Hi everyone,
I’m using a 275 gallon ibc tote on my trailer and i’m running a 4000 psi 3.5gpm de walt pressure washer. Since it is not belt driven in would need a pump to provide the water flow for the pressure washer. I found this water pump at harbor freight that will move 1500gph. https://www.harborfreight.com/12-hp-cast-iron-transfer-pump-63316.html . Will that be enough for my pressure washer?
I wouldn’t worry about a transfer pump and just gravity feed it. The higher the water level the faster the water will drain. Fill the tote up with about a foot of water, set your timer, and see if you get 4 gallons of water to drain out in a minute. If not, fill it up a little higher and time it again. You’ll then know the minimum water level needed to supply the washer with water. Be sure to use have the same size hose attached to the tote that you’ll be using for the pressure washer. I would imagine 3/4" would be plenty for a 3.5 gpm machine. The bigger the better though.
When i have the tank filled up all the way there is a significant pressure difference compared to having it hooked up to the hose running from the faucet. I only got 3gpm when i open up the valve and let it drain for a minute.
Is that with or without the tank vented? What size hose do you have coming off the tote? You should be getting a lot more than 3 gpm even just from gravity. There are other guys on here who just gravity feed their direct drive and that’s with a bigger washer pump than a 3.5 gpm. If you haven’t tried it yet take the lid off of the tote and then time it while filling up a 5 gallon bucket with marks at each gallon.
Vent the tank up top so it can equalize the pressure.
It is a 5ft 3/4 hose
Got the top cap off when i have the pressure washer connected.
Agree with @marinegrunt, in 2018 I thought it was necessary to have a booster pump to run off a buffer tank so I was plugging the darn thing in to an outlet at every job, but for the heck of it I tried straight from the tank and it worked well enough.
I get about 6-7gpm from a full 55 gal leg tank.
Direct drives have always worked well off a buffer tank I know a lot of people running 4gpm machines like this. The ones that can’t get them to run don’t understand the fundamentals of pulling water and gravity feeding water and set them up like they would a geardrive/belt drive. I’ll give you a hint, there’s a difference in pressure and velocity of water between a fitting coming out the side of a IBC tote and a fitting coming off underneath a slightly raised buffer tank to clear your plumbing with water in it being equal, It’s all to do with where the weight of the water is, underneath obviously taking all the weight, that’s where the pressure and volume comes from to feed them much like how a spicket feeds a direct drive with positive pressure. It’s not rocket science, it’s pressure washing.
@Mauropac how long is the high pressure hose that runs from your pump to the wand? I have what sounds like the same machine and I have been running the same 40ft hose that came with the unit originally. That means I drag the setup around the house and usually have to reposition the washer twice. If you are successfully running 100ft, 150ft or 200ft of pressure hose that would be good to hear. And if you’ve been successful at those length of hose, what chem injector are you utilizing!
Most techs use around 200’ consistently.
I have my IBC tote sitting up higher than my pressure washer. Also put 2 inch blocks under the rear of the tank to tilt it forward a little bit. I’m running a 5ft 3/4 inch hose to my pressure washer. I had my tank filled up all the way and removed the cap of the top and there was still a significant difference between the faucet from the wall and the tank.
@Sasquatch I’d love to be able to run 200 ft of hose off my unit but I fear that it won’t work nearly as well as it should (pressure or soap draw) with my j-rod. But that’s the price I pay for buying a cheap power washer and trying to use it in this industry. That’s why I was inquiring on this post since it seems that I have the same unit and @Mauropac sounds like he is going to try and truck mount his where as I still drag mine around the house currently. If I could truck mount mine and still effectively use 200ft of hose then I could possibly start some upgrades now rather than having to wait until next year when I could buy a better machine.
You’ll be fine running 200’ of hose with your machine. You might lose a little psi but it won’t be enough to make much of a difference. I think they say pressure loss is like 200-300 psi through 200’ of hose. You won’t lose any gpm. If I remember right you have a 3.5 gpm? Plenty of guys use 4 gpm and mount it on a trailer and your pump isn’t too far off from that.
I ran 200ft hose off my 4gpm 4kpsi machine no problem. Direct drive too. I did have my nloader and inj right off the head
@marinegrunt @Redjess thank you both! I do have the 3.5gpm/ 4K psi direct drive. Getting it to stay in the back of the truck would open up lots of opportunities for improvements and upgrades to my current system without having to fork out so much for a new washer just yet (reels, buffer tank with bypass, hw mix tank, etc) .
I think you’d fine at 200’. Give it a try!
You could drill a hole in the cap for air flow, so you can’t accidentally forget to screw it back on and leave it behind. Or you could dummy cord it to the top so it will still be there.
Yes, the second time I used my tote I forgot to unscrew (vent) the cap, looked back to check water level in tank and the tote was collapsing inside the cage. Drilled hole after that.
They sell vents, but I couldn’t bother to waste more money. I am learning a lot by doing things wrong.
Same here, I drilled a 1/2” hole in the top of my leg tank. Works fine.
