How to choose the right wheel wash system?

What type of dirt has to be combated?

The type of dirt has an impact on:

• The water pressure to be used and the quantity of water that is necessary to spray off the dirt. It is important to pump the right quantity of water in combination with a pressure that is sufficiently high to remove the dirt.
• The diameter of the nozzle is important to prevent blockages. In case of excessively high pressure, the water with sand residues will cause too much damage to the lorry´s chassis and body paint.
• The use of flocculant. Additives such as flocculants must be used in order to accelerate the sedimentation process. E.g. clay will deposit less quickly than sand.
• Size of the sedimentation tank. The faster the sedimentation process occurs, the smaller the water recuperation tank has to be.

What type of vehicles?

The vehicle has an impact on:

• The length of the system. The larger the wheels, the longer the system becomes in order to have a full wheel rotation. If the choice must be made between several wheel rotations (length of the system) or more pressure and water. Length is inferior to the water quantity and water pressure used.
• Drive-through width.
• Reinforcements of the system for heavier vehicles.

Number of vehicles per hour and per day:

The number of vehicles that will drive through each day has an impact on:

• The volume of the sedimentation tank. The water reservoir must be large enough so that the dirt residues can settle.
• Choice of an automatic dirt separation system (conveyor) or a mechanical system (stopcock or vacuum pump). A mechanical system requires a larger sedimentation tank than an automatic dirt separation system.

Space

How much space is there on the site to set up the installation? This has an impact on the size of the wheel wash installation, but also on the choice of the size and position of the sedimentation tank.

Utilities

Are water and electricity available? If there are no utilities, this can be solved with a generator or with a system without electricity such as a wheel wash drive-through bath. This system works without pumps and cleans the wheels by increasing the length of the system (and hence the number of wheel rotations).

Term

If it is a system for short-term use then ease of installation or transportability during the works is important.
If it is for longer term use, then durability and simplicity of use are more important.

Sludge discharge

Do you want an automatic sludge discharge or would you prefer a mechanical, more labour-intensive sludge discharge? Automatic dirt discharge requires a smaller sedimentation tank than opting for manual tank cleaning.

Contact us for more information!