Is your Snap-On pressure washer in need of repair? Do not rush to contact the service center. Types of damage can be different – pressure washer is not working, is not turning on, the water is not heated, there is not enough pressure and so on. Look through the 3 tables below and perhaps one of them will be for you an indispensable manual. For all the problems in the work of the washer you will find possible solution.
Pressure washers may significantly shorten the service life if not operated properly or without the necessary maintenance. If there was a breakage, before you call a specialist, look at the table of troubleshooting, you may find out the cause and do the repair yourself.
| Problem | Probable Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Unit will not start (when trigger is depressed) | 1. No AC power at the outlet. | 1. Main circuit breaker is tripped or outlet is faulty. |
| 2. Main voltage supply is too low. | 2. Make sure main supply voltage is adequate | |
| 3. Extension cord is too long or wire size too small. | 3. Remove extension cord or use proper extension cord | |
| 4. Defective ON/OFF Switch. | 4. Call Customer Service | |
| 5. Defective GFCI Plug. | ||
| 6. Defective Gun. | 6. Turn off the unit. Remove the Gun and Hose assembly from high pressure outlet in the back of the unit. Redirect the outlet to a safe direction and switch ON the unit. If the unit starts and water comes out of the front, the Gun may need to be replaced. | |
| AC outlet circuit breaker trips | 1. Circuit (outlet) overloaded. | 1. Make sure circuit is rated at 15 amps or greater and unit is plugged into a dedicated circuit. |
| 2. Extension cord is too long or wire size too small. | 2. Use proper extension cord | |
| 3. Nozzle partially blocked causing excessive pressure. | 3. Clean Nozzle | |
| Motor stops suddenly | 1. Extension cord is too long or wire size too small. | 1. Remove extension cord or use proper extension cord |
| 2. Thermal safety switch has tripped due to overheating and over- work. | 2. Make sure main supply voltage corresponds to specifications. Allow to cool and restart unit. | |
| Unit will not stop when trigger is released | 1. Gun/Hose Assembly is defective. | 1. Remove Wand from the Gun and squeeze trigger to ensure that the water is coming out of the front of the Gun at a rate equal to the Garden Hose. Call Customer Service |
| Unit begins to smoke | 1. Overheated, over- loaded or damaged motor. | I.Turn off unit and Call Customer Service |
| Trigger will not move | I.Gun Safety Lock in engaged. | 1. Release Safety Lock |
| Gun/Hose – Leaking water | 1. Loose fitting. | 1. Tighten fittings. If persists, Gun/Hose will need to be replaced. Call Customer Service |
| Pump is noisy | I.Pump is sucking air. | I.Make sure hoses and fittings are air tight. Turn off machine and purge pump by squeezing trigger gun until a steady flow of water emerges through the nozzle. |
| No water coming out of Wand | 1. Clogged Nozzle. | 1. Clean Nozzle |
| 2. Wand is attached incorrectly. | ||
| 3. Clogged filter. | 3. Clean filter | |
| 4. Kink in the Garden Hose or Hose is wrapped on a storage wheel. | 4. Unwrap the Garden Hose and lay it out flat to ensure that there are no kinks in the Hose. | |
| 5. Gun/Hose Assembly is defective. | 5. Remove Wand from the Gun and squeeze trigger to ensure that the water is coming out of the front of the Gun at a rate equal to the Garden Hose. Call Customer Service | |
| Unit does not reach maximum pressure or pressure is irregular | 1. Diameter of garden hose is too small. | 1. Replace with a 5/8 inch or larger garden hose. |
| 2. Water supply is restricted. | 2. Make sure garden hose has no kinks, leaks and blockage. | |
| 3. Not enough inlet water supply. | 3. Open water source fully. | |
