Anyone who has been in the car wash business for any length of time knows how important security is to having a successful business, especially in the self-serve segment of the industry. Most self-serve car washes do not have an attendant on duty 24 hours per day. That makes them vulnerable to thieves, especially at night.

Lock and Key

Strict key control is an absolute must to keep your equipment secured. You should know how many keys you have and to whom each has been entrusted. All high-security keys are cut by code. They come with a card that has your key number on it that should be kept in a safe place should you need the code to order additional keys.

Most manufacturers use a tubular key to lock the meter box. These locks work well in a car wash environment and hold up very well, however, they are not high-security locks and are not particularly difficult to open for a proficient thief.

There are a great many padlocks used in self-service car washes. Remember that the weakest part of a padlock is the shackle. You should use a padlock with at least a 3/8-inch diameter shackle if possible. Many of these lock manufacturers have guarded-shackle padlocks, which guard the shackle from bolt cutters in most cases. One of the most popular padlocks used in the car wash industry is the disc-type. These padlocks have a shackle that runs around the inner circumference of the padlock body, and when installed on equipment leaves very little open to attack by bolt cutters. Also available is a high-security disc lock with re ionallv restricted keys.

Safes and Vaults

Coin changers are an important part of car washes. There have been a lot of problems with stringing changers in the past. However most manufacturers have pretty well solved these problems by updating the validators, making it more difficult, in some cases virtually impossible, to string them. If in doubt, check with your distributor to make sure you have an updated validator.

Safes and coin vaults are primarily left to operator preference. Some prefer a combination safe with a removable dial, normally referred to as a "Star" safe. These are very secure safes, but a little harder to operate than a key-lock safe. They should be serviced every three to four years by a distributor or locksmith to avoid the safes from dropping numbers. You may not be able to open the safe if this occurs. Remember, if you use the "Star" safe, spin your dial at least four times to lock. If you don't do this, the safe may be on the day-lock and a thief with a dial can open the safe without difficulty.

Make sure you don't have a customer looking over your shoulder when opening your safe -- he or she may be able to read your combination. Key-lock safes normally use a plug lock and a crank to open the safe. Coin vaults normally use a T-handle with a lock. The coin vaults are gaining in popularity because they are square and easier to install. They also are constructed of stainless steel so they won't rust. If you are in a cold-weather environment and have trouble opening your locks, you might want to consider other types of locks as replacements. One such lock is a disc-tumbler lock so there are no pins and springs in the lock, which have a tendency to freeze and stick to the sides of the pin chambers.

Equipment Room

The security of your equipment room door is very important, especially if it faces away from the street. You should consider a very good key and knob set and an extra heavy-duty hasp with a heavy-duty padlock, preferably high-security, or a high-security dead bolt, or even both. You definitely do not want anyone getting into your equipment room, especially if you have a rear loader currency changer.

Alarms offer some security especially for your equipment room. If you use an alarm system, you should use a siren along with it. If you have telephone lines that run into your equipment room you can have the system monitored. Since thieves strike fast, oftentimes the damage is done by the time the police get there. But with an alarm, it will usually scare the thief away before he/she has time to wreak too much havoc.

Impact alarms can be installed inside your equipment as well, so if anyone jars the equipment hard enough, the alarm sounds. This works well if you are having trouble with vandals banging on your equipment. Though they can be more trouble than they are worth because you constantly have to disarm and reset them.

Eyes and Ears

Surveillance cameras can offer some deterrence to thievery and vandalism. No one wants to be watched when he or she is up to no good. However to keep this equipment in good working order is a chore. For this reason, many car wash operators use fake surveillance cameras. Thieves and vandals don't know whether the cameras are working or not, and placed where they can be easily seen, their mere presence could have the desired effect.

One of the best crime deterrents is your local police organization. Get to know your local law enforcement officers. Give them discounted or free car washes. The more police you have around your car wash, the better off you are.

Lastly, and most importantly, be very careful when working around your car wash. Keep your eyes open and make sure you don't put your life in jeopardy. Keep your equipment-room door closed when loading your changer. Don't leave your keys lying on or in a piece of equipment and walk away from them. They most likely won't be there when you return. And make sure you are not followed when you transport money from your equipment room to your vehicle.