# Pressure Washer w/ no pressure



## Sparky Joe (Apr 29, 2006)

So I hired a landscape guy who had his "Troy Bilt" 4.5hp power washer here today.
I talked him into leaving it over night so I could pressure wash my garage floor, but when we fired the sucker up it was delivering less pressure than my garden hose.

I'm not familiar with common problems of these machines (nor is my landscape guy apparently).

My landscape guy has taken good care of me, I'd like to return the care by perhaps repairing his pressure washer (also I'd like to get my garage floor clean)

What the machine does is;
The engine runs just fine, 
the garden hose inlet has a screen and no leaks, 
neither does the wand hose outlet have any leaks.

The problem is when the trigger/handle is squeezed it shoots with great pressure right at first, but quickly drops off to the amount of flow of as if it were taking a piss.

I'm good at troubleshooting, but it's not my machine so I didn't want to tear it apart/disassemble it.
I wouldn't even know where to start.

Anyone else out there seen this problem of a pressure washer losing pressure immediately after pulling the trigger/handle?

Thanks,
Joe


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## AustinDB (Sep 11, 2006)

I have an older pressure washer that sometimes performs in a similar manner. sometimes I shut the engine off and restart...other times I have unhooked the supply hose from the pressure washer, hooked it back up and restarted and other times I cycle the trigger on the wand...release high pressure, let it build up again, release and keep going until it's a full stream.


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## Pocono Stairman (Jul 18, 2009)

I have a pressure washer with replicable tips When I use the soap tip (or none at all) there is almost no pressure it just dispenses soap and water then when I put on one of the fan tips on that is when I get the pressure Mine does not dispense soap solution under pressure this might be the problem


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## Cole82 (Nov 22, 2008)

Pocono Stairman said:


> I have a pressure washer with replicable tips When I use the soap tip (or none at all) there is almost no pressure it just dispenses soap and water then when I put on one of the fan tips on that is when I get the pressure Mine does not dispense soap solution under pressure this might be the problem


 Care full pulling the trigger with no tip. The O ring comes out really easilly.

It just has air around the pump vaines. You are supose to clear the air out first before ever starting it. Otherwise the pump will over heat with no water to cool it. This can happen in as little as 2min.

Pull the wond trigger until the water comes out evenly and with consistant city pressure. Then start the engine.

If that doesn't work you might have to unhook the hose suppling the water to escape the air then rehook the hose up.

Sounds like a lower end unit, the higher end units have a pressure/air release on the the pump.

Cole


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## Dave R (Jan 20, 2008)

It sounds like you don't have a tip installed at the end of the wand. Some guys store all the tips on the handle or frame of the machine and don't keep one on the wand.


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## Greg Di (Mar 12, 2005)

What Cole said. Sounds like you have air in the pump. Hook up the water supply and hold the trigger for a minute and let water circulate. Then start the engine.


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## Sparky Joe (Apr 29, 2006)

Thanks for all the great info so far.

Air in the pump is what it's sounding like.

I'll post again when I get it figured out.

Joe


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## Sparky Joe (Apr 29, 2006)

So I'm in the garage now with the machine up on the work bench,
(I can't begin to explain how great it is having an old laptop to use out here, I believe it is one of my best bench top tools).

Anyway I did try the option of bleeding the air before starting the engine. No luck there.

Though I did notice that with the motor running or not; the pressure I receive is even less than my normal hose pressure.
This observation leads me to believe there is not enough water being delivered to the pump to be pressurized and delivered through the wand.

I have a brand new home and noticed when we moved in 2 years ago the water pressure was low. 
So I adjusted the pressure regulator once and will probably adjust it again this weekend.

Although I do not think it's my low house pressure that is causing the power washer problem.
I think there is some sort of clog or even hard water build up(though the machine is than 3 years old) somewhere on the inlet side before the pump.

I have the machine up on the bench now, and now am hoping one of you guys could tell me what to take apart first?
And am I going to need new gaskets when I go to put it back together?

Thanks,
Joe


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## Leo G (May 12, 2005)

Have you made sure the filter on the inlet is clean? Sounded like you did.


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## dkillianjr (Aug 28, 2006)

This may be a dumb one, but its all I got:laughing: Is there a screen on the hose inlet, is it clean? 


Dave


Edit: You beat me to it Leo I guess smart minds think alike:laughing:


Edit again: Wow your fast Leo, you beat me to saying you beat me to it!:laughing:


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## Leo G (May 12, 2005)

:w00t: Beat ya to it Dave.


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## Sparky Joe (Apr 29, 2006)

Well I beat both ya to it,
not thinking of it, but rather when I unhooked the hose the screen fell out.

I'm gonna try right now putting my hose to the outlet tube (just holding there real tight) and seeing if any clogs come shootin out

Then I'm gonna try removing the four allen bolts that connect the very lowest part of the pump assembly,
It appears that is where all the water action takes place.

If that don't fix it then I don't know what I'll do.
I can't fathom the idea of being beaten by a machine,
so perhaps I'll just smash it to pieces at that point.


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## Leo G (May 12, 2005)

I think your friend may want his machine back in one pc. You might want to check on that before getting the sledge hammer out. :w00t:


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## Sparky Joe (Apr 29, 2006)

I hear ya Leo, 
but it was broken to begin with, 
I'll just tell him "wasn't it in 100 pieces when you left it here?"

Pretty cool seeing how the pump action works after removing the very lower cast water housing;
The inlet branches to three smaller tubes, as well as the outlet comes from three smaller tubes/orifices,
each small tube/orifice has a simple, small, plastic, spring loaded, one way valve (6 total)
And at the center between inlet and outlet there are three small(3/4 inch diameter) pistons.

Very cool stuff for me, though I'm sure plenty guys out there right now are saying "duh"

Anyway, still haven't found an obvious problem.

Joe


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## Leo G (May 12, 2005)

Wonder how many "_spare_" parts you will have when you put it back together :w00t:


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## Cole82 (Nov 22, 2008)

Dump question but did you try a different tip? If a tip is worn out it will loose pressure.

Since it is apart make shure the vains or tubes are free of build up and slide easily.

Cole


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## fireguy (Oct 29, 2006)

Why are you even taking the pump apart when it is obvious you do not have a clue what may or may not be wrong with the thing?

I cannot even begin to express how I would feel if someone used a tool of mine and started to mess with it. That guy makes his living with the pw. STOP now before you completly screw it up.


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