Water Restrictions and Car washing

[madracer21]

On this topic.......what are the thoughts of the detailers here wrt using non potable water to wash your cars? I have a borehole which I use for watering the garden, was thinking of using it to wash the cars? I have not had the water tested and it seems relatively clean. Just concerned about heavy metals (iron).....I see all of a sudden filtration systems have shot up in price. I wonder if I should try it out. Will wash the car on the lawn, double the use of the water.

ps: perhaps should do a basic water test and see what it says.

Stay away from borehole water.
Used my borehole water once, ended up with nasty water spots that took a few treatments to remove.

Think the spots were caused by the high calcium / lime in the borehole water, this left behind those white spots all over the car.

[lawrence]

On this topic.......what are the thoughts of the detailers here wrt using non potable water to wash your cars? I have a borehole which I use for watering the garden, was thinking of using it to wash the cars? I have not had the water tested and it seems relatively clean. Just concerned about heavy metals (iron).....I see all of a sudden filtration systems have shot up in price. I wonder if I should try it out. Will wash the car on the lawn, double the use of the water.

ps: perhaps should do a basic water test and see what it says.

Stay away from borehole water.
Used my borehole water once, ended up with nasty water spots that took a few treatments to remove.

Think the spots were caused by the high calcium / lime in the borehole water, this left behind those white spots all over the car.

100% correct.

Here is a very good article around water spots that is certainly worth a read.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/hot ... e-iii.html

From a detailers perspective, they are painful and often etch deep into the clear coat, necessitating a lot of clear coat removal to remove. If you do suffer from hard water, there are some things that can be done, like for example throwing a bit of ONR in your wash water, or installing a filtration system (can get very costly), not allowing (mostly tap) water to dry on your car etc.

[Howie-WP]

Stay away from borehole water.

Yip, thought as much. Doing some research seems it is quite expensive to turn non potable to potable water. So with from 1st of Feb in Cpt you can't use any potable water to wash cars. So I am thinking of retaining rain water to wash cars, gonna test if I can use my pressure washer, with the rain water pumped to it from a storage container. Will see how it works.

[Howie-WP]

Interesting from here:
http://mde.maryland.gov/programs/Water/ ... shing.aspx

Rinse vehicles with a hose equipped with an automatic shutoff nozzle.
A standard garden hose uses about 10 gallons per minute. This means you use 100 gallons of water with only a 10-minute car wash. When you use an automatic shutoff nozzle on your hose, water does not flow continuously while you wash your vehicle, saving as much as 70 gallons per wash.

Using a power washer can conserve even more water; power washers use, on average, about 2 to 5 gallons per minute, with a potential savings of up to 80 gallons over using a standard hose without an automatic shutoff nozzle.

[4ePikanini]

some people think I'm crazy. If it rains I leave the car in the rain and after about 20/30 minutes I go out in my cozzie and wash the car.

[amstel18]

Interesting from here:
http://mde.maryland.gov/programs/Water/ ... shing.aspx

Rinse vehicles with a hose equipped with an automatic shutoff nozzle.
A standard garden hose uses about 10 gallons per minute. This means you use 100 gallons of water with only a 10-minute car wash. When you use an automatic shutoff nozzle on your hose, water does not flow continuously while you wash your vehicle, saving as much as 70 gallons per wash.

Using a power washer can conserve even more water; power washers use, on average, about 2 to 5 gallons per minute, with a potential savings of up to 80 gallons over using a standard hose without an automatic shutoff nozzle.

I so badly want to detail my new audi. But I doubt I will be able to convince the chap that wants to write out a fine for me for washing my car that I use less water with a HP Washer than what he does flushing the toilet.

[ChefDJ]

On the subject of rain water, collecting this would be most effective with a greywater system. Basically routing your roof gutters into a storage tank would mean you have a greywater system. Ensuring there's a mesh filter somewhere to catch all the leaves would mean the water is relatively clean, but not entirely safe to drink without some form of RO filtration.

Greywater is also collected from baths, sinks, showers, washing machines etc, but this would obviously have some form of soap, food debris, hair, etc.

Not sure how rainwater would differ from greywater in terms of using it to wash a car, if someone else with better knowledge could help out here.

My folks live in Mossel Bay and a few years ago it was compulsory to install a greywater system when they were hit with bad drought. Greywater was then used to water gardens, flush toilets, etc.

[madracer21]

Will the Municipality have an issue if you bought those 5l water bottles from the shop and used that to wash your car?
You even get those guys that sell water for like R1 a litre if you bring your own container.

How many litres of water does washing your car consume?

