Water is the constraint that decides how many dogs you can bath before you have to stop, so the tank and hot-water system are central to a mobile grooming build, not an afterthought. A grooming mobile is a self-contained salon that has to carry a full day of clean water, heat it on demand, and hold the dirty water until you can dispose of it properly. Here is how to size it.
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Fresh water: size it to your day
Most grooming vans carry a fresh water tank in the 50 to 100 gallon range, with 50 gallons being a common starting point, filled fresh each morning so every dog is bathed in clean water. The right number depends on how many dogs you plan to wash in a day and how big they are, since a van of large, double-coated dogs goes through far more water than a route of small dogs. We size the fresh tank to your real route so you are not cutting a day short or hauling around weight you never use.
Hot water that keeps up
Bathing is warm-water work, and the thing that slows a groomer down is waiting for water to reheat. So we build in a water heater sized for fast recovery, commonly a 6 gallon propane or electric unit, feeding a hydrobath or a comparable warm-water system so hot water keeps coming between dogs. Matching the heater to your bathing setup is what lets you keep a steady pace through a full book.
Gray water and doing it legally
Every gallon you use becomes gray water, and that has to be held and disposed of properly. We build a separate gray water tank at least as large as the fresh tank, and many jurisdictions require it to be larger so you cannot generate more waste than you can legally hold. You empty it at an approved disposal point, never onto the street or into a storm drain, and we plumb the system so the dirty water moves cleanly from the bath to the gray tank and out at the end of the day.
How we plan your water system
We start from how many dogs you want to bath in a day and the sizes you handle, size the fresh and gray tanks and the water heater to match, and plumb the rig so you can refill from a tap when a stop allows. See the full pet mobile build overview, our guide to generator sizing, and what a pet mobile costs.
Pet mobile water FAQ
How much water does a mobile grooming van need?
Most grooming vans carry a 50 to 100 gallon fresh water tank and a separate gray water tank, filled fresh each morning. The right size depends on how many dogs you bath in a day and how large they are. We size the tanks to your route and build the waste tank larger than the fresh tank, the way mobile code expects.
How do mobile groomers heat water?
Through an on-board water heater feeding a hydrobath or warm-water bathing system. A propane or electric heater, often a 6 gallon unit chosen for fast recovery, keeps hot water coming between dogs so you are not waiting on the tank to reheat.
What is a gray water tank and how big should it be?
The gray water tank holds the dirty water after a bath. It should be at least as large as the fresh tank, and many jurisdictions require it to be larger so you physically cannot put more waste on the ground than you can legally hold. You empty it at an approved disposal point, never onto the street or a storm drain.
Can I refill during the day?
Yes, when a stop allows it. We plumb the system so you can top off from a city tap where a client or venue permits, and run off the tank everywhere else, which is why morning fill plus the right tank size matters for a full route.