filtered water? help

**Tex Star Detail** · 02-17-2007, 01:32 PM

Culligan wants 60 bucks to fill a 65 gallon tank. WAY too much for me.
I need tanks if I go with DI... If I fill up, say, 25 days a month, that will run me 1200 in water...lol
I think that is a bit too much for washing cars...lol.

Yes, Steve, what soaps do you recommend? I have a few from my distributor, and they are all the same pretty much. Tried NXT, same results....

**dr_detail** · 02-17-2007, 02:00 PM

Might wanna try using less soap, working faster, adding a little megs #34 or Mark V`s Showroon Shine along with your soap (about a shot glass full/wash bucket), working faster, start washing on the shady side first, working faster, start your drying on the sunny side, working faster, getting a helper and of course did I mention working faster?

As for the DI -- look for a place that either rents "Mixed Bed DeIonization" tanks, or provides a tank exchange service. I`m not sure where in Tehas ya are, but this might be a good starting place...

Water Deionization Equipment on ThomasNet.com

Hope this helps

**Coastal Eddie** · 02-17-2007, 02:10 PM

Originally Posted by CharlesW

Don`t a lot of cities have DI water distributors where you can go fill up your tank?

Charles

They might now Charles but not when I was using it alot. I rented the mixed bed tanks from Culligan.

**Poorboy** · 02-17-2007, 02:22 PM

Originally Posted by Troy@DetailCity

Flooding technique won`t work for us PW users, especially if Chris is already limited on his water supply.

Do you know of any quality car wash soaps Poorboy?

What you can`t disconnect the PW for a final rinse

...I don`t think he`s doing fleets at the moment

Sure I could recommend one or two

He could also spray a QD on after rinsing that could add more lubrication and slow down the drying process..

**Pockets** · 02-17-2007, 02:43 PM

So what do you think TB

**AL-53** · 02-17-2007, 05:15 PM

Chris..there are is 3 solutions...maybe just 2

1. Find a DI water supplier thats cheaper than Culligan...

2. Find a DI filter tank renter...they come and switch them out....aroung here it is about 60 a month to rent...good for 2500 gallons on a 2 tank system...they are as big as a house propane tank..

3. try a water sheeting agent like they use in tunnel washes...it may work may not...but worth a try...

Texas water is rock hard...when I was working in Texas...the water would not lather soap...it was so hard with minerals....

Al

**kbbiii** · 02-18-2007, 10:19 AM

Great subject. I have a 225 gal tank and I can and have washed 16 cars in a day (that is as many as I can do alone due to time not tank volume). I Sacramento it can get into the 100`s in the summer and I find that I have to wash and rinse areas of the car as I go. Now I don`t use any special water just the hose brand here. I have found that the soap I used in the summer somehow helped with my water spot issue (as in I did not have any issues) But I was using the Car Brite Wash and Wax AB. I think that you are using the same brand of products too. I would like to know more about the DI stuff though, and help me understand is this the same as what all of the car dealership guys have in the back of their pickups when they go from lot to lot?

Kenny

**PhaRO** · 02-18-2007, 11:05 AM

Softening the water a bit would help. This could be as cheap as the pwgazette water filters with softening cartridge. Larger more expensive ones like on TOL are available. Kent Marine has some Reverse Osmosis systems that would certainly work. You`d have to figure out if the wasted water would be worth the expense. Rinse aids like Cul-Mac sells seems to work good at sheeting the water . Using a pressure washer will almost certainly require the water going in to be highly filtered. The tiny drops it produces are hard to combat otherwise. This is why I don`t use my pressure washer except on the dirtest vehicles.

**Tex Star Detail** · 02-18-2007, 11:50 AM

Originally Posted by kbbiii

Great subject. I have a 225 gal tank and I can and have washed 16 cars in a day (that is as many as I can do alone due to time not tank volume). I Sacramento it can get into the 100`s in the summer and I find that I have to wash and rinse areas of the car as I go. Now I don`t use any special water just the hose brand here. I have found that the soap I used in the summer somehow helped with my water spot issue (as in I did not have any issues) But I was using the Car Brite Wash and Wax AB. I think that you are using the same brand of products too. I would like to know more about the DI stuff though, and help me understand is this the same as what all of the car dealership guys have in the back of their pickups when they go from lot to lot?

Kenny

I haven`t used the Car Brite Wash and Wax AB soap yet. I am using the regular Car Wash Suds....I think that is the name. I guess I will pick up some of it when he comes to town tomorrow.

**kbbiii** · 02-18-2007, 05:08 PM

I just have found that it actually works better than some of the other stuff that I have tried. Which would included the Meguiars Gold Wash, Simple Green Car Wash and some other store brand stuff. I too have to battle the sun and anything that I can find that will assist me with drying and no spots is for my best intrest.

Kenny

**Pockets** · 02-23-2007, 09:04 PM

Just browsing DC.com and I found this Water Filter Systems - Auto Detailing Tools

**Woob** · 02-25-2007, 04:20 AM

RO Systems are generally quite expensive and available more for people who don`t have a direct connection to municipal sources. You only get 10 - 15% of the Filtered water, so there is alot of waste

Deionized Water is your best bet, look for a local supplier. Otherwise Filters are your best friend. pwgazette or CR Spotless are a nice resource. Do a search for "Spot Free Water"

Take note softened Water is not DI water, so you need a good filtration unit or setup. Try using a TDS Meter for the solids.

If all else fails, get a canopy or shade!