Brian is 2 for 2 on back to back posts I’ve read. Lol
I mean there can’t be anything else, if you lower the pipe below the tank water level, and water doesn’t flow out, either there is something stuck in the elbow or inside the tank close to that elbow, or in the pipe, if none of them, try opening the lid and flipping the tank, if the water doesn’t flow out by then, then its probably frozen 
Tell us did anything help man, flowing? or still not?
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I know it has been mentioned but make sure the tank is vented. Just leave the lid off at first. Heck, even take the hose off at first. If water doesn’t come out with the lid and hose off Fat-one is right and the barb is plugged.
In the picture above you just made a water level. Hose must be below the water line in the tank. We used water levels in the Philippines to level trusses on roofs when we couldn’t see the other side. Lay the hose down and see if it will run out. If not, fitting or hose is blocked.
I found the culprit!
I took this filter off from the pump inlet and used a straight brass hose barb instead. I redirected my bypass unloader to the buffer tank and it miraculously started pumping water fine. @Innocentbystander called it, I wouldn’t even have considered taking it off since it pumped water fine without a buffer tank.
I’m not sure if this was exactly the issue, I implemented many of the advice given here cumulatively and it just started working. I think I overlooked some simple issues like vacuuming the tank, but I’m just glad everything worked out. I can’t thank enough people here for helping a newbie out, I still have so much more to learn and I appreciate people mentoring me even if it’s just a little bit along the way!
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I have 4GPM pump running off a 1in id crush resistant hose w/ in-line banjo filter coming off a IBC tote. My question is can I upgrade Electric start to Save my arm from the kick back of the machine that happens when you have water running to the machine while you try to start it w/o unknowingly causing damage to the machine. The kickback has puzzled me for years, during this time I have circumvented it by having a in-line value that I have shut off as I pull the engine over and turn the water on after the machine has started. I’m looking for a better way of doing thing and would value you alls opinion. Also, is any physical way I can setup the pipes to supply enough pressure to have water running through the machine and out the end of the high pressure. I have seen a video of this guy with a 8gpm pump and huge supply tank that didn’t have this issue.
I don’t really understand some of this but don’t ever start a machine without water running to it. Your gun should be beside your machine if you unroll your hose right. Just squeeze the trigger when you start the machine. Add on electric starts never work out the way folks think they will.
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You’re gonna have to explain that one a little more. Do you mean just gravity feed enough water to supply an 8 gpm pump? If so, just get a belt or gear drive and it will pull water. The water tank could be a few feet below the pump and still draw water.
Every machine gets hard to start if you don’t squeeze the gun. When pulling the starter cord you’re building up pressure in the pump and hose. Electric start won’t change this. Even with electric start you should be pulling the trigger on the gun. If you don’t and, the machine doesn’t start fast enough, it won’t turn over and start and you’ll have to release the pressure from the gun anyways.
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Thank you for your replies gentleman, I should specified that I use a ball value at the end off my high pressure hose aswell, this serves dual purpose for me as I don’t need to mess w/ the trigger on a gun when starting aswell as let’s me switch to my surface cleaner w/o have to turn off the machine when I start doing the flat work at a house so… no the machine is not able to build back pressure b cause that end is always open. Grunt, I’m running a belt driven 4GPM pump speaking from experience, I already know belt drive is the way to go if you are running a tank. The problem lies in the actual pressure off the water not it’s flow rate (I get about 10 GPM from the tank) when I say the water pressure isn’t enough to turn the pump and have the water cycle through, I mean there isn’t enough PSI from the the tank, unlike a garden hose running to the house with the house supplying a substantially PSI to push water through the pump. You get pressure by the resistance to flow, not unlike a pressure washer, pushing water to a tiny orifice, is how you get your pressure, the pump itself doesn’t do that. Simply put… I need to build water pressure from the tank to the machine, because gravity feed doesn’t build enough psi to push my water through the pump, sufficient flow, insufficient water pressure, two different Things.
I would also like to question why not starting the pressure washer w/ water is a bad idea, for the less than a second it’s running “dry”. Almost every time I started the machine with water running through it has “kicked back” (that’s why I don’t do that) when I use to run off a garden house from a house. Are you telling me you guys don’t have this problem?
No we don’t have this problem. Do you write the teleprompter script for Biden? Just curious.
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best comment
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You don’t need air pressure in your buffer tank. A belt drive pulls water. Nobody adds air pressure to their buffer tank and there’s absolutely no reason to do so. There are guys running direct drives from a buffer and they don’t pull water. They solely rely on gravity feed and they don’t have any issues unless their water level gets too low.
Lol, now you are channeling awesomewash. Sounds like you got the info you needed though. No profanity please. Against the rules and grown men shouldn’t say in public what they shouldn’t say in church
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I have never heard of doing such a thing, I’m referring to water PSI to my inlet not air PSI. Yes, I’m aware belt driven pumps creates suction, only when the pump is running though, and I’m not talking about that. I think my problem is the water level in the tank as you stated, my ibc at 155 galleon mark or about half full would supply more pressure on the out line than say if it was only about 50 gallons full. This is just not enough weight (water weight) Above the ibc value to push the water out, at a sufficient enough psi to push the water through the pump when the machine shut off.
Easy tiger, no one insulted you. Probably best for you to leave though if you are so easily agitated. Or you could start over, introduce yourself and be civil. If you have a belt drive you don’t need head pressure. No one is really clear what you are trying to accomplish. But, regardless, you can’t come on here and threaten people or use foul language. We are professionals here for the most part and don’t tolerate such behavior.
I’m not certain but I think you have to be licensed to give someone else an enema. If you want to do it to yourself I don’t see how anyone can stop you.
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Nah dawg, literally everything you write makes you a bad writer. Just slow down.
Also, like IBS said, you don’t need head pressure with a belt-driven machine. Just squeeze the trigger as you start it and you’ll see a huge improvement, especially if the tip in your wand is xx25 or lower (higher number).
Btw, if you’re interested, it’s not the size of the tank that creates PSI; it’s the height of the water above your outlet. So with a 1" outlet from your tank, the water level would have to be over 100’ tall to produce 50 psi.
Edit: higher tip number, lower psi
We don’t clean with pressure nate! You’ll run into issues.
I think he’d prefer to “soft wash” it anyway lol
