Hey y’all I’ve been doing a lot of reading and learning and finally am ready to post on here and introduce myself. I’ve spent the last couple months researching pressure washing and soft washing and have spent the last couple weeks gathering my equipment. I have purchased a used 4000 PSI 4 GPM unit with a Honda gx390 and a geardrive cat pump, a used general pump 18” surface cleaner and a brand new 12v system from pressure tek. I will be spending the rest of the year gaining experience by doing my roof, house and driveway first and then family and friends and learning everything I can. Starting next year I will be working hard to get work and build my business. I didn’t know where to start this thread since I’ve done so much reading that I don’t really have any questions yet, so I started it here since I will be putting all my equipment on a trailer and building it up as I go. Also, thank you guys so much for all the knowledge on this site. I look forward to talking with y’all!
I have a similar setup im using thus as a buffer tank
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/horizontal-leg-tank-65-gal
Plus pressure washing products horizontal leg tank plumbing kit with a hudson float valve to maintain water intake to my tank. It also includes a bypass line to run back to the tank. If your interested in the buffer tank message me anf i can get you a great deal on it.
Welcome, and good luck. Feel free to ask anything you want, you’ve put in the study time.
Nice intro!
Thank you @Grizz I do plan to get more hose, the M5 and that Suttner 2315 gun. The pressure washer I bought came with a 125 gallon tank and I have a 50 gallon and two 30 gallons I will find out how I need them. Thank you @Racer I will definitely have questions as I am very green in this. I appreciate your offer! @anon26752184 thank you. I tried to get it all out there!
Hah. Yes @squidskc that means a lot, I’ve been putting in work and y’all have been a big help.
Way to do your homework. It’s worth it’s weight in gold. You learn so many other things on the search to one answer that you find three answers you were never looking for. Welcome.
@PalmettoPW. Do you see the 3 dots in your post. Hit that and a flag and a bookmark icon pops up. Touch the bookmark icon and you can save all important posts. I screen shot hundreds of posts until someone mentioned the bookmark. Best thing on this forum.
Thank you @Harold yes it’s amazing what you learn that you didn’t know you wanted to learn. @Danl75 thank you that will be useful, didn’t realize that yet.
So just an update for my build. Today I decided to try and set the unloader and test my GPM’s. I got the unloader set and then did the GPM bucket test. It overflowed a 5 gallon bucket in 55 seconds. So the PW was sold to me as a 4 GPM unit and now I’m thinking it’s bigger, maybe a 5.6? Still looking into that. If so that’s great news except now I need new nozzles. No big deal though. There are no numbers on the pump so I called cat, they say I have to take it apart and measure plungers to know what I have.
Problem is after I did that I hooked up the SC and wanted to clean my driveway, I got about 2’ done and seemed to have lost pressure. I’m thinking it’s the unloader valve? It doesn’t have any kickback on the gun and the unloader isn’t moving up or down anymore when trigger pulled.
Anyone agree or disagree with unloader valve?
Anyone have any idea what pump I have and is measuring plunger the only way to know??
Thank you
Your gear box oil sight looks milky, When oil turns white it means waters in it… I’d flush and do a service on it before running it anymore…
Thank you @Chesebro. I actually just changed it and it’s back to milky. The pump also. I’m wondering if it’s just residual from the milky oil in there before or if I need to rebuild pump. Which is another reason I need to know what model I have. But I plan on changing them again immediately to see if it does it again.
Pump over full and has water in it. How did you set the unloader? What tip did you use when you did your bucket test and when you set the unloader?
If it happens again, it’s due for a re seal job… It’s letting water into the crankcase… No bueno
@Innocentbystander I set the unloader by taking bypass hose off and adjusting until it was trickling out with red tip. Did the bucket test with no tip. I tried to find what tip to use and couldn’t find it. So I tried with green tip I believe and it was splashing out and seemed like too much pressure so I took the tip off. I’m pretty sure I did the unloader correctly but did I do the bucket test right?
Do you have a tachometer on the motor? A 4gpm pump will put out 5gpm or more if you’re overreving the engine. Flow rate is determined by the rpm (for positive-displacement pumps)
Have you done a bucket test on your water supply? If the pump was starving for water, you’ll lose pressure. And there’s a fairly good chance that was happening if the pump was pushing 5+gpm.
@Infinity I do not have a tach on the motor. I’ve actually been not running it WOT. Seems high so I rev it up then turn it back down a hair. Wish I had a tach. And as far as the supply water goes, I did a bucket test on it after I lost pressure and it filled a 5 gallon bucket in like 30 seconds so I don’t think supply is a problem.