[LoW n SloW]

Will the Municipality have an issue if you bought those 5l water bottles from the shop and used that to wash your car?
You even get those guys that sell water for like R1 a litre if you bring your own container.

How many litres of water does washing your car consume?

Good idea I guess, aslong as you don't tell them

[amstel18]

They don't want you to use drinking water for washing of cars.

I was even considering buying a karcher that can use a bucket. And then tell them I fill the bucket from my borehole.

[madracer21]

They don't want you to use drinking water for washing of cars.

I was even considering buying a karcher that can use a bucket. And then tell them I fill the bucket from my borehole.

I understand that, but if you using drinking water that is sold in the shop, which is not from the WC, then it doesn't affect them in anyway.

[Howie-WP]

I understand that, but if you using drinking water that is sold in the shop, which is not from the WC, then it doesn't affect them in anyway.

I think these resellers, use tap water filtered via RO?

edit: I have run laundry machine rinse water into buckets to do my mags. Bought fittings to run water from 25l bucket to my HP washer, will test and see if it works.

[amstel18]

I understand that, but if you using drinking water that is sold in the shop, which is not from the WC, then it doesn't affect them in anyway.

I think these resellers, use tap water filtered via RO?

Correct. I've looked into a RO system for my borehole, but its hella expensive, and it gets even more expensive if you need a further Iron removal plant. Which is a must if you want to wash your car with the water.

Guess I need to try the Garry Dean method

[Howie-WP]

Correct. I've looked into a RO system for my borehole, but its hella expensive, and it gets even more expensive if you need a further Iron removal plant.

Me too......I think a cheaper option is gonna be the capture of rain water into a tank for use when washing a car. Gonna look at one of those 1000l Flobins like so.......

[amstel18]

Correct. I've looked into a RO system for my borehole, but its hella expensive, and it gets even more expensive if you need a further Iron removal plant.

Me too......I think a cheaper option is gonna be the capture of rain water into a tank for use when washing a car. Gonna look at one of those 1000l Flobins like so.......

Cant use a karcher without having an external pump or so though. So still a schlep.

[Howie-WP]

Cant use a karcher without having an external pump or so though. So still a schlep.

I am gonna test the "gravity feed" and see if it works........

[Howie-WP]

Cant use a karcher without having an external pump or so though. So still a schlep.

I am gonna test the "gravity feed" and see if it works........

Seems it won't Need another pump, they are quite expensive. Maybe gonna see if AlliExpress has some...... see they mention 20psi min, gonna check mine. Also gonna see if I can somehow hook up my compressor to help.....

[THANAS]

It will, just build a platform for it.

20 psi = 1.38 bar, 10 m water depth = 1 bar of static pressure , so all you need is a 14m high platform, easy.

[Howie-WP]

It will, just build a platform for it.

20 psi = 1.38 bar, 10 m water depth = 1 bar of static pressure , so all you need is a 14m high platform, easy.

Ja, just did the calc now. ........ Think I will go higher, never know when you need them extra psi But then the tank is higher than the house, so will have to build a block of flats in place of house.

[madracer21]

Are car washes allowed to operate?
If yes, best bet is to go there and pay them R50 for a standard wash and use their water and do the wash yourself.

[LoW n SloW]

Are car washes allowed to operate?
If yes, best bet is to go there and pay them R50 for a standard wash and use their water and do the wash yourself.

been always thinking about this

[Howie-WP]

Are car washes allowed to operate?
If yes, best bet is to go there and pay them R50 for a standard wash and use their water and do the wash yourself.

Yes. Car wash business are allowed. However, I prefer to wash my car myself and with no one allowed to wash themselves, all the good car washes
are busy too. But, yip will have to do this. .......

[amstel18]

I was also considering asking the local car wash if I can use their water. Hell I'll even pay the full price to wash myself.

I still think I will use less water doing it at home than the local car wash.

Was even considering trying to register a PTY and classify it as a Commercial carwash and apply for an exemption saying I operate a car wash from home

[ChefDJ]

Perhaps my knowledge on RO water is limited but why do you need to filter borehole water to the extent of it being RO-quality for a car? Surely a simpler water filtration system is sufficient.

[amstel18]

Perhaps my knowledge on RO water is limited but why do you need to filter borehole water to the extent of it being RO-quality for a car? Surely a simpler water filtration system is sufficient.

Borehole water differs from area to area, but it has a very high mineral content. Lime, calcium, iron. All the things you don't want on your car's paint.

If water isn't safe enough to drink, its not really safe enough to use on your car's paint