I don’t think I have seen this on a trailer so I wanted to pose the question before I go through the effort.
Has anyone plumbed their water supply lines to both their buffer tank and pressure washer? Using a combination of valves to direct the water to either their buffer tank or directly to the pressure washer.
The homes in my area have great flow from the spigot and it seems irresponsible to dump a ton of water after every job.
I’ll be using 150 ft of garden hose and a water filter to supply a 4 gpm machine.
Always better to feed from buffer tank. Lower your float if you don’t want excess water at end of job
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Pretty much what I was gonna say.
At some point this year, I’ll be installing a second hudson valve on a down-tube, probably around the 20-25 gallon mark. The water supply line connects to the tank with a Banjo camlock, so it’ll just be a 5 second process to disconnect from one valve and connect to the other.
I alway want to use the buffer tank, because it acts as a radiator to cool my pump while in bypass. Which, by the way, you’d need a second “bypass” for if you were switching between tank and direct feed.
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Excess water? Just take it to the next job with you
I really can’t haul 200 gallons of water from one job to another.
I have considered the idea of lowering the float valve and may do that as well.
I like the idea of not having to wait for the tank to fill before I begin as well.
I’ll be installing a bypass from the unloaded to the buffer tank so I’ll have some water to dump.
I guess what I’m most concerned about is the drop in gpm flow from 150 feet of hose and a water filter. Our spigot are good around here though.
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Let the tank fill while u get set up and you should be fine… only 4gpm.
You can also set up multiple hudson valves at different depths if it seems like you need more of a buffer
Dont disconnect the line put a T on your feed line. Then add a shut off valve in those hoses that go to the hudsons. When you want 25g open the valve and when you want 50g close the 25g and open the 50g.
Easy Peezy.
That would work too. But it adds some unneeded complexity, imo. My solution uses the fittings and plumbing that’s already there, and will take literally 5 seconds to switch over. I’ll be sure and post some pictures when I set it up.
With a 4gpm machine, you don’t need to wait for the tank to fill to get started. Just let it get above your safety shutoff reed switch (you will be installing one, right?)
When I pull up to a job, first thing I do after saying hi to the homeowner is hook up the water supply and start filling. Then I pull out my pressure hose and do a walkaround to tape over outlets and whatnot and make sure nothing is up against the house that shouldn’t be. Then fire up my machine and get started. By that point my tank is usually half full or more (it’s just a 55 gal drum).
If you don’t wanna dump a lot of water at the end, shutoff the supply to the tank towards the end of the job. This is where having the safety shutoff is real useful, ‘cause you might underestimate how much rinsing there is left to do. Or just install that second float valve 
Btw, 200 gallons is awful big for a 4gpm machine. Planning on upgrading soon?
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If your always going to be using the tank as a buffer and not for being mobile then I would do what @Infinity recommended and just us a 55 gallon barrel as your buffer. It would free up a lot of room on your trailer to
Truthfully if I were to do it over, I would use a 65 gallon leg (horizontal) tank. You can install your bulkhead lower and the float valve higher, maybe even in the lid, and get more useable volume. I get about 35 gallons of actual buffer out of my drum before the water dips below a safe point. The drums are also harder to secure on a vehicle/trailer.
The drums are dirt cheap on CraigsList, though 
This bring up an interesting point I have been researching. Does not seem like there is much about it on the forum. Do you guys carry 55 gallon drums of sh on your trailers and how do you secure them. I’m focused mainly on open trailers since it seems like it would be pretty easy in an enclosed trailer.
I have given up for the time being on hudson float valve, takes too long to fill up.
…maybe i will retry it
If the Hudson valve is working properly, there shouldn’t be any restriction to flow. I’d check the filter screen for clogs
And listening to him, makes him come back and troll as he always does.
Never staying on topic and going off and giving advice like he did before…use a gun to connect to a surface cleaner…when they already cone with a build in trigger
I removed the white mesh.
Seems to be working better
Ty
Not sure what the drama is about, and don’t really care.
You are the one that left not me.
While you were away everything was more cordial and on topic.
You should have stayed wherever you where
I’ll give you peace when you delete your stolen website. That’s my only grief with you.
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