Plumbing 2 pressure washers to water tank?

Dan Manley

New member
Got a quick plumbing question...

I bought a second 4 gpm today and was wondering if I could plumb them both up to the same buffer tank? And what would be the best way of doing so?

I was thinking of just teeing off of the outlet of tank with 1 inch pvc and run directly to both machines, will this be effective and work properly?
 
Take a hole saw and drill another hole and get you another bung fitting and you will have two outlets that will be able to keep up with both machines.You might could get away with it like you mentioned but if you ever have two large gpm machines that will not work.Its cheap and easy to do will save your pumps in the long run.
 
I also met to mention it will be plumbed from my 275 gallon water tank
 
Take a hole saw and drill another hole and get you another bung fitting and you will have two outlets that will be able to keep up with both machines.You might could get away with it like you mentioned but if you ever have two large gpm machines that will not work.Its cheap and easy to do will save your pumps in the long run.

Im a little confused with your post? Do you mean drill a hole in my current set up and just add a second line to new machine and the flow will just redirect to 2nd machine?
 
We have no problems running 2 4gpm machines off a 2" T supply (275 gallon tanks). We run 1" hose from there.

So i should go with a 2 inch pipe to 2 inch T and then reduce to 1 inch running in both dirctions?
 
Dan, I would definitely install a 2nd bulkhead INSTEAD of a "T". The last thing in the world you want to do is starve a pump - belt or direct. 1 fitting may work - but no one knows for how long. 2 is definitely better. The additional plumbing = $30. Rebuilding your new pump??? I even made a video installing my 2nd fitting. One is to drain and mix (1") and the other is to supply the pump (1 1/2")

 
Dan, I would definitely install a 2nd bulkhead INSTEAD of a "T". The last thing in the world you want to do is starve a pump - belt or direct. 1 fitting may work - but no one knows for how long. 2 is definitely better. The additional plumbing = $30. Rebuilding your new pump??? I even made a video installing my 2nd fitting. One is to drain and mix (1") and the other is to supply the pump (1 1/2")


I think it has a 3 or 4 inch which i have reduced down to 1 inch
 
I downsized from an 275 IBC tote to my 125 gal horiz 1.9sg poly tank. If you have another place to plumb a 2nd fitting I would. Especially if you'll be running both machines at the same time.
 
I just dropped my fitting into the tank with the gasket on it and used a broom stick to get it in place. As for the shavings, I just filled the tank completed up, let them float to the top and scooped them out by hand.
 
Thats what I have is the 275 g tote (I guess thats what their called lol)

I will be running them both at the same time, I have 4 monument cleanings coming up this week for a new management company that are located right on the main US 41 and there is no water supply.

I am going to put a ball valve to shot off to one machine so when we do residential cleaning one will feed from tank and the other will feed from the house supply...fly through the residential work twice as fast and make more room to clean more houses per day
 
Thats what I have is the 275 g tote (I guess thats what their called lol)

I will be running them both at the same time, I have 4 monument cleanings coming up this week for a new management company that are located right on the main US 41 and there is no water supply.

I am going to put a ball valve to shot off to one machine so when we do residential cleaning one will feed from tank and the other will feed from the house supply...fly through the residential work twice as fast and make more room to clean more houses per day

Sounds like you picked up some help!

In order to reach a higher cleaning surface 3-3.5 stories, I'm going to connect my 4 gpm to my first 2.4 gpm with a high pressure t. I think that will allow me to reach higher with my soap and rinse! They will be supplied through separate plumbed fittings of the one tank - fed by house supply.
 
Sounds like you picked up some help!

In order to reach a higher cleaning surface 3-3.5 stories, I'm going to connect my 4 gpm to my first 2.4 gpm with a high pressure t. I think that will allow me to reach higher with my soap and rinse! They will be supplied through separate plumbed fittings of the one tank - fed by house supply.

I am thinking of doing the same with my 2 machines as well. Making them very versatile So then I can:

1) run them both of my own water supply tank
2) keep my main unit mounted to truck and the new machine can me used as mobile and feed from house supply
3) linking them up so I can be getting just about 8gpm

Thats my think at least lol I think it should all work out but not 100%...but thats what PWI is for
 
Sounds like you picked up some help!

In order to reach a higher cleaning surface 3-3.5 stories, I'm going to connect my 4 gpm to my first 2.4 gpm with a high pressure t. I think that will allow me to reach higher with my soap and rinse! They will be supplied through separate plumbed fittings of the one tank - fed by house supply.

Ya hired a guy today for the upcoming busy season. He was actually a previous employee of mine for about 2 years but then moved out of state. Great employee and knows exactly what I want done and how it needs to be done. I have made some changes in my rig so will get him trained with the new set up and we will be rockin n rollin in a couple days. He called me up yesterday to see if I needed any help and the timing couldnt have been better...I responded "sure do...Im going to buy you a new machine today lol"
 
I was like a kid in a candy store today because this is my first pressure washer with electric start lol I have been finding reasons to turn it on today hahaha
 
Ya hired a guy today for the upcoming busy season. He was actually a previous employee of mine for about 2 years but then moved out of state. Great employee and knows exactly what I want done and how it needs to be done. I have made some changes in my rig so will get him trained with the new set up and we will be rockin n rollin in a couple days. He called me up yesterday to see if I needed any help and the timing couldnt have been better...I responded "sure do...Im going to buy you a new machine today lol"

I love it when things "fall into place". What kind of machine did you pickup? Brand? pump? belt/direct?

I'm glad for PWI, it's where I found this set up for connecting my two pw:

The parts will arrive from envirospec monday! And yes, it will be televised (or YouTubed)!

 
If your bulkhead fitting is 3" or 4", then I would just put a "T" there and use bushings down to 1" for both hoses running to each tank with a ball valve and filter for each so that you can block them when needed like cleaning the filter when there is a lot of trash there.

I had a 5gpm, 5.gpm and 8 gpm all running off my 325 gallon tank, no problem. I could have done it also with a 200 gallon tank, just have it fed properly. I took one machine off the front of the trailer as it caused me to bend an axle and I did not use it that much.

I would not use more than 1 machine for each 1" hose, too much to risk.

If the bulkhead fitting is only 2", that will work ok, just put a "T" there and on each side of the "T", put a reducer bushing down to 1" and run 1" lines to the machines with a ball valve and filter for each machine. That is how I have mine but I also have another "T" there for filling buckets, washing hands and a 2" dump valve for emptying the tank when I need to.

What Hal meant was buy another bulkhead fitting (most of the vendors have them, Tractor supply, maybe even Northern Tools also) but you have to cut a hole in the tank near the bottom but not too low, put the bulkhead fitting by the bottom and have it a little bit higher so nothing blocks the installation. You will need a holesaw to cut the hole the size of the threaded part of the bulkhead fitting. They are not hard to install, even by yourself, I have done a lot of them over the years by myself.

Let us know if you have any other questions.
 
Are the machines belt or direct drive?
 
Andy brings up a good point, a lot of direct drive pumps need to be pressure fed from a garden hose because they spin so fast they don't pull a lot of vacuum so the little bit of pressure from the garden hose keeps them fed.

I don't know the model numbers of the direct drive pumps that will pull from a tank but if you already have one that works that way and bought the same make/model, it should work.

If it does not pull from the tank, you could probably rig up a "T" with ball valves and fittings so you can try priming it from a garden hose and then switch back to the tank to see if this works.

When the pump is running slower like with a belt drive or gear box, they will pull from the tank just about all the time.
 
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