CRSpotless worth the $$$ ?

Hey,

So like, the upfront cost of a CRSpotless isn't too bad, but I'm concerned about those refills. Obviously I'm looking at the DIC-20 because for $100 more you get 3 times as much use before you have to refill. Of course, the refills are more expensive but it seems like it's worth it for me since I wash 1 or 2 vehicles per week.

Anyways, I'm hoping this will make my wash experience more enjoyable as I don't have to worry about the water drying up on me while washing other sections of the vehicle. Also, I wouldn't have to keep conditioning the water with ONR all the time.

Finally, when it's freezing balls outside during the winter, I like to pre-soak my car (and foam it up if it's warm enough) and then pull it inside to do an ONR wash. The pre-soak is to remove road salt and bulk of the grime for a smoother wash. Once I pull inside, I usually blow most of the water off with my Metro Air Force Blaster but that doesn't get all of the water off...I figure with spotless water, I can just pre-soak the car, pull it in, and then I won't have to rush to do the ONR wash before the remaining water spots dry up.

Can anybody chime in? Anybody have any experience or comments, specifically as to how long their CR Spotless lasts before having to refill? Is this product worth it?

Thanks,
Emile

 

Hey Emile do a search for CR spotless. i think anyone here is going to tell you that it is well worth it.

in reference to the durability of the water depends on how bad your water is in your area.

if you do not want to buy for new then look for a used one online.

i have mine and it works great. good luck

 

I've had the pleasure of using it on a few occasions, and it holds up to its reputation.

I had to detail a vehicle at a customer site where the water was extremely hard, and on top of that, in the 100F+ Texas sun. FULL SUN! Washed the vehicle with the CR Spotless and let it dry in the sun. Came out perfect.

Impressive to say the least.

 

Measure your Total Dissolved Solids coming from your tap. If they're above 100 you will get a fairly short life from your resins. I have a CR and love it. Costco had a really good deal.

 

any ideas what to do if your TDS is above 100...purchased CR & was told should get 2000 gals but only got 300-350 gals before resin was gone...ran thru not filtered & TDS is 147...what to do? Too costly to have to buy resin every week..I get about 25 cars out of it then finished...Chuck @ CR said just send back for a refund but I really like it when it works...anyone heard of your utility supplier helping out? Thanks for any replies!!

 

i was looking onto it .but changed my mind. i really dont need it. i wash my truck in the shade then spray down wet with detailspray . then wipe dry. no water spots at all. forme i wouldnt want to leave it wet. and dry by it self.i like going over the truck with a spray wax q/d.. leaves the paint slick.. so forme im holding off ..but this doesnt mean its a bad thing.for pro detailers it would be great.. mobil details it would be great..

 

Yes the CR is a worthwhile item, now that my home has a built in filtration system the water is soft already and leaves just mild spots even if left in sunlight. I dont use the CR like I used to now...

I have the big CR unit on wheels, thinking about selling it. Obviously would prefer to sell locally because its a big item to ship. Any of you boys LMK if you wanna it and we can deal.

Thanks

 

Dave, if your CR is in good shape and you offer a reasonable price, I'd consider buying and picking up yours. You want to PM me or reply to this thread with details?

 

I have the 20" system and wouldnt wash a car without it. Dont fill up your buckets with the water and dont wash wheel wells/ rims with it either.

 

Input TDS Level Expected Yield

50 PPM 1600 gallons
100 PPM 800 gallons
200 PPM 400 gallons
400 PPM 200 gallons

The unit has a water purity indicator light that, when plugged into any normal (I would advise the use of a Ground fault indicator AC outlet) TFI illuminates when the de-ionization resin is still active, when the light no longer activates, it's time to replace the resin. (Includes two 10-inch cartridges, unit weight 30 Lbs. CR Spotless

Caution- if you use this filter on its own in a hard water area you may get as few as 5 washes before the filter becomes exhausted, if used in combination with a 30-TDS green filter up to 30 washes can be expected in hard water areas and up to 90 washes in softer water areas.

Operating costs formula: Operating costs = 235,000 / TDS * 0.33 cubic feet of resin = Gallons Cost of refill / Gallons = Final cost of de-ionized water Using the above formula - hard water area with a total dissolved solids (TDD) meter reading of 550 PPM = (235,000/550) 0.33 cubic feet of resin = 141 gallons. Approximate cost of refill $90, de-ionized water costs me about 65 cents per gallon. Average final rinse 3-5 gallons

Source: CRSpotless[/B]

 

emile see if you can test ur water in ur area. were i used to live in ridgewood the water was very hard. so hard a waterspot would dry like concret to my paint. but since i moved my water isnt bad so q/ds is all i need.. just a thought... see u sat..

