Troubleshooting a Pressure Washer

gary_in_neenah

gary_in_neenah

Super Moderator
Staff member
This appears to be the place to go to fix toilets and oil leaks, so I thought I'd join the fray with my latest challenge. I have a Generac 3100 Pressure Washer. It's great little machine, always starts, plenty of pressure, etc. Fired it up this morning and found that it wouldn't draw soap from the tank. Plenty of solution, hose wasn't clogged, filter was clean. So, what gives? I took the nipple off the top of the pump where there's a small check valve and it was clear, no obstructions. It's used sparingly, in the spring for the sled and trailer, again in mid-summer, and in the fall for the lawnmower.

Any thoughts or solutions?​
 
W

whitedust

Well-known member
The valve ball stuck to the solution tank hose or pail however you are using it. Easy peasy take it apart be careful to not lose the ball bearing inside clean it out wd40 , window cleaner really doesn’t matter what you use as long as ball bearing is free and you are good to go. The less you use it the probability the ball gets stuck increases with storage .
 
SHOOT2KILL

SHOOT2KILL

Active member
gary_in_neenah said:
This appears to be the place to go to fix toilets and oil leaks, so I thought I'd join the fray with my latest challenge. I have a Generac 3100 Pressure Washer. It's great little machine, always starts, plenty of pressure, etc. Fired it up this morning and found that it wouldn't draw soap from the tank. Plenty of solution, hose wasn't clogged, filter was clean. So, what gives? I took the nipple off the top of the pump where there's a small check valve and it was clear, no obstructions. It's used sparingly, in the spring for the sled and trailer, again in mid-summer, and in the fall for the lawnmower.

Any thoughts or solutions?​
Click to expand...
Do you have the right tip in the end of the wand...Mine only pulls soap with the 65* tip installed (Low Pressure)
 
gary_in_neenah

gary_in_neenah

Super Moderator
Staff member
how the story ends...​

First off, thanks to those that responded. ddhanna, that was my first chuckle of the day and yes, I had the correct tip on the gun for applying soap. After dinner last night, I went back out to the garage. I wanted to look at the check valve that Whitedust mentioned. Took off the nipple where the hose connects and sure enough, the little ball rolls out in my hand, followed shortly by a teeny tiny spring that fell to the floor and quickly rolled out of sight. Crap! Only I didn't say Crap, I used the other word. Therefore, I spent the best part of an hour on my hands and knees with a flashlight looking for that little spring. No luck, apparently that little spring joined up in hiding with all the other small parts and pieces I've lost over the years. By this time my mood is sour and it's quickly approaching Beer O' Clock.

And then it hits me....I'll sweep the floor and use a magnet over the pile of dust bunnies and whatnot and sure enough, that little spring pops right out. About that time, I hear the voice of my Dad in heaven saying, "always check for the simple solution before you take it apart". You ever notice that our Dad's get smarter as we get older. What I should have done initially, was to blow on the hose.....and I didn't and when I did, I Iearned the hose was plugged at the filter. It's a small filter with very small openings. I soaked it in CLR overnight and this morning, it was just like new. Another thing my Dad used to say is, "did you learn anything?" Well yes sir, I did and thanks for asking.

The End

:)​
 
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