Light the Way
Carwash lighting can make or break a location

By Terry Burch

Successful self-serve carwash owners know the value of good lighting. Bright lights expose more dirt on vehicles, which equates to more soap and time on your meters. Good lighting also presents an appealing image to potential customers driving by the location. Think about it. Would you want to take your new car to an old, poorly lit wash?

Another important reason for a well-lit wash is customer safety. We've all heard about lawsuits filed against operators after crimes occurred at their washes. While an operator can't prevent criminal activity, he can control the carwash atmosphere--which can attract or discourage suspect activity.

Now that we can see why you need to pay close attention to the lighting of your wash, let's discuss the best way to achieve your goals. The first question you have to ask yourself is, how far are you willing to go to reap the rewards of quality lighting?

The basics

A very common, inexpensive approach to lighting a wash is the use of fluorescent fixtures. Many carwash operators--especially in warmer Southern climates--use slimline (single pin) 8-foot fluorescent fixtures. The disadvantage of using slimline fluorescents outside is that the starting temperature of the fixtures ballast is 50 degrees, and when outside temperatures drop below 30 degrees, the tubes begin to flicker as if the lamp is going out. This may occur even if the tubes are perfectly fine.

If fluorescent fixtures need to be used because of budget concerns, install high-output fixtures, that are much brighter and put out enough power to light the tube in 30-degree and below temperatures. In fact, the rated start up temperature of a high-output ballast can go as low as 20 degrees below zero.

Furthermore, using daylight-colored (DX) lamps as opposed to cool, white-colored (CW) lamps has the advantage, not only in visibility but also in improved safety. The daylight lamp provides a cleaner, crisper white light that is more appropriate for nighttime lighting.

So what's the best way to light your wash? Your local lighting expert can probably answer many of your questions in two words--metal halide. Metal halide is a bright, white, crisp, clean light that is quickly becoming the standard in the carwash industry. Metal halide has a longer lamp and ballast life and higher light output per watt (vs. fluorescent and quartz lights). Metal halide will help carwashes run more efficiently and save operators money in the long run. As with high-output fixtures, the starting temperature of the metal halide fixture is 20 degrees below zero to withstand harsh outdoor conditions.

But metal halide lamps by themselves are not enough. Many metal halide fixtures have acrylic, plastic lenses that often crack and discolor from the heat of the fixture's lamp. This often causes a dull, yellow-looking lens that results in decreased light disbursement. Having a strong, prismatic glass lens that is heat-resistant will prevent both cracking and discoloration.

New trends

A new trend in lighting self-serve wash bays is ceiling-mounted, metal halide fixtures versus wall-mounted (wallpacks). Ceiling-mounted fixtures maximize all reflective surfaces and also help place the fixtures higher to keep them from rapid chemical deterioration and water-spray damage. Also, newer, vertical burn lamps will ensure that virtually all of the light is effectively routed into your wash bays, instead of back into the fixture itself as many older, horizontal burn fixtures do: One final point about metal halide fixtures, operators should purchase a fixture in which the ballast is isolated from the heat of the lamp. The ballasts in many older fixture models dry out because they are directly exposed to very hot (often 400 watt) metal halide lamps. This will result in shorter fixture life.

Changing lamps every two to three years is imperative, whether you feel they need changing or not. These lamps lose about 50 percent of their lumen (light) output after two years. Without proper maintenance, lighting will not function properly. This is unattractive to your customers, causing them to find another self-serve wash to quench their need for clean.

Protecting your lighting

Chemicals, erosion and weather can significantly reduce the life of your lighting investment. One way around this is the use of sealed fiberglass housings around fluorescent fixtures. While many contractors will often install metal halide wall-mount (wallpack) fixtures with good intentions, many of these wallpack fixtures are not water-tight. They will allow water to get to the lamps and the ballast as well as other electrical parts of the fixture. This will bring about long-term safety concerns. These same wallpacks will corrode in 3 to 5 years due to continual chemical and water damage from the wash. Always consult with a local lighting expert to find fixture bodies that are both weather- and corrosion-proof.

It is important to protect your self-serve carwash investment from beginning to end--from the initial construction to the lighting of your wash. Quality is going to propagate a clientele based on word-of-mouth. People know quality and will spot a wash that pays attention to the detail of lighting and cleanliness.

Terry Burch is the owner of World Lighting, Inc., a Houston-based distributor for many national lighting manufacturers. He can be e-mailed at terry@worldlighting.org.

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