While most people in the beginning stages think about the car wash and making money in the summer time, you need to consider car wash operations in cold weather. In colder climates you will want to pay particular attention to freezing weather because of the potential for car wash equipment damage. An often used method is to run water lines through the wall into the heated bays. Temperature alarms on the mechanical room and IBA’s can alert when conditions warrant and backup portable heaters are used as a backup in case.
Another area of concern for freezing is the trough. The trough ideally should be heated and the most common way is to run a hose that ties into a wall mounted tank with a thermostat controlled recirculating pump on it. When the temperature drops near freezing this pump turns on, heats up the antifreeze solution in the tank and recirculates through the hose in the trough
If you experience a bay freeze up be sure to remove the hose in the bays from the boom, then begin a dethawing process. Otherwise while you are melting the ice in the bay it could start backing up towards the equipment room and break some fittings which usually involve a coupler, reducer, etc.