pressure washer question

[that-guy]

just recently got a pressure washer from my inlaws for free since they bought a new electric one. its Honda gas powered and has some great power, however i was wondering what, if anything, i can do to make it so that it only flows water when i hit the trigger?

right now, it comes out at lower pressure as soon as i turn over the engine, then high when i pull the trigger, just like at the do-it-yourself car wash. do i have to buy a different gun? mess with the settings on the unloader? would i have to change out the unloader for one that allows this kind of action?

thanks in advance

 

[red94chev]

I don't believe it's supposed to do that, at least mine doesn't. I would maybe try a different gun on it first, sound like the trigger is sticking open or something.

 

[fluxdeity]

Take the trigger apart and put thread tape around all the threads and then put it back together. Change out your o-rings in the tip as well as by the quick-connect that goes from the trigger back to the engine.

I believe they're #8 o-ring by the tip and #10 o-rings by the hose.

 

[that-guy]

i already replaced the gun with a new one as the one they had was all cracked and messed up. trying to see if anybody knows if its the gun that decides this or if its the unloader

 

[sberry]

It is both, the flow has to stop for it to unload. If the trigger gun isn't working it will keep pumping.

 

[The Cobbler]

low pressure is usually when the soap injector works, is there a lock or something on the trigger that holds it in that position ?

 

[kctyphoon]

From every pressure washer I’ve owned , and i am NOT the authority on this, but if its an average homeowner or small prosumer / professional type - water should not come out when the trigger isn’t pulled..

I see you already bought a new gun - but i was going to suggest that if you did buy another one, i buy a cheap plain no frills gun and wand.. i see these other ones they sell at HD that have these plastic enclosures and all this **** outside around the gun, and all it does is make it heavier. I have the most simple gun / wand you can buy, and a simple side handle that just tightens down against the metal wand extension.. its as minimal as minimal can get, and its a lot easier to hold up without all that extra unnecessary weight... those other ones - its like attaching a body kit and a whale tail spoiler onto a Kia. It might look good but really serves no purpose as far as I’m concerned.

One trick I’ve seen, is people putting a slight bend on the end of the wand, so the pressure of water will support the end of wand while its being used. Just bend it against your knee a little and keep going until the bend is slight enough that the water pressure makes the end of the wand become weightless.

As far as your issue - YouTube might be of some help for this.. here’s one quick vid, but there are a lot to look though.

 

[scooby074]

Water shouldnt be getting past the gun trigger unless its a Weeping gun. If you changed the gun, did you replace it with another weeper?

Even if the rest of the system is messed up (unloader etc) water shouldnt be leaking on a new gun unless its by design. Verify the new gun.

 

[that-guy]

Water shouldnt be getting past the gun trigger unless its a Weeping gun. If you changed the gun, did you replace it with another weeper?

Even if the rest of the system is messed up (unloader etc) water shouldnt be leaking on a new gun unless its by design. Verify the new gun.

this is the information i have been looking for...i will look at it when i get home from work tonight to see the exact part number and look it up. i knew nothing about how the system worked or was supposed to work, but that the gun and hose as they gave them to me was damaged so i replaced them

 

[that-guy]

bringing this back from the dead. never really messed with the gun much since i first posted this. this past weekend, i used it to give the vehicle fleet a good solid wash, still having the same water flow problem out of the gun without pulling the trigger, but something then occurred to me that i did not mention at the time. when i bought the wand and new hose, i also bought new tips. i need to first verify part numbers, but want to ask the question while i am sitting here thinking about it at work:

just for arguments sake, because again i need to verify part number information later, lets say the pressure washer has a 2.5gpm rating, and i bought 3.5gpm nozzles, would this cause water to pass through the nozzle without the trigger being pulled? just spit balling because i am bored at work

 

[scooby074]

Nah, the tips shouldnt make any difference. Nothing should be getting past the trigger unless its a weeping nozzle.

The only thing a larger tip will do is cause you to have lower pressure and more flow

 

[that-guy]

Nah, the tips shouldnt make any difference. Nothing should be getting past the trigger unless its a weeping nozzle.

The only thing a larger tip will do is cause you to have lower pressure and more flow

that makes perfect sense. was just thinking out loud while at work yesterday. will get out in the garage tonight after work and see if i can grab a part number off the gun and see whats what

 

[that-guy]

well, sure enough, i bought a damn weeping gun and didn't even know it. i guess thats what happens when you buy parts for something you really don't know much about, and only based the parts off of price (was the cheapest at the time)

 

[PelicanPines]

Well I learned something... weeping gun...

 

[sberry]

The larger tip basically drops the pressure, these type of pumps don't flow much more at lower pressure.

 

[MarlynOC]

O rings in quick connects. Be sure to lube them before you install them.

 

[scooby074]

well, sure enough, i bought a damn weeping gun and didn't even know it. i guess thats what happens when you buy parts for something you really don't know much about, and only based the parts off of price (was the cheapest at the time)

Glad you got it figured out!

 

[scooby074]

The larger tip basically drops the pressure, these type of pumps don't flow much more at lower pressure.

Yeah.. I mispoke. They are fixed displacement