Wash Bay Setup

[bills742]

Hi All,

I'm in the process of constructing a new home and am seeking advice/opinions on the placement of components for a garage that will double as a wash bay. In the attached blueprint, please note that the two single garage doors have been replaced with a double garage door that's 20' in width. Therefore, the "wing walls" that are beside the door are ~3.5' each. The garage will be heated/cooled with a mini split unit. I usually wash two cars at once so centrally located wash items are preferred. These are items I'm leaning toward:

1. 75" TV wall mounted in the center of the wall opposite to the garage door (we'll call this the front wall).

2. Two EV chargers mounted on the side walls, exact location TBD.

3. Pressure washer and DI system - I'm thinking of buying this all-in-one solution from Obsessed Garage. This takes up about 30" of wall space. I considered placing it on the left side wall (the one without the windows), but since the depth of the garage is 27'-1", the front wall may work better. I'll feed an RO system into the DI to prolong the resin.

4. Bucket filler hose bib adjacent to the pressure washer setup.

5. Wall mounted utility sink on the front wall, likely at corner of the front wall and the side wall with the windows. This would keep it out of the way as much as possible since the window wall is bumped out. We're already framed and the builder prefers to not run plumbing on the window wall.

6. Blower on the front wall.

7. Vacuum on the front wall, possibly a VacuMaid.

8. Air compressor, size and location opinions requested. I'll likely connect it to a wall mounted, retractable air hose reel and it'll primarily be used for inflating tires.

9. When I wash a single car but there are two cars in the garage, a curtain would be nice to prevent spraying the other car. Since it's a double garage door, the curtain is challenging. A ceiling mounted track shown in red could work where the curtain would stay folded on the window wall when not in use (preventing interference with the garage door opening) and can be unfolded fully when in use since the garage door will only be cracked open when washing cars.

10. Storage cabinets wherever they can fit.

Thanks!

 

[jack stand]

You lost me with item 1&2.
I have a drastically different idea of a *wash bay!
It sounds very glamorous and would love to see a thread on this.

* I'm washing trucks, greasy heavy equipment and tractors.

 

[BillK]

I really cannot answer your question but personally it would drive me crazy trying to wash a car in the garage. Maybe one car in the center of my 24 x 24 garage but even then I dont think I would like it.

Then again I am in an area where even in the winter we get a day every couple of weeks good enough to wash the cars in the driveway.

 

[SteveL]

Here’s my set up for some reference. Regarding the pressure washer set up location, I suggest near the overhead door. Easy access to inside or out plus, unless you have a floor drain you want any excess water to drain outside as early as possible. I suggest putting the vacuum in the attic with a Hide a hose set up like OG sells. (Haven’t done that yet, but will likely in the near future.) My 10 gal compressor is inside the far right lower cabinet near the TV with an auto drain tube exiting outside through exterior wall. Copper rigid lines run through the walls and attic to a basement shop and ceiling mounted reel in the garage. Single reel with a 50’ hose is plenty for the garage. My 3 car garage is 35’ wide and 22’ deep. If you switch to rinseless washing inside, you won’t need the curtain. I have a floor drain, but trying to do full wash inside with a foam cannon or pressure washer gets on everything!

My current favorite routine is to pull the car outside, pressure wash the wheels/tires and any heavy dirt and then pull it in and use rinseless wash. I only do the wheels once a week but probably do a rinseless on my black Mbz at least 2 or 3 times a week. Have been using P&S Absolute with good results and just started using DIY Detail. Both work very well.

 

[carlaisle]

You're planning to use a pressure washer inside your garage with a 75" TV, 2 EV chargers, air compressor, blower, vacuum, and likely a few other things that all require electricity?

 

[bills742]

Here’s my set up for some reference. Regarding the pressure washer set up location, I suggest near the overhead door. Easy access to inside or out plus, unless you have a floor drain you want any excess water to drain outside as early as possible. I suggest putting the vacuum in the attic with a Hide a hose set up like OG sells. (Haven’t done that yet, but will likely in the near future.) My 10 gal compressor is inside the far right lower cabinet near the TV with an auto drain tube exiting outside through exterior wall. Copper rigid lines run through the walls and attic to a basement shop and ceiling mounted reel in the garage. Single reel with a 50’ hose is plenty for the garage. My 3 car garage is 35’ wide and 22’ deep. If you switch to rinseless washing inside, you won’t need the curtain. I have a floor drain, but trying to do full wash inside with a foam cannon or pressure washer gets on everything!

My current favorite routine is to pull the car outside, pressure wash the wheels/tires and any heavy dirt and then pull it in and use rinseless wash. I only do the wheels once a week but probably do a rinseless on my black Mbz at least 2 or 3 times a week. Have been using P&S Absolute with good results and just started using DIY Detail. Both work very well.

Wow, very impressive setup and that's similar to what I'm hoping to achieve! I hadn't considered placing the pressure washer near the garage door to make it more accessible to the exterior since I never wash my cars outside. I wash my cars inside my current garage with a Karcher pressure washer and haven't had any issues with excess water although that's something to keep mind. I love your suggestion of the hide-a-hose and will definitely be implementing that option. I don't have a floor drain and my current technique of cracking the garage door works since there's a gradually sloped floor. I've tried rinseless washes and haven't been a huge fan. Maybe I need to try it again.

You're planning to use a pressure washer inside your garage with a 75" TV, 2 EV chargers, air compressor, blower, vacuum, and likely a few other things that all require electricity?

Haha, yes I am! I already have a similar setup in my current garage without any issues. The EV chargers can be installed outdoors so obviously water is not a problem. The TV and blower (and possibly the compressor) being mounted in the center of the front wall will be a low splash zone.

 

[ItsDocOfPain]

Hi Bills742,

I came across your thread recently and I don't know if you ever pulled the trigger on this build but I am at a similar place and thought I would leave a comment.

It's obvious that you like to keep your rides looking good and it's an enjoyable hobby for you. I get that 100%.

I hope you got some good feedback from the thread and I would only add the following.

You have to be very, very conscious of where water goes. It's going to be critical in the long-term functionality of what you are trying to achieve. Water needs to drain freely and quickly to ensure that your space remains dry and usable between washes. Ideally, there is a slightly sunken area in the floor for a wash bay with drainage away. You can also rely on slope out the door, but you have to be careful again about where the water can go (corners).

I don't know if you're in the pre-construction phase still but this would definitely be a conversation with the builder and a lot of follow up.

The only other thing I would add is to always account for mistakes. Using a pressure washer in a closed space (I don't know your ceiling height) can sometimes result in a person missing the mark. The chargers may be fine (if installed correctly) but I would be cautious with a TV unless it was rated for outdoor.

Hope all this helps and would love to hear how things turned out.

All the best