Standard chemical injector Down Stream enough to handle 12.5% SH?

Hey there everyone. Quick question regarding DS, (and please excuse any improper names/references to items) : on my current pressure washer, as seen in photos, the chemical injection pick-up tube connects at the pump in what appears to be a fashion as water is exiting the pump. Does that mean that should be safe to run 10% or even 12.5% SH through? I don’t necessarily want to buy a down stream kit and fittings if the current plumbing on my machine will work. Per the owner’s manual, there is a 10:1 ratio of water to chemical.

So, it’s been just over a year since I started with the most basic of the basic of equipment. This is a side hustle for me, typically just 2-4 houses a month. I’ve cleaned about 3 dozen homes, driveways, small businesses, etc and I’d like to keep it up. However, I am always open to bettering myself, my techniques, and therefore providing a better service to my clients. I’ve been using just standard Outdoor Clorox bleach, which I believe is around 7-8% SH, and I’m wanting to move up to using something like Elemonator, Applewash, etc in conjunction with SH as I see all the benefits of such. I’ve never used that much SH before nor the surfactants but I’m wanting to move in that direction for sure. Any advice regarding this DS question is much appreciated!
Thanks y’all, from a newbie who’s been on here for just two days and is loving everything that I’ve found on here so far - you all are rock stars!

Welcome to the forum! Yes you can, and should, use %12.5 SH with a DSI. However, injectors, even the stock one you have there, are wear and tear items. They just do not last forever, especially when SH is involved.

You are best served by plugging the stock injector, and getting a couple spare ones on quick connects. They are cheap, and that way when one goes bad, you can just swap it out and finish the job.

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Thank you for the response. I don’t believe that on my “less-than” model of power washer the chemical injector is easily replaceable. I had pondered getting a quick connect version of an add-on injector and plumbing it just after the pump. When you say to clog the existing one, do you mean just tape it, or caulk it?

Unscrew the barb on the one attached to your pump and replace it with a brass threaded plug. Take out the ball and spring when doing so.
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Well that makes sense. See, told ya I was a new to this. :sweat_smile:

The nicest way I can put it is, that pump is junk. Replace it with something at least homeowner grade.

No hard feelings. I know that I didn’t t sink a lot into this, but, so far, it’s done everything I’ve asked it to do and then some! But I also understand that it could crap out any day, and as much as that would suck, it’s paid for itself multiple times over and helped pay the bills so I can’t complain.

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The point is quality machinery will do the same, knowing what you know now what will you rather still have in a couple years down the track, the machine you have now or something a lot better.

With all above said, you are in the right place. Start searching things you want to know and you’ll learn a ton. Everything you need to know about downstreaming, chemicals, equipment, cleaning vinyl stucco concrete and roofs is all here. Best of luck

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Thanks for the info. I don’t want to get into it full-time…yet. I started a job with a municipality here in S. Carolina and I’ll be there for the next 28 years roughly before I can fully retire and then hopefully go full-on exterior cleaning. But working on the weekends and a few evenings for additional income helps out a bunch right now so learning the right way and any tips/tricks is what I joined here for. Wealth of information already discovered in just a matter of hours of my time = priceless.

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I think @Max1 account got hacked!
Whoever has control of it is giving out advice to newbs before telling them to use the search bar. Definitely not @Max1. :wink:

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He is doing PWing part time at the most, why not use the pump until it dies? It’s making him money after all. He can always replace it with a good pump then.

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Do this.

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He can do whatever he likes, I’m just saying it’s junk because maybe he didn’t know it was.

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I’m aware that what I have isn’t designed for where I’m wanting to go, and I tried to distinguish that early-on in the thread. However, it was the best thing I could get on the Home Depot credit card when I was laid off a year ago and in need of finding instant income. Didn’t have any cash on-hand at the time. Still don’t have the cash laying around, but slowly getting life “back to normal”, if there is such a thing. I figure we all have to start somewhere, and I reckon many people on here where once in similar shoes. I appreciate everyone’s willingness to share their input.

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So far what I have seen is less superior equipment only makes the job take longer but it can still be done. Keep on keeping on. I’m in the same boat.

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I feel you, been there done that, but not in this field. We all have to do what we have to do to make ends meet. You went out and hustled. I graduated college with honors and couldn’t find a job in my field, so I went and worked on a hydraulic drill rig as a helper, had student loans to pay off. Got my first degree related job, paid crap, they treated me like crap, I hustled on the side painting, construction, etc.

I’ve been reading and reading and asking dumb questions here a lot. I still feel like I am missing stuff, but will iron the kinks out here this summer. I can’t stress insurance enough. I have friends in the construction industry that have been set up by customers. Those types are out there and waiting for fresh contractors. You can’t get some jobs without proof of insurance.