Spec ’ ing the Right Bus Wash System for Your School District
Determining Factors for Purchasing a New Bus Wash System
By Jack Jackson
The determining factors districts should consider when spec ’ ing a new bus wash system are budget versus wash frequency versus cost-per-wash . Since washing is an expense , not a revenue source , it is imperative that the most effective way to wash for the district should always be the most efficient and ecological way .
Purchasing Considerations We believe cost-per-wash is the most effective way to measure . We can easily help with the math of all the methods available . For Awash , our system over the lifetime ( more than 15 years ), including capital cost , yearly maintenance and human labor works out to $ 2.00 per wash . References and referrals are the best ways to find a wash system manufacturer . First , find a school district in the same size fleet with same desires to wash . That is the first step toward understanding the good , bad , and ugly situations they experienced in washing history . Secondly , match your budget to the needs of your district . Does your district want to wash weekly , monthly , or seasonally ? Thirdly , for vendors – current customers are our best references . Go visit to see what suits your district ’ s culture and needs . Understand the supplier / vendor ’ s history of years in business and service availability .
Environmental Factors Regardless of weather or road conditions , all vehicles must be washed to maintain integrity . A past maintenance poll indicated school bus life is prolonged four years if consistently washed . Oxidation will set in regardless of weather or road conditions . Brushing is the only way to effectively eliminate oxidation . Friction and contact by the brushes will remove all contaminants , dirt , and oxidation . Brushes do not scratch , only the dirt imbedded in brushes scratch , so keep your brushes clean by using soap . Water usage , environmentally friendly chemicals , and electric costs are the top three environmental factors which affect bus washing . A Tower Wash machine uses only five amps of electricity to run and five minutes to wash a bus . The requirements only five gallons of water and one ounce of soap per minute , per cycle of wash and rinse . Our Awash soap is non-foaming and biodegradable .
Chemicals and Wash Products For a Tower Wash system , the only chemical needed is biodegradable , non-foaming soap that is fed by a direct injector to the machine . The system can utilize any other chemicals or soap products , as well as recycled and reclaimed water . In washing , simplicity is strength as brushes do the cleaning and soap cleans the brushes .
Concluding Thoughts Cost-per-wash is the best metric to solve any budgeting need . Set your needs , work out the costs and figure out what wash system works best to your cost . Vendors like us can help with a template to figure out what your cost per wash is today and what you would like your cost pe wash to be . Awash Systems products suit all school district applications from the largest to the smallest , inside a building or outside in a parking lot . Washing a bus in less than five minutes , we have customers with less than 10 buses and others with over 1,000 buses .
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