Anybody here good with pressure washers???

[JustJason]

I have a Karcher with a honda 5hp. Motor runs great but it's not pumping water so well.

When I pull the trigger i may or may not get full blast. I'll usually end up getting a piddle. The feed hose to the pump isn't kinked. And the output hose isn't kinked. I reversed the output hose and same proplem, so I don't believe it's colapsed interally.... (although the words "i don't believe" seldom hold water) I've blown compressed air through litterally everything, but to no avail. Anyone have experience with these things?

 

[SgtMaj]

Re: Anybody here good with pressure washers???

I have a Karcher with a honda 5hp. Motor runs great but it's not pumping water so well.

When I pull the trigger i may or may not get full blast. I'll usually end up getting a piddle. The feed hose to the pump isn't kinked. And the output hose isn't kinked. I reversed the output hose and same proplem, so I don't believe it's colapsed interally.... (although the words "i don't believe" seldom hold water) I've blown compressed air through litterally everything, but to no avail. Anyone have experience with these things?

Yeah, I get that too, until I run it long enough to get all the air out of the pump. If you've run it for several minutes and it's still like that, then you may have a leaky seal drawing air into the pump.

 

[JustJason]

Re: Anybody here good with pressure washers???

were you able to sucessfully diagnose yours?

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Anybody here good with pressure washers???

I wish young RyanT was around. He could tell you about them power washers.

 

[tomatolord]

Re: Anybody here good with pressure washers???

the problem with home power washers is that they do not get used enough, the o rings dry out or get stuck.

It is very important that you leave water or lubricate the pump when stored.

it sounds like you have a bad o ring or stuck spring.

Use can get this unstuck

but you may need the o rings replaced.

Tomatolord

 

[Skiuseme]

Re: Anybody here good with pressure washers???

Come on Spinner I thought there was to to be any humor in this forum......

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Anybody here good with pressure washers???

Come on Spinner I thought there was to to be any humor in this forum......

Yes, I am so sorry. I am not worthy.

 

[SgtMaj]

Re: Anybody here good with pressure washers???

were you able to sucessfully diagnose yours?

Well like I said, I just have to run it for a couple of minutes. With mine it's just the air in the pump from when I first connect it. Once the air is gone, it works normally from then on until I disconnect it, or until it sucks in a bubble from the hose (it happens, but not regularly).

 

[Skiuseme]

Re: Anybody here good with pressure washers???

Just haveing alittle fun. Remembering Ryan with his neighbors and his Bronco....

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Anybody here good with pressure washers???

Just haveing alittle fun. Remembering Ryan with his neighbors and his Bronco....

Yea, I know.
That is the reason I throwed it out there.

 

[jsfinn]

Re: Anybody here good with pressure washers???

Well like I said, I just have to run it for a couple of minutes. With mine it's just the air in the pump from when I first connect it. Once the air is gone, it works normally from then on until I disconnect it, or until it sucks in a bubble from the hose (it happens, but not regularly).

I have the same experience with mine. It takes it 2 or 3 minutes before it gets going right but once it does, it'll run properly all day.

 

[Scaaty]

Re: Anybody here good with pressure washers???

Yeah, I got the same piece of junk too, so its more of a lousy made something, not anything leaking or whatever. I looked mine all over. I think I might have a slight kink in the hose though too. I always lay it all out straight. I'd try a new one, but easier to get a whole new unit. And make sure ya got good water pressure.
Sometimes works, sometimes ya wait.
I have found out though, if it don't fire right up, pull the nozzle off and give it a couple trigger pulls. Nozzle back on, always fires. Weird.
Thats my last Kracher anything too. Ready for something new, pull the good 5hp Honda, and make a gokart

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Anybody here good with pressure washers???

Sounds like I have the similar Karcher pressure washer that you have and had the same problem.

I took apart my pump and found that a small piece of plastic had entered my pump from the main water line. I had done some repair on the main water line of my house and a small piece of plastic from cutting the pvc pipe was still in the line.

 

[JustJason]

Re: Anybody here good with pressure washers???

I have found out though, if it don't fire right up, pull the nozzle off and give it a couple trigger pulls. Nozzle back on, always fires. Weird.

yeah i have exactly the same problem. I've pulled my pump apart. I hook it up to well water so i was hoping to find some silt in there.... but nothing. I've noticed that the more coiled the output hose is the worse it gets, but the straighter the hose is the better it gets... even though it's not perfect. I sprayed soapy water everywhere... I didn't notice the pump leaking externally... Anyone know if there is a Karcher forum?

 

[gss036]

Re: Anybody here good with pressure washers???

I went over to the kracher site and looked around there, they have a few vidoes showing some trouble shooting. Interesting. Mine has a Honda motor anad haven't had any real problems with it other than some surging at times. One of the video talks about turning the engine off and allowing water to run throught the wand, if it is clogger, clean the nozzle with a needle. Also said they might have calicum build up and advises to run distelled vinager through the system to clean out.
http://www.karcherresidential.com/e...flv&time=132&label=troubleshootpumpleak#video

 

[arboldt]

Re: Anybody here good with pressure washers???

I've also got the Karcher with the 5 HP Honda engine. Had it a couple years now. Maybe I just haven't used it enough, but I haven't experienced any of these problems. Every fall, though, I take it into the basement so its never met freezing weather, if that would make any difference. I also make sure to never kink the hose, nor have it tightly coiled.

 

[joed]

Re: Anybody here good with pressure washers???

I do remember reading on a site once about a valve or plunger inside the pump. This plunger switches the pump between idle and high power when you pull the trigger. It puts the pumps in bypass mode or something. They sometimes stick and need service.

 

[gss036]

Re: Anybody here good with pressure washers???

That bypass is probably what the video guys says about leaving it idling more than 5 minutes, that is switches over to something, then you have to stop and restart the thing. The videos are worth taking the time to understand the machines. The one they demo with has a briggs engine, but should not make any differenc.

 

[cbear34]

Re: Anybody here good with pressure washers???

Common problems with small pressure washers are the nozzles plug up and restrict the flow. Try clearing out the nozzle end with a small probe or soaking the end in a container of vinegar. usually calcium buildup.

 

[Lone Duck]

Re: Anybody here good with pressure washers???

Yup! common problem. Bypass valve. When you get fedup and throw it save the honda.