Starting this season I’ve decided to run two 4.5 GPM pumps together with a Siamese kit (Same pumps, Engines and unloaders). One pump I ran last season, rebuilt this spring however its not running as much PSI as the new pump. They ran normally for the first few days with good flow and consistent pressure. I installed two new unloaders on both machines however they seem to be fighting with each other, even with the check valves installed upstream on the Siamese kit. It runs fine for a few hours then seemingly randomly acts up. The unloaders continually cycle and sound like little jack hammers going off. Both pumps run fine independently with normal pressure when unhooked from the Siamese kit.
My question is has any one installed one unloader for two pumps to run off of? I was planning to run it after the two check valves to try and solve the issue of the unloaders constantly kicking In and Out and competing with one and other.
Why is one of the pumps running lower pressure? Does it have a smaller motor?
Both unloaders should be set to the same pressure. This is a “weakest link” scenario. Your max pressure will be dictated by the less powerful machine. I’m guessing the jackhammering is happening from the unloaders bypassing as slightly different pressure points. Going to a single unloader should theoretically solve the issue. But I’d probably stick with a trapped pressure (vs. flow-actuated) unloader, and set it to the lower pressure. The zk1 might act unpredictably with two pumps feeding it.
But I’m in agreement with @mwpws. Invest in a 8gpm machine.
Thanks for all the Input everyone. I’m going to try the single unloaded for my next week of projects and will post an update. I’m planning to go the 8 GPM route this summer.
Been running this setup for the past few weeks without issues, using only one unloaded for the two pumps seems to have made the difference. I’ve put approximately 50 hours on it so far with the two pumps running. I use only one pump to downstream for the time being.
I had a similar issue I’ve been running two engines two pumps one pump with a little bigger and they were both about 4,000 psi one was four GPM the other one was five and a half GPM so everything was working great especially when it came to using the surface cleaner I got the right nozzles and I’m cleaning driveway after driveway after driveway and if I use the right J-Rod everything is lovely well I started having unload a problems on both of my engines it seem like and I started having hoses burst equipment break so I bought a really nice unloader and solved the problem no more pressure build up and then boom and then I thought how about I run just a line coming out of the pumps and to my splitter and check valves and then put the unloader in front of that It can handle up the 13 or 20 GPM so why not? So that’s what I did and everything is lovely That’s how I should have done it in the beginning that was 9 months ago
Hey Dave, good to hear that! Yes I ran mine this way for all last season. Worked well, I liked it for the fact that I could conserve water if I didn’t need all 9GPMS of the two running at once. Turn one off and now it’s just 4.5GPMS
