So my machine is 4/4200, but I never use that high of pressure. The nozzles in my surface cleaner are 2500 psi and I also use 1000 psi tips for rinsing or other cleaning. I don’t use the tips that came with the machine simply because if you’re using the right cleaners, I don’t think you ever need anywhere near 4000 psi.
My question is, should I set to just over 2500ish or leave it at the factory setting at 4200? My thought was if I lower it, it might help the hose and swivel last longer. Why let it build up to such high pressure just to drop while I’m cleaning. Any validity to that or am I just overthinking things? Also, I don’t run a buffer tank, so my bypass is internal so I would be setting it off a gauge which I know isn’t going to be all that accurate. So I was thinking go 3000 on the gauge to be sure I’m not losing flow.
If you have a black loop of hose you can unhook one end and set unloader that way
I don’t have anything external on it. It’s just a consumer grade Simpson with CAT pump. But either way, I have no reason to keep it set where it came so high if my surface cleaner at 2500 psi is the highest I go, right? If for some reason I need higher, I can just turn it back up. I know I’ve read to set it and leave it alone, but what is the reason for that? What is the harm in turning it up once in a while when needed, then turning it back down?
Forgive my ignorance, I don’t do a lot of pressure washing.
As I understand it, extra wear on the unloader guts when it’s set too low, and danger of a pressure spike turning your fittings/hoses into little bombs if it’s too high (the pressure spike when you drop the trigger). I’ve also seen plenty of videos of surging motors that were fixed by either replacing or correctly setting the unloader.
