Each owner of a pressure washer faces the question of maintenance or repair of the device – the reason can be both: natural wear of component parts and mechanisms, and non-observance of rules of operation. There are a list of the most common defects and the main reasons of them in the table – it will help you to diagnose the problem and fix it yourself.
| PROBLEM | PROBABLE CAUSE | POSSIBLE REMEDY |
|---|---|---|
| Burner motor does not operate | Overload protection tripped | Allow motor to cool. Push reset button. |
| No power reaching burner | Check power cord, circuit breaker, switches, internal wiring and wiring terminals. Re-establish power by replacing bad switch, etc | |
| Motor bearings “frozen” | Free motor shaft and lubricate. | |
| Replace motor if necessary | ||
| Fuel pump “frozen” | Replace fuel pump – keep water out of fiiel supply | |
| Defective burner motor | Replace or repair motor | |
| Burner motor runs but no ignition | No Fuel | Replenish fuel supply |
| Weak or defective ignition transformer-weak spark or no spark | Replace transformer | |
| Electrodes out of proper adjustment – no spark | Readjust electrodes. Replace electrode assembly if damaged or if ceramic insulation is cracked. | |
| Poor fuel atomization | Check for loose or fouled fuel nozzle, dirty or clogged fuel filter or fuel pump screen. Clean or replace fouled components. | |
| Inadequate fuel pressure – low pump setting or air leak in the fuel pump suction plumbing | Contact service person. | |
| Very cold weather causes jelling of heavier fuel oils | Switch to lighter oil; kerosene or No. 1 heating oil | |
| Excessive combustion air | Close air band until burner ignites; then readjust for cleanest bum, and tighten. | |
| Burner motor runs, but no fuel at burner nozzle or no fuel atomization | No fuel | Replenish fuel supply |
| Clogged fuel nozzle | Clean or replace nozzle | |
| Clogged fuel filter | Clean or adjust filter | |
| Restricted fuel line | Locate and eliminate restriction | |
| Air leak in fuel suction line | Locate and eliminate air leak | |
| Clogged or inoperative fuel solenoid | Clean or replace if faulty. | |
| Burner starts but flame blows away | Excessive combustion air | Close air band until burner will stay lit; then adjust for cleanest bum and tighten |
| Poor fuel atomization | Check for loose or clogged nozzle, dirty filter or low fuel pump pressure, correct as needed. | |
| Burner motor stops after a few minutes of operation | Low line voltage causing overload to trip | Use heavier supply wiring, larger circuit or eliminate other loads on circuit. |
| Defective burner motor | Repair or replace motor. | |
| Poor burn, smokey bum or foul, pungent odor | Insufficient combustion air | Open air adjustment band until bum improves. |
| Fuel nozzle partially clogged, fouled, loose or worn | Clean, tighten or replace fuel nozzle as needed. Contact service person. | |
| Low fuel pressure, poor fuel atomization | Locate and eliminate air leak. | |
| Air leak in fuel pump suction plumbing (inlet side), sometimes indicated by bubbles in fuel return hose. | Check all fittings, hoses, filters, pump filter cover. | |
| Switch to lighter oil, kerosene or No. 1 heating oil. | ||
| Very cold weather causes jellying of heavier oils | Remove burner from heating coil to check for damage to combustion basket. If damaged, order new chamber. | |
| Poor or no fuel shut off in fuel pump causing accumulation of unburned fuel | Replace fuel pump, check combustion chamber, replace if necessary, check fuel solenoid, replace if faulty. ( | |
| Low temperature output | Partially clogged fuel nozzle | Clean or replace fuel nozzle. |
| Significant scale deposits in heating coil | Conduct back pressure test to determine extent of scaling | |
| Significant soot deposits on heating coil | De-soot the coil as instructed in | |
| Very low tap water supply temperatures | Contact service person | |
| Excessive temperature output | Very high tap water supply temperatures | |
| Oversized fuel nozzle | Consult dealer for correct fuel nozzle | |
| Fuel filter clogs often | Very dirty fuel | Use clean fuel, clean storage tanks, clean filler cans, clean funnel. |
| Fuel pump “freezes” or locks up | Water in fuel supply causes corrosion in fuel pump | Use cleaner fuel supply, change filter more often, eliminate water from fuel storage tank. |