 

Water Supply Classifications (Water Quality Research Council)

For those of you who are wondering how hard the water in your area is, here's a general map you can use –

What Is My Water Hardness? - United States Water Hardness Map, What is my water hardness?

• Soft Water- 0 to 1 grains per gallon
• Slightly Hard Water- 1 to 3½ grains per gallon
• Moderately Hard Water- 3½ to 7 grains per gallon
• Hard Water - 7 to 10½ grains per gallon
• Very Hard Water - over 10½ grains per gallon



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i actually got a free smaple kit sent to me in the mail to test water . so thats what i used and it went by color. and the darker the color the harder the water is and mine turned like blood red. and trust me it was correct. nice little kit i got not sure why i got sent that.. wish i had another one id like to test the water in my area...im pretty sure its not to bad

 

I wish this water hardness chart applied to me, but our sprinklers and hose bibs are all well water. Inside the house is all city/town water supply.

We just got this thing installed, also, called EasyWater. It's hooked up to the main water pipe (which comes from the city) and it sends electric frequencies into the water which supposedly does not do anything to soften the water, but changes the molecular make-up of the water. So all water that dries up on the surface (shower doors, plumbing fixtures, pipes, etc.) will still leave the regular mineral spotting, but it's supposed to be much easier to clean off. It also supposedly reduces/eliminates existing calcium and rust build-up in pipes and prevents future build-ups from happening. Time will tell if it actually works, and again, my car doesn't benefit from this as the hose bibs are from our well, and the EasyWater filter thingy isn't hooked up to the well, just the main city water.

 

i just rent a DI tank from a local company. $150 deposit, $40 every time i exchange, gives about 900-1200 gallons.

 

You've been stroked!
None of those gizmos make an ounce of difference.

As a general reply to the original question posed, the point of a DI vessel is for sheeting off the water, and you run the water through the DI at a difference flow rate than the regular hose connected straight to the tap.
The point of that is that's the only need to have zero mineral content - most shampoos will have chelating agent to minimise the effect of hard water suppressing suds generation, and turning the tap down will preserve the resin usage.
A low flow from an open hose will reduce splashing and thereby droplets on the surface - technique comes into it a bit too.

So with less droplets, and the water sheeting off the surface or pooling if the LSP is needing reapplied, you've less hassle drying it before the heat/sunshine evaporates it.

That's how you use a DI properly to gain maximum benefit and longevity of the resin material.
You must buy a TDS meter, so you can monitor when the water from the vessel is no longer registering 0 ppm, but 20-30 ppm. At that point, you should be thinking of replacing the resin with fresh stuff.
Any resin in the bag leftover from the refill (leave about a 1" gap at the top) should be stored somewhere dark and cool, to preserve it.

 

Thanks for the post, PJS.

I actually bought Dave's CR Spotless today after work. I cleaned the wheels as per normal and then foamed up the car and rinsed it off with my pressure washer. Then I hooked up the CR Spotless and using a regular hose nozzle I rinsed the car once more, filled up my wash bucket using the CR Spotless water, washed and rinsed.

Car is sitting in my garage now with water all over it but no spots forming right now but it's still quite wet (only been sitting for about an hour). I don't think I'm going to use the CR Spotless regularly, just for pre-soaking the car outside during the cold winter months before doing an ONR wash inside. The unit has a TDS meter right on top so I'll know when I'm approaching 30ppm....I just want to buy the Griot's TDS meter so I know how hard my water is so I can estimate how many gallons I'll actually get out of each resin/cartridge refill.

 

you know were that would be good is in the winter time blasting off the salt when its to cold for washing. thats when i wished i hadone for sure.. goodluck with your purchese...

 

Thanks, Tom, and you hit the nail on the head. Pre-soaking outside during the cold and dirty winter months, I don't have to care about the water freezing on the paint or the water drying off on the glass and paint before I can wash it off!

 

i hate it in the wionter when my truck is white with salt. i want to so bad spray it down with the hose and leave it but then ill have water spots all over. but with di its no issue.