[Cliff perkins]

Hi
My pressure washer keeps going up and down on power any ideas why. Not done this before and its a honda petrol engine with a interpump pump.trying to do somebodys patio today and was driving me mad.

[Rob_Mac]

Cliff

This could be a number of things!.

Start off from the tank outlet and work back to the supply into the machine checking that all connections along the way are tight and not allowing the pressure washer to suck air.

Has it got a return to tank on it?, if not you could have left it for too long without pressing the trigger and the seals might have gotten too warm and may need replacing.

Start with the obvious and then work to the more complicated!!!

Rob

[steve rix]

How is the prssure from the mains, if low it will cause the machine do do that

[Cliff perkins]

Pressure from mains ok.
Im going to get it looked at tomoz.thanks for the help but i think i need to show the machine to somebody in person.
How easy is it to change the seals myself if they got to hot.ive had this done already about 3 months ago so if its gone again i aint paying £150 again for it.
Will have a go myself

[Rob_Mac]

Cliff

Is the machine running off a tank or a tap

Does it have a return to tank fitted??

Rob

[Cliff perkins]

Runs of a tap if the pressure is ok and if its not ok i run it of a water butt but takes a bit  of time to get it going.
No return to tank fitted i did ask about this when it had seals done 3 months ago.
Return to tank meaning when you let go of the trigger it keeps a cycle going to stop seals getting warm?
I do window cleaning and have a 500 l tank in my van of pure water which i cant really use.
I use the pressure washer for patio and drives and fascia cleans and run it of tap or from a water butt,but i always have trouble sucking it to start with.
Regards
Where do you get the return to tank thingy

[Rob_Mac]

Have you ever left it running for longer than say five minutes, since you had the seals done. How was it running after the seals were done last time. Was it still struggling to draw water. There will always be a delay till it has got the air out of the system.

It takes no time at all to cook the seals, a return to tank is a must to circulate the water and keep the pump water cooled.

I use the same tank to clean glass as I pressure wash from, I just make sure I empty it thoroughly before I clean glass.

You can get seal kits off the internet, I have no idea how hard it is as I get the service people to do all of mine, not that I do them very often - have returns fitted on every machine!!!

Rob

[Rob_Mac]

Just had a thought on this.

If you have a hose connected to an outside tap and then to your pressure washer there should be enough flow to supply the machine with enough water.

Was there a good strong flow?

If yes was the connection between the tap and the hose pipe nice and tight, could it have drawn air into the system.

Has the machine been left out in the cold at all. We have had a couple of below freezing nights in February & March and I know that my service people have been busy with frozen machines!!

Rob

[Cliff perkins]

Good water pressure and worked fine when i used it last friday.stumped me will take it to servive people tomoz but think i will need a return to tank thingy.
Where can i get 1

[Rob_Mac]

The service people will have one. If you have left it for 5 minutes or more, whilst running a seal kit as well!!

Hope it is something simple - Let us know tomorrow!

Good luck

Rob

[Cliff perkins]

It was something really simple,turned out to be a hoselock fitting that went on the tap that was letting air into the pipe.
Id never have found that out.
Im going to get a return to tank thingy put on so left it with them,just gotta buy a 250l tank now to run it from van.

[Steve Sed]

It was something really simple,turned out to be a hoselock fitting that went on the tap that was letting air into the pipe.
Id never have found that out.
Im going to get a return to tank thingy put on so left it with them,just gotta buy a 250l tank now to run it from van.

Swap you my 250 for your 500. 

[Cliff perkins]

Lol ive gotta buy a 250 aswell as keeping the 500,good try though steve