| Frequent failure of ignition transformer | Too much exposure to moisture, rain, wash spray, etc. | Avoid leaving washer out in wet weather, keep wash spray away from machine. |
| Problem | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Low Pressure | Worn or oversized spray nozzle. | Replace worn nozzle. |
| Clogged water and/or detergent inlet strainer. | Clean or replace fouled strainers. | |
| Out of detergent – pump sucking air through detergent line. | Restore detergent supply or close detergent shut off valve. | |
| Air leak in inlet plumbing. | Locate air leak. Reseal connection or replace damaged part. | |
| Belt slipping. | Tighten or replace if damaged. | |
| Dirt or foreign particle in the valve assembly. | Examine the valve assembly and remove any dirt or particles. | |
| Worn or damaged inlet or discharge valve. | Replace worn valves. | |
| Rough operation with loss of pressure | Restricted inlet plumbing or air leak in inlet plumbing. | Ensure adequate water supply and supply hose. Repair inlet fittings. |
| Damaged pump parts. | Replace any damaged pump parts. Clean out any foreign particles. | |
| Water leakage – intake manifold or crankcase | Worn manifold seals or condensation inside crankcase. | Replace seals. Change oil at regular intervals. |
| Loud knocking, noisy operation | Inadequate water supply to pump creating “vacuum knock”. | Check for restricted inlet and adequate tap water supply. |
| Loose pulley. | Check key and tighten set screw. | |
| Worn or broken bearing(s). | Replace bearing(s) as needed. | |
| Oil leaks | Worn crankcase seals, crankcase cover seal, or drain plug seal. | Replace seals. |
| Excessive pump shaft play | Worn and loose bearings. | Replace bearings. Check bearing seals, spacers, and retainers, replacing any worn parts. |
| Irregular spray pattern | Worn or partially clogged spray nozzle. | Clean or replace nozzle. |
| Washer electrically dead | No power to the machine. | Check circuit breaker. Check for defective electrical outlet.’ |
| Defective power cord. | Repair or replace bad cord. | |
| Defective main on/off switch. | Test switch(es) and replace if defective. | |
| Faulty or loose wiring. | Check switch and motor wiring for solid connections. | |
| GFCI Tripped. | DANGER-do not operate, fault exists. Contact electrician or power company. | |
| Power supply circuit breaker trips often and will not stay “on” | Short circuit in washer or elsewhere on the circuit. | Check washer (and other loads on the same circuit) for faulty wiring, loose wire, etc. |
| Undersized circuit being used, or too much total load on the circuit | Put the washer on a larger circuit or remove other loads from the existing circuit. | |
| Supply voltage is low. | 120V units require a minimum of 108V. 220V units require 208V. Check line voltage and connect washer to adequate voltage supply. | |
| Undersized extension cord causing under-voltage to the washer. | Contact electrician or supplier for proper size and length. | |
| Faulty circuit breaker. | Replace breaker. | |
| Washer fails to draw detergent | Suction tube not below liquid surface. | Completely submerge suction tube and strainer in detergent solution. |
| Clogged or damaged suction strainer. | Clean or replace strainer. | |
| Clogged metering valve. | Clean or replace metering valve. | |
| Detergent solution i too weak | Clogged detergent strainer or metering valve. | Clean or replace. |
| Air leak in detergent suction tube – or inlet plumbing. | Find air leak and tighten or replace parts as necessary. | |
| Detergent solution too concentrated | Original detergent product too concentrated. | Dilute product 2:1 and recalibrate the metering valve suction. |
| Detergent appearing in the rinse cycle | Detergent control valve open. | Close valve completely. |
| Leaking (defective) detergent control valve. | Replace with new control valve. | |
| Solution of detergent concentrate during shut down | Detergent at lower level than water supply plumbing and natural siphon drains water into detergent container. | Shut off detergent control valve and/or water valve when shutting down. |
| Detergent siphons out during shutdown | Washer is shut down, detergent valve left open and gun is laid on ground (below the level of the detergent container) creating a natural siphon of detergent supply. | Close detergent valve when shut down. Store hose properly instead of leaving on ground. |
| Valve defective. | Replace valve. |