Water usage/tub type/recirculating bather question

[Shasti333]

Hi guys- Its been a long timem since I've used a recirculating bather, for the last several years I've been at a salon using the wall-mounted hydrosurge. I'm going to be getting a bathing beauty...or this on on e-bay:

Edited: no Ebay links allowed. It was a hydro massage. Thanks.

has anyone tried that ebay version? Anyway, how many gallons of water do you think you use filling the tub with the 1'' of water required? I guess that depends on your tub size, but I was hoping for a guesstimate.

Does anyone have a tub with a well for the bathing system? Since we are planning on building the tub, we were thinking about trying to build a well into it...do those help save water? I was wondering if it really would or not since you have to fill the well full enough that the 5 gpm bathing system has enough to pull while its going back down the drain to collect in the well...it seems like you would have to have 5 gallons in the well? Maybe I'm overestimating and it takes less time to drain into the well than it takes for the unit to pump it back out again? I'm just worried about the pump running dry and messing up the bathing system.

Do most people do just fine without a well, or would you think its worth trying to build one into the tub to save water? Also, what does everyone use for a tub grate? Any ideas cheaper than buying from a catalog? Does everyone use grates, or do the dogs stand right on the bottom of the tub? Thanks for the input!!

[Particentral]

I have used a tub with a well and LOVED IT. Pam has one as well (Azoci) that she built.

I have two tubs at work right now. One, to bathe my cocker, takes 5-7 gallons of water. NOT worth it. the other, takes 2. SO worth it for time saving and water usage as well as shampoo savings.

If I co uld get my plumber to understand what I was after I would have him build me a sump well in my existing tub. He just doesn't get it. Maybe I need to show him Pam's set up.....

[groominshuman]

Are you talking in a mobile unit? If so, I have a super sudser in both my mobile units. I rarely use them, only for my 2 Collies. They work well but you do need to be very careful of your water usage. In my opinion it uses way to much water to be used on all breeds. My suggestion is to try it. You may love it. My clean water tank is 50 gal. Yours may be larger, potential problem may be solved with a larger clean water tank. Good luck

[Dolly]

Hey Groominshuman, if you park your van on a tilt, like in the ditch of the road next to the curb, you will use 90% less water with your supersudser. A slight tilt will allow you to uses only 2-4 gal per wash. You will just have to make sure that you always park on the side of your supersudser drain, which on mine, is the right side of the van. WGT is now, I was told, making a tub with the supersudser drain on both sides so you can park in the "ditch" on either side of the road. I use my supersudser on all dogs, from doxies to huge Goldens. Five dogs usually takes about 3/4 tank of water, and I probably rinse my dogs more than necessary :>)

Happy ditch parking

Dolly's Barking Bubbles, LLC

https://www.dollysbarkingbubbles.com

[mylady]

I have a homemade recirc and I know it uses more water than the pro ones, but I still use less water with it than I would hand bathing all the dogs. Unless it's a 2 pound yorkie then I may wash by hand. With mobile you need to save water as much as possible and I find having a recirc is great for that. I have a 35 gallon tank, can do six dogs and still have 1/3 tank left or more, sometimes half. It depends on the dogs I'm doing. My employee tends to use a lot more water, not sure exactly why, but she does. Plus it's great because, I think I mentioned before that I have a low gpm water pump. Saves water but isn't the greatest in water pressure. It's not bad, but since I'm washing with the recirc and it rinses as it cleans, it takes me no time at all to rinse my dogs, even with the lower water pressure. My tub has the drain on one side but my new one will have the drain on both sides and I thought about asking John (who is building my rig) to build in a well, but he's already contructing the tub to be hydraulic and at this point, I don't want to have to add anything more to his plate that will make the build take longer. He is the foreman of a shop that constructs part for Caterpillar among other companies, so the tub and table he's fabricating from stainless steel. Can't wait.
Anyway, I don't know how much water I use, I'd look for Pam's old thread on how she built hers, it sounded time consuming, but doable and came out so nice! I think before she had the well she used some big buckets, but you'd have to ask her to be sure since my memory is malfunctioning right now!

[Kittypaw007]

i agree with Dolly

I too have a WGT and use the supersudser on everything. I have only run out of water once and I do anywhere from 5 to 9 dogs, yes even big dogs.
I just collected a new problem though. Yesterday a cat bit down hard into the fresh water hose and it now has about5 little punctures that spray out. I taped with electrical tape but not holding. don't know how that will affect my water supply...slow leak and all, another thing to order.

[Starshan]

I bought an rv tub, its made of fiberglass & made very well. It has built in rails on the bottom to tilt the tub a little for easier draining. I also look at each driveway, parking spot. I like to have a little slope, not too much but just a little gives me even better drainage so the water puddles at the right spot. If I'm parked the wrong way of the slightest slope then I end up fighting the water, so I use more water then needed just to keep the pump going & fight to get the water down the drain before drying the dog, too much time wasted. I built an under the tub pump. Its a dirty water pump, I installed (hubby did) a bath tub drain stopper lever. I flip that to close & all the water goes to the dirty water pump. I put water & soap in & spray it over the dog. Works great for me. I have 28gal freshwater + 6gal hotwater tank, so about 34gal total. Depending on the dogs I can do 4-5 maybe 6 if they are all small dogs. I do a few dogs that take a little more water, or that are super dirty so require more baths. I try to book those dogs on days that aren't going to be so full. So far, knock on wood, I have yet to run out of water. Come close once but that was it.

Here is the link to the tub I use. http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/r...FRlRagodDFJJEA I got the 40". Its tight doing Labs & big 65lb Doodles but as long as they are behaved I have no issues doing them. Do one side, turn them around & do the other side. I do 3 large doodles. I'm not taking anymore Standard Poodles though, for some reason the black poodles don't seem to come very clean. They are always a dusty color when done & not a pretty black, I'm not happy with it plus they take me 2-3hrs to finish. I can do others alot faster.

Kittypaw - get the pipe ordered (hubby says) but as a better quick fix is duct tape. It will hold a few mins longer then electrical tape.

Shannon
The Soapy Puppy

[azoci]

Oh gosh, I love my home made funny tub!

Well what can I say? Not everyone has my cooky insperation. My first conversion we used an RV tub w/o a well, but tipped so It only took a gallon of water to fill enough for run the BB.

My second conversion, well, now that's the fun part. It has a home made tub wilth a well, or should I say a hole that fits into an existing SS sink. Just go to my RV to Grooming Rig page, you'll get the idea. We created a tub that is basically a drop in , over the existing sink, counter/stove [disconedted from LP gas at present], a little wood, and cardboard, glass fabric, resin, pigment and voila, a tub is born! Did it in 72 hours.

I can fill my little RV sink (well for the BB) with about half a gallon of water, and an oz of shampoo, and I'm good to go. I also use my BB for rinsing, no waste of water rinsing. I only carry 30 gal, tops. So being consertive is a must, but I have done as many as 10 Bichons in full coat with my first rig, and so far with my vintage buggy, as many as 8 with water to spare.

https://www.pamsbubblemobile.com

[wet noze]

If you are buying a tub definitely get one with a well. It needs very little water to run the pump. I allot about 4 gallons per little dog when I fill up. Bigger dogs, I allot more. I always want to take the least amount of water without thinking I'll run out. That water is heavy and cuts down on gas milage.

I saw an AWESOME tub grate once at a mobile round up. It was built from that indestructible deck wood. They cut it up into slats. I loved it. I wanted one. lol The two slats on the bottom raised it out of the water and it was custom made to fit perfectly.

I have a BB and love it. Used it over four years and never a problem.