Hello, I’m new on here but occasionally post on the wcra forum.
I’ve come across a trailer that has a Honda GX620 engine and an Alkota hot system, 8ft trailer(no license plates), 2 hose reels, 100 gallon tank, 974 hours on it.
It starts and runs fine.
The pump has been rebuilt according to him.
However…water only drips out the hose.
Guy that is selling it says it’s the heating coils , they are probably clogged and need to be cleaned.
Don’t know much about hot pressure washers. Currently use a cold washer for routine commercial routes I have. They have offered me their dumpster areas to clean, the cold washer won’t do it. So this is why I’m interested in this trailer.
Anyone have any input? I’ve searched around and found the hearing coils would cost around $500 to replace(parts only).
What would you consider offering for it?
He said make an offer, but don’t want to offend him lol
He asked for you to make an offer he’s gotta be prepared for any number. Call your nearest alkota dealer and give them a run down on what’s happening. Might help you determine what it’s worth.
I had a heater go on my unit a couple of years ago. You should be able to bypass the heater altogether by removing the hose that runs water from the pump to the heater. At the very least you will be able to tell if the pump is working at that point.
This also means you aren’t able to test the heater itself? True? When was the last time the coils were cleaned? Its good for that to be done at least annually, if not twice a year. If not, soot builds up on outside of coil, insulating it from the outside heat. This makes the burner fire more to achieve the desired temp, consuming more fuel. You will also get black smoke out the stack. Should be colorless.
Is the heater vertical or horizontal?
If vertical, it increases chances of injector blockage by even the tiniest particle. My heater is verticle.
If horizontal, water collects in the belly and if not winterized properly, expands and could crack the coil.
My instincts say move on if you can’t test everything you are buying.
They mentioned you could by pass the heater and it works just fine, that’s what they did when they were trouble shooting it and rebuilt the pump. He mentioned you could use diluted CLR to run it through the coil and unclog it,. Its just at an auction lot so not much testing can be done. I’ll post a pic.
The guy was offering it to me before it goes on auction today. They buy and sell heavy equipment. They also mentioned it came from Disneyland, sticker with barcode still on the trailer. I’m guessing that’s why it doesn’t have license plates. Tires look brand new though.
Again, alkota dealers are often local brick and mortar, small businesses. Customer satisfaction is a lot more crucial than these online dropshipping pressure washer assemblers.
I’d start with a call to the nearest alkota dealer. Might be a recall on the burner. Might have a rebuilt burner they can install for less.
Buying a used hot water rig with a fair number of hours on it and some ‘issues’ as your first rig may keep you in your local repair shop. Without an inspection by a technician whom really knows hot water units and quote for the repair just to get it back to operating specs, you don’t know how much it will truly cost you. Some repair shops are better than others. Squidskc is correct. Some shops just sell equipment and they don’t know how to repair it. Replacing the coil is a JOB in itself and a messy one. I can always tell when the guys are working on a coil by the soot on their arms and faces. The job is a nasty one and labor intensive. Even if the coil is $500-600, the labor is going to add up quickly. It’s sad to see a guy get into this industry, but used equipment and not get ahead because he did not anticipate the repairs needed on the used equipment (especially hot water).
The trailer is tiny. That rig is job specific. We assemble rigs like that for construction companies, road crews, etc. You are really probably looking for a bigger trailer with the capacity to carry water at some point. Guys often make the mistake of buying a trailer that is too small.
Pressure Washer Products is an ALKOTA and AaLadin dealer. These units are built to last. Did you know that Alkota used to make the hot water coils for Pressure-Pro?
