Pressure Washer Troubleshooting and Repair

Portable pressure washers are great tools, as anyone who has one will tell you. When used properly, a good pressure washer can greatly reduce the work and time spent cleaning decks, cars, siding, farm equipment, and more.

Like all machines, pressure washers sometimes fail. These failures come in many forms, but in general, they fall into two categories: pressure washer engine problems and pump or rod problems. If you own a pressure washer or are considering buying one, read on to learn about the most common ways these machines fail, and how to fix and maintain them.

Note: The following engine-related questions apply only to air pressure washers. All other questions apply to gas and electricity.

If the engine won't run after sitting for a long time, and you know it's sparking and has enough oil, chances are the carburetor is stuck with old fuel. Try opening the carburetor drain plug to let out a little old fuel.

If it still won't start after snapping things in, and you've checked the oil, choke, etc, then most likely your carburetor passages are partially blocked. Cleaning it up involves removing and disassembling the carburetor, then cleaning it with some carburetor cleaner. If you're not confident in disassembling and reassembling small important parts, don't try it alone.

If your pressure washer is up and running well, but the pump has no pressure or no water, the wand, hose, or inlet filter may be clogged.

Start isolating the problem by connecting the water hose to the washer's inlet and turning it on. If water comes out of the outlet, you know water is circulating through. If not, it's likely that your inlet filter is clogged. You can remove and clean it.

Assuming the water is flowing through the pump correctly, start the engine, connect the hose and wand and see if it works. If not, your hose is collapsed or kinked, or the wand is clogged. Both of these issues are likely to be resolved quickly without professional help.

Compressed air must be removed from the high-pressure washer pump before use. Twist the handle before running the engine until the water comes out of the wand. If this is not done, unpurified air can damage the check valve. On some pressure washers, you can replace them individually; on others, you'll need to replace the entire pump.

Defective heat relief valves can also cause pump leaks. If the washing machine runs for too long without pressing the trigger, the valve lets the heated, pressurized water leave the pump. If the heat release valve keeps leaking, it is defective and needs to be replaced.

The bottom end of the wand that connects to the hose is another common leak point. A leak there will not only cause a drop in pressure, but it will also soak your arms and sleeves.

Loosen the screws holding the wand assemblies together, making sure to keep them in a safe place. Double-check the inner workings of the components under bright light. If any cracks are found, the entire wand needs to be replaced.

If not, check the condition of all rubber o-rings inside the scan bar assembly. If any of them have cracked or become brittle, that's probably why you're leaking. Replace them with the same rings (same size and thickness) as instructed in the owner's manual.

If you fire up your pressure washer and it works fine, but no water is flowing and you hear strange noises from the pump, you may have made a serious and common mistake last season.

In cold winter climates, your pressure washer needs to be completely drained and preferably filled with antifreeze before winter storage. Forget to do this, and you'll almost certainly leave water in the machine's pump. In winter, the water can freeze, expand and severely damage the inner workings of the pump.

If this happens, your only option is to buy a replacement pump. You can find videos online to guide you through a replacement installation or call a professional.

Some higher-end pressure washers come with a built-in reservoir for a special pressure washer liquid soap. The idea is that mixing soap with the pressurized water you spray will help clean things better and faster. It makes a big difference when you have a lot of caked-on dirt to deal with.

The problem is that the soap often doesn't flow properly from the reservoir, even when loaded to the top. Nine times out of 10, the reason is simple: too much back pressure in the pump prevents soap from being drawn into the nozzle.

If your wand has any nozzles on it, most pressure washers won't be able to suck thick liquid soap from the reservoir except the weakest, least-pressure nozzle that comes with the machine. No nozzle at all works better. More aggressive nozzles can drastically reduce the overall flow rate, and your washing machine needs enough water flow to absorb the soap.

So, if you have a pressure washer with a soap function that doesn't pick up the soap properly, try removing the nozzle.

The above briefly introduces the common faults and solutions of high-pressure cleaners. If you want to know more or want to buy high-pressure cleaner accessories, please contact us.

HUSTIL is a professional custom garden tool spare parts manufacturer with 19 years of experience. We provide VIP users with a full range of accessories search and query, garden tool accessories replacement, and after-sales service. After more than 10 years of strict screening, it now has more than 300 mature supply chain factories for production.