Rookie question.

Roy Sanders

Roy Sanders

New member
This may sound stupid but here it is. If I buy a cold water machine and want to add a burner later, can I add a 110v unit. I didn't know if you were adding on if it could only be a 12v or if it could be either. Is there anything that I would have to change to go to a 110 unit?
 
You can use either 12v or 110, just make sure you match the burner to the specs on your pressure washer. Meaning 4gpm then your burner needs to be rated for the same or higher
 
Don't forget your generator, you can pick up a decent gene at lowes or homedepot for around $350. I'd grab at least 3500 running watts. One of the guys that build these rigs might chime in with a little more expertise on that one.
 
With a 12v burner you need to also make sure your cold unit has the charging capabilities to handle the extra load.

I build all my cold water units and add a 120v burner with an inverter generator to it. I have always read and seen with others that 120v always seem to have less issues then 12v, and less issues is less downtime. I use inverter generators that are about 2000 watts max and they seem to have no issues with my largo 890,000 btu 120v burner. The inverters work great as they rev up for when the burner starts and idle back down once things are moving. Your fuel consumption will be a lot less with the inverter and can easily make up any difference in cost in less then a year if not less.
 
My thoughts were if I go the cold water route then maybe buy a belt driven generator if I wanted to add a 110 burner that way it is all self contained more less. Instead of having the machine, generator and hot box all separate taking up for room. I have been pricing cold water machines and might go that way for now and add as I go unless I find a good deal on a hot water machine. Can't really afford a new hot machine right now and cold is half the price.
 
If you add a generator to your pressure washer, you need to run the machine full tilt to keep the voltage up to run the burner. Since I don't use full pressure most of the time I run my pressure washer at idle and use about a 1/3 of the gas as a result and turn up the RPM's when I need more pressure. Generator uses 25-35 cents an hour to run, pressure washer uses $3.00 an hour full tilt. Do the math, I also run the pumps on the reclaim and a microwave for lunch once in a while off the 2000 watt inverter gen. The footprint really is not much bigger then adding a belt/generator/mount setup. My inverter of choice is the Yamaha 2000, 1400 hours of oil changes and refilling the gas tank. Easy, small, and always starts first pull.
 
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