Another unloader question

Learned something new after much much reading on this forum. I had been using the unloader incorrectly.

I borrowed a pressure gauge from a local pressure washing company (north Alabama pressure washing, great guy) to properly set my unloader. I have a honda/comet 4k/4gpm machine. When I set it up this afternoon, i had unloader completely backed off, started machine, pulled trigger and started to increase unloader while monitoring gauge. Proper tip orifice installed also, #4. I tried to go to 4k with trigger pulled. Got to 3700 before i bottomed out at factory setting jam nut. But when i let off trigger, it spiked to 4600 ish. I went all the way back down to 3400 and it was still spiking more than 10%, up to 4k.

Bad unloader? Does spike start to lessen if I made it up to 4k with trigger pulled (i didn’t adjust jam nut to allow me to get to 4k because of such high spike)? Is having the spike above max rated pressure bad (apparently ran it like this for few hours)? Is having my current setting of approx 18% spike ok (3400 pulled, 4k released)?

First. If you are running a 13 hp engine it is physically impossible to get 4 at 4000. How much hose are you using while setting unloader? Pressure gauge should not br used when setting unloader. Never start machine unless trigger is already pulled when installing new unloader. Pressure is irrelevant. Set for max flow and pressure is what it is. Adjust unloader until allow about a drop a second is running thru bypass. That’s it. You’re done. 4 at 4000 is like pressure pros selling 8 at 3500. False advertising

I’m sure there is markup in what they’re capable of just like every other equipment you buy. Just trying to get my equipment set proper. I learned about the need to set unloader correctly after researching on this site. I have not been able to find any instructions other than using gauge to set unloader. I understand what you are saying, but i don’t have a buffer tank that my unloader dumps/pulls from. I have a skid mounted unit with the unloader mounted to pump with looped hose. The unloader is not new, been used for approx 20 hours, albeit incorrectly. Therefore I dont think i can set my unloader as you say I should since I can’t see what is in my bypass. Unless there is another way to tell when I have a drop a second thru bypass? Every instruction or video shows using gauge the way I described above.

So back to my concerns/questions when using gauge. What if I can’t satisfy the 10% rule with spike pressure, is my unloader bad? Is it bad or ok if the pump spikes to pressure more than rated, as for my example above? I’m thinking that last question is self explanatory but…

You can use the looped bypass hose. Just unhook it temporarily from the bypass loop.

No concerns of high pressure release through hose while disconnected and engine running?

Keep the trigger pulled. Zip tie it open if need be. With trigger pulled there is no pressure build up in system