Pressure Washer builds pressure till trigger pulled?

[Wade1969]

Hi!
I have a troybilt pressure washer with Briggs and Stratton engine. Last summer I replaced the pump with the one pictured. It has worked great till this past weekend.

Now the pump builds pressure until I pull the trigger. The pressure releases and never builds back till I release the trigger. The motor does not shut off and I don’t hear any rattling from the pump.

I pulled the uploader valve. Should I be able to depress the plunger end? Right now it does not move.

This part alone is the cost of getting another complete pump from Amazon. Can the valve be replaced?

Thanks!
Wade

 

[Hohn]

Hi!
I have a troybilt pressure washer with Briggs and Stratton engine. Last summer I replaced the pump with the one pictured. It has worked great till this past weekend.

Now the pump builds pressure until I pull the trigger. The pressure releases and never builds back till I release the trigger. The motor does not shut off and I don’t hear any rattling from the pump.

I pulled the uploader valve. Should I be able to depress the plunger end? Right now it does not move.

This part alone is the cost of getting another complete pump from Amazon. Can the valve be replaced?

Thanks!
Wade

It sounds to me like the unloader is sticking. Since the pump is turning anytime the engine is running, releasing the trigger takes away a flow path and causes the pump to have to recirculate water.

This recirculation makes a LOT of heat build up in the pump and if you let the PW run without using the nozzle for an extended period, you will burn up the pump from this heat.

Is it possible your unit ran a lot without the trigger pulled and overheated the unloader and scuffed it, contributing to sticking? Seems like it's possible.

Pump suppliers generally want you limit the bypass time to less than 30 seconds. Professionals who pressure wash will use a small recirc tank on the unloader so that the recirculation flow is a larger volume of water and it keeps the pump cool.

The unloader should move, but it can take a lot of force to do it. Keep in mind that spring is holding back a couple thousand PSI. I can't tell you if the part is available separately, most inexpensive PWs have fully integrated units that have poor support for service parts.