Water Pressure

Smith & Sons

Smith & Sons

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Got a question? I'm having a noticeable pressure reduction if I run both of my (4000 PSI, 4GPM) machines compared to running just one of them.

My supply of water is usually 40-50 PSI at the wall, I work around 100-200' away.

Idea 1
Can I put a booster pump on the line and get enough water.

Idea 2
Or do I need a holding tank that is filled and a booster pump pulls from to supply my washers.

Idea 3
?
 
Are you currently garden hose feeding both machines? A booster pump won't help much if that is all the water that the hose bibs can produce.

A holding tank would be a great idea, but the pressure washers should be able to draw from the tank without the booster.
 
The average residential faucet puts somewhere lime 5 to 6gpm. Definitely not enough to run 2 4s

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Ed Thompson said:
You may have to change the unloaders for gravity feed. I just went through this issue. I'm still learning about unloaders so please dont quote me, but I think an untrapped unloader is what it needed. Russ, please help me not give bad info here.......
Click to expand...

Gravity Feed un-loader? Where do I find one.
 
The unloader that is on will work fine the type of unloader (flow or trapped) will have no impact on the draw. Head pressure will have the biggest impact, if you have a holding tank that is taller instead of wider that will help in the initial prime of the pumps. Depending on your feed rate a 50 gallon tank should be sufficient. Try to feed each tank from its own inlet or come off the bottom with a 2" bulkhead fitting and split it with a T to 2 1" feed lines to each unit.
 
I had a Comet pump on a BE 4gpm. It sat right under a 275 gal tote. There was more than enough water. It would not draw until my buddy changed the unloader. I wish I can tell you the difference in the unloader he swapped it with. It drew after the swap but still didnt work right. It cavitated the way a machine does when theres low house pressure. I got frustrated and bailed on he whole gravity feed for that 4gpm. This is my story, im sticking to it.
 
This has been talked about in other threads but is still a good topic to talk about.

Go get the model numbers off the pumps and call Russ J. or Paul K and give them those numbers. Not all direct drive pumps will pull from a tank.

Since you are experiencing a loss of pressure with 2 machines off the faucet, if you went to a buffer tank, AND.......... your pumps are designed so they could pull from a buffer tank, THEN you could pull from a buffer tank no problem. No way of guessing at this, have the model numbers checked out so you will know.

Buffer tanks will help you in many ways.

With a buffer tank, you can get different unloaders or send the diagram to Russ or Paul and get their input on bypassing back to the tank so your pump will last longer and you will not experiencing the loss of pressure, right now with your machines the bypass is a short hose back into the suction line. With this setup you cannot let go of the trigger too long as the water will get hotter and hotter or turn off the machine so you don't damage the pump.

Start out with at least 50 or more gallons of water with the hose going and 2 machines will last a while but you will have to keep an eye on the tank to make sure the tank does not get too low.

Also with the buffer tank each time you start the machine, you will not experience the momentary cavitation like when you connect a garden hose to the machine and start it up, there will be some air in the pump/hose until the water is flowing where the buffer tank always connected to the machines.

Downside is if you want to move the machines around the house, you would have to change fittings to use the garden hose and the bypass hose would just dump onto the ground.

There are other benefits/disadvantages but I cannot think of all of them right now.

If you don't ever have to move the machines, AND after checking with the vendors that the pump will pull from a buffer tank, I would setup the tank.
 
Ed Thompson said:
I had a Comet pump on a BE 4gpm. It sat right under a 275 gal tote. There was more than enough water. It would not draw until my buddy changed the unloader. I wish I can tell you the difference in the unloader he swapped it with. It drew after the swap but still didnt work right. It cavitated the way a machine does when theres low house pressure. I got frustrated and bailed on he whole gravity feed for that 4gpm. This is my story, im sticking to it.
Click to expand...

That may be entirely true, I dont dispute that it happened. It may have been a worn unloader, or a control set unloader that was trapping the air in the pump. But if the unloader and pump is funcionong properly it should make no difference which type you use. If it was still cavitating you may have had an air leak somewhere in the system, either way it is working now so problem solved!
 
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