but the whole cylinder.

Best part is they are only $75.00 either a piece or pair (since you need two anyway). That may be the price the company gets cause we use so many in the manufacturing process. But I can ask for extra's to be dropped off and just pay the company when they come.

Not sure how many gallons they process or if the place we rent the tanks from have smaller sizes but I'll find out Monday cause we order every week on that day and a truck comes out to drop off new one's and take the emptys/used.

Even at $150.00 these things look like they would process more than the 300 gal CRSpotless's.

Now I just have to figure out how to get them into my A4.