Pressure Washer Not Drawing From Tank- Please advise

C

ceasler

New member
Hello,

Just the last couple of days my pressure washer(13hp honda direct drive 4gpm 4000 psi general pump w/ unloader) has been giving me trouble drawing water from my tank( 225 gallon trailer mounted). The first day it took much longer than usual to draw water from the tank and finally build up pressure( even then the pressure was not that great). And today it didn't pull from the tank at all, yet it worked fine using water from the homeowner's garden hose. I've never had any problems in the past pulling from the tank and I'm trying to figure out whats going on. The hose coming from the tank lets out plenty of water when not hooked up to the pressure washer and the in-line filter to the pump is clean & clear. Can you guys advise?

Chris
Apex Professional Pressure Washing
 
I would suspect the inlet seals have gone bad in the pump. Were there and drips at all coming out from under the manifold when you pressure fed it? Another possibility would be the inlet valves. Check them and the o rings under them. If you have a new set, check the height of the plastic cage and see if your old ones have shrunk any.
 
You say it takes a minute to build pressure but still doesn't feel normal. Two things I'd check, the unloader valve. How much time do you have on this machine? The unloader valve, acting up could cause you a problem. The other thing I would check is that the tank is properly ventilated. Meaning water going out at the bottome and air coming in from the top. Just a thought.

If you don't have your bypass hose on your uloader, feeding back into your 225 gallon tank then there's a chance if it's run for extended periods of time with the trigger gun in the off position, it can cause excess heat to the pump which in turn will ruin your pump.

Other than that, I'm not sure what else to suggest if everything is clean and no obstructions. I would suggest however if it wasn't running right the first day, then you shouldn't have kept using it into the second day.

...... actually, if may not have a hose from the unloader going in a by pass loop.

Let us know your results. If you need any more assistance, feel free to post.
 
Hard water build up in unloader or pump? Or in heating coil if its plumbed to one?
All hoses clamps etc. tight? a loose hose clamp or loose fitting can cause lack of prime.
Got a high pressure safety valve thats faulty? Had that happen once, couldnt figure out why the pressure kept dropping.
Chemical metering valve wont close all the way? Only applys to upstream pickup.That is to say if you run chems through the pump.
 
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