Pressure Washer Operating Errors That Cost You Money

All pressure washers are high-maintenance machines. High-pressure water will eventually wear out seals, O-rings, springs, and other parts, so to replace seals, valves, and O-rings as well as change the oil as part of routine maintenance will prolong the life of the unit. However, the most common cause of excessive maintenance cost is operator error.

Cause 1. Running the pressure washer without water 

Normally this will destroy the pressure water pump within minutes.

Cause 2. Running the pressure washer in extended by-pass

By-pass is when the pressure washer is on, and the trigger is of the water is re-circulating inside the pump manifold, the water 

temperature builds as time goes on. It is now allow to let the unit run in by-pass for more than five minutes . This is because the heat 

buildup quickly damages the pump. Therefore, you have to turn off the pressure washer every time you are not going to be spraying, 

even for some unit that installed with a thermal relief valve that will release the hot water and  the pump feed with cold water to 

cooling down. 

Cause 3. Cavitation

Cavitation is caused by air getting into your pump. The air can damage your pump as it rapidly expands and contracts. The first sign

of cavitation is loss of pressure and a hammering noise. The cause of cavitation is lack of water or air getting into the system.

For example, your pressure washer is rated for 4.0GPM but the inlet hose only provides 3 GPM, then the pressure washer pump will

still try to pumping  4.0 GPM. The suction due to the lack of water will pull in air and cause cavitation. The only solution to cavitation

is to feed your pump the required amount of water and to make sure there are no leaks in the water inlet system. 

Cause 4. Freezing

In the winter the water left in the pump after use will freeze and possibility of damage to the pump. The typical remedy for this is

putting anti-freeze in the pump. So always keep the pump run for a extra seconds and pump out the excess water. 

Cause 5. No lubrication and lack of lubrication

High-pressure pumps, like gasoline engines, require oil to lubricate transmission mechanism, the crankshaft, connecting rod and 

plungers. The oil is needed to keep the pump parts cool and turning freely. No oil and low oil will causes permanent damage to the

pump. When the oil leak out, or water gets into the pump oil, the pump parts will overheat and begin to break apart. Always check

your oil level and maintain the correct amount and type of oil in the pump to prevent damage.