Overview
Downtime tracking lets your team capture every period the wash is not operating, along with what happened and how it was fixed. Logging it consistently helps with labor decisions, equipment maintenance trends, and accurate operating reports.
💡 App or website — your choice. Downtime can be created and resolved from both the Washstacks mobile app and the Washstacks website. The steps look very similar in both places, but this guide focuses on the mobile app. If you prefer the website, the same buttons and fields are available there.
What you'll learn
Create downtime — how to start a downtime entry from the Home screen.
Resolve downtime — how to close out an open downtime with what happened and how it was fixed.
Read the indicators — what the Home screen looks like in each state so you can tell at a glance whether the site has an active downtime.
Part 1 — Creating a downtime
Start a downtime as soon as the wash stops operating. You only need a short summary, a downtime type, and the start time to save the entry — you can come back later to resolve it once the issue is fixed.
Step 1. Open the Washstacks app and go to the Home screen.
The Home screen shows your site name at the top (in this example, Cedar Grove), the 7-day weather forecast, your Open Work Orders summary, and the Currently Working section. When there is no active downtime, the orange power button on the right side of the Currently Working row is the Start Downtime button.
Step 2. Tap the orange Start Downtime button.
The New Downtime form opens. The header confirms the site name ("New Downtime — Cedar Grove"). All required fields are clearly labeled.
Step 3. Enter a short, descriptive Summary.
Keep it brief but specific — this is what will appear on reports and on the resolve form later. Good examples: "Wash conveyor broke at end of tunnel," "Hydraulics stopped working," "Power outage."
Step 4. Choose the Downtime Type.
Tap the Downtime Type dropdown and select the option that best describes the cause:
Equipment — mechanical or equipment failure (conveyor, blowers, pumps, etc.).
Customer Fault — damage or stoppage caused by a customer.
Employee Fault — damage or stoppage caused by a team member.
Point of Sale — register, card reader, or POS software issue.
Tunnel Controller — tunnel control system or PLC issue.
Utility — water, electric, gas, or other utility outage.
Facility — building, bay, or property issue.
Weather — closed or paused for weather conditions.
Other — anything that doesn't fit the categories above.
Step 5. Confirm the Start date and time.
The app pre-fills today's date. Tap the time field to set the time the wash stopped operating. Be as accurate as you can — this drives the duration of the downtime shown on reports.
Step 6. Leave the "This downtime has been resolved" toggle off.
Leave this toggle off when you are first logging the downtime. You will resolve the entry from the Home screen once the issue is fixed (see Part 2).
💡 Tip — when to use the resolved toggle. If the issue has already been resolved by the time you sit down to enter it, you can flip the toggle on in this form to capture the end time and resolution notes in one pass. Otherwise, leave it off and resolve later.
Step 7. Tap Save.
Once Summary, Downtime Type, and Start are filled, the Save button turns solid blue. Tap it to save the downtime.
Step 8. Confirm the downtime is active on the Home screen.
You'll return to the Home screen. The Currently Working row now shows a red RESOLVE button on the right side — that's your signal that the site has an active downtime waiting to be closed out.
Part 2 — Resolving a downtime
Once the issue is fixed and the wash is operating again, close out the downtime so the duration, root cause, and fix are captured for the record.
Step 1. From the Home screen, tap the red RESOLVE button.
The red RESOLVE button on the Currently Working row tells you there's an active downtime. Tap it to open the Resolve Downtime form.
Step 2. Review the pre-filled fields.
The Summary, Downtime Type, and Start values you entered when you created the downtime are already filled in. Look them over — if anything needs correcting, tap the field to edit it before saving.
Step 3. Set the End date and time.
Tap the End time field to choose the time the wash returned to operation. The app presents times in 5-minute increments — pick the closest one. The End date pre-fills to today; change it only if the downtime spanned multiple days.
Step 4. Fill in "What happened?"
Describe the issue in one or two sentences. Be specific enough that someone reading the report later will understand the situation. Example: "1 section of the conveyor belt broke towards the end of the tunnel."
Step 5. Fill in "How was it resolved?"
Describe what was done to fix the issue, what parts were used, and who did the work if relevant. Example: "We removed the broken pieces and installed a new section of conveyor." These notes feed maintenance history, so the more useful the detail, the better.
Step 6. Tap Save.
Once End time, "What happened?", and "How was it resolved?" are complete, the Save button activates. Tap it to close out the downtime.
Step 7. Confirm the downtime is closed on the Home screen.
You'll return to the Home screen. The red RESOLVE button is replaced by the orange Start Downtime button — that's your signal that the site has no active downtime.
Quick reference
Home screen indicators
Orange power button — no active downtime — tap to start a new one.
Red RESOLVE button — active downtime — tap to resolve.
Required fields
Creating — Summary, Downtime Type, Start.
Resolving — End, What happened?, How was it resolved?
Where to do this
Both the Washstacks mobile app and the Washstacks website support creating and resolving downtime. The fields and buttons are the same. Use whichever is more convenient — the app is faster on the floor, the website is easier when entering from a desk.