Aqua Pro 24" Surface Cleaner

Just set the unloader properly, and throw away the knob…use tips if you need to adjust pressure from there.

A gauge isn’t necessary to set the unloader

When I set the unloader with just the whip line, I open up the bolt until there’s water trickling out of the by-pass when the valve is open. I then go 1/4 turns and keep checking until it is just beyond a teardrop going into the tank. Then it’s set. The problem is that I just did this, but the pressure is kind of low still. It’s only 2300-2400 psi with a nozzle on. And that is only a 6-foot whip. The bucket test is about 8 to 81/2 gallons as it was before.
Edit: And just to mention, the gauge has no fluid. It all leaked out of there. Not sure if this would affect the test.

What nozzle are you using to set the unloader. And is it a pressure unloader?

I didn’t use a nozzle. I just used the ball valve. It’s a K7 unloader.

Well, good luck with that lol

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I just set it again this time w/the nozzle. I used 8.5’s nozzle’s. The pressure was spiking to about 3600/3700psi and reading at 3400/3500psi. :sunglasses: :muscle: Bucket test was still excellent flow (about 8.5)

Want to see a video. How much bypass you getting?

With the nozzles there’s some going back into the tank but not that much. With the ball valve open there’s no water going back into the tank.

Forget the ball valve, you can’t set squat with it. You want at least 5% bypassing with the nozzle

The second time I used the nozzle to set it. It had a trickle of water going back into the tank even after adjustment. Wasn’t used to that much pressure on the gun though. lol

I just tested again. The AP works well now the pressure is at 2900 psi though w/2025 tips and 250ft of hose. The 16" Ultra with 2X 2506 tips flew in the air and did some damage to the brush on the way down. The pressure is at 3000psi w/ the white tip and there is plenty of water going into the tank when on the gun. The pressure does seem like a lot compared to what I was used to. There’s a website that says to set it where it spikes to 200psi above the pump rating which is what I ended up doing. If I keep the pressure here, I may end up rinsing w/the soap tip & using a weight for the Ultra. Does anyone think the pressure is too much now based on this information? 8GPM 3500 GP pump.

We run mostly 8/3500s, but I have no idea what the actual usable psi is, nor do I care to. I set the unloaders (just learnt that little skill actually) so that there is a trickle of bypass going into the buffer with the trigger pulled (using the correct max-pressure tip, this is the critical part I learned, lol). To me that method makes the most sense, as it sets it up for a tiny bit of bypass at max spraying pressure, and will then bypass more as needed when off the gun or if anything else should act up in the system…

What is the max tip that you use? Is that something like a red tip? I used both the red & the white & they were about 100psi difference.

It needs to be the tip for your machine’s rating…for my 8gpm/3500s I think I grabbed a #9, and #6 for my 5.5gpm one. It was super-easy to get it right, once I had the right tip… lol

You’re splitting hairs. Get the SC around 2500psi and go wash.

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2 different issues…tips for the SC and tips for setting his unloader correctly…I think we can all agree a badly set unloader is a real problem (or a potential one at least)

I used 8.5’s as those are the ones that came w/the machine. It does seem to correspond to the GPM. But I was asking about the degree of tip. 40, 15, or 0. etc. I’ve noticed there’s some difference in psi when switching those out, but not that much. I used both the red & white tip to adjust. I may just dial it down anyway to where I think it should be. I think with less psi, is safer for the pump when it spikes.

I grabbed whichever fan tips they had at the supply house (green I think). They’ll never be used for washing in our case, so I’ll just bag 'em and hang them on the pegboard. As I understand it, it shouldn’t matter, as long as it’s not the soap tip.

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Maybe your machines getting tired racer. I just tested my pressure with 25025’s in my 4 nozzle ground force with 200’ hose and it put me at 3500 psi