| 4. Garden Hose length is too long. | 4. Shorten the length of the Garden Hose. We recommend a maxi- mum length of 25 to 50 feet for City water supply and 30 feet for Well water supply. | |
| Unit does not reach maximum pressure or pressure is irregular | 5. Water supply is over I00°F. | 5. Provide cooler water supply. |
| 6. Water inlet filter is clogged. | 6. Clean the Screen filter | |
| 7. Water leaking from either Hose or Unit. | 7. Stop water from leaking before using the unit or Call Customer Service. | |
| 8. High pressure hose is blocked or leaks. | 8. Clear blocks in high pressure hose or replace hose. | |
| 9. Spray wand is on low pressure position. | 9. Turn spray wand to high pressure position. | |
| 10-Nozzle worn or not correct size. | 10.Replace nozzle. | |
| 11.Gun or Hose failure. | 11.Call Customer Service | |
| 12.Pump sucking air from hose connections. | 12.Make sure connection fittings are properly tightened. | |
| 13.Pump, Unloader or Valves are clogged or worn. | 13.Call Customer Service | |
| No detergent | 1. Spray wand is in high pressure position. | 1.Turn Pressure Adjust Collar to low pressure position. |
| 2. Detergent is too thick. | 2. Dilute detergent. | |
| 3. Damaged or clogged detergent suction tube. | 3. Call Customer Service. | |
| 4. Nozzle is clogged with debris. | 4. Unclog nozzle using provided cleaning needle. | |
| Detergent Leak from inside the unit or won’t hold detergent | 1. Disconnected or Kinked Detergent Pick up Tube. | 1. Call Customer Service |
| 2. Chemical Tank Nipple Broken. | ||
| Leaking Oil from Pump | 1. A small amount of leakage is normal. | 1. If leakage persists, Call Customer Service |
| Leaking water from bottom of unit | 1. Machine Inlet connection is defective. | 1. Check the Machine Inlet at the front of the unit to ensure that water is not leaking from it. If the connection is leaking, it will have to be replaced. Call Customer Service |
| Spray wand leaks | 1. Spray wand is not properly attached. | 1. Call Customer Service |
| Detergent Tank fills up with water | 1. Detergent Suction Assembly is defective. |
| Problem | Probable Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Engine shuts down when running. | 1. Out of fuel. | 1. Fill fuel tank. |
| 2. Low Engine Oil | 2. Add oil. | |
| Engine will not start or starts and runs rough. | 1. Engine On/Off set to “OFF” position. | 1. Set switch to “ON” position. |
| 2. Fuel valve is in “OFF” position. | 2. Turn fuel valve to “ON” position. | |
| 3. Dirty air cleaner. | 3. Clean or replace air cleaner. | |
| 4. Out of fuel. | 4. Fill fuel tank. | |
| 5. Stale fuel. | 5. Drain fuel tank and carburetor fill with fresh fuel. | |
| 6. Spark plug wire not connected to spark plug. | 6. Connect wire to spark plug. | |
| 7. Bad spark plug. | 7. Replace spark plug. | |
| 8. Water in fuel. | 8. Drain fuel tank and carburetor fill with fresh fuel. | |
| 9. Flooded. | 9. Wait 5 minutes and re-crank engine. | |
| 10. Excessively rich fuel/air mixture. | 10. Call Customer Service. | |
| 11. Intake valve stuck open or closed. | ||
| 12.Engine has lost compression. | ||
| 13.Low engine oil. | 13. Add oil. | |
| 14.Wrong Fuel. | 14. Use recommended fuel. | |
| 15.Engine is too hot | 15. Allow engine to cool | |
| 16.Chock is in wrong position | 16. Change chock position | |
| 17.Pressure builds up after 2 pulls on starter coil or after initial use. | 17. Squeeze gun trigger to relieve pressure. | |
| Engine “hunts” or falters. | 1. Carburetor is running too rich or too lean. | 1. Call Customer Service. |
| Engine lacks power. | 1. Cylinder pressure is low. | |
| 2. Dirty air cleaner. | 2. Replace air filter. | |
| No pressure or Low pressure. | 1. Spray wand not set to high pressure. | |
| 2. Inadequate water supply. | 2. Water supply must be 5 GPM @ 20 psi. | |
| 3. Hose fitting leaks during high pressure. | 3. Tighten hose fitting. Use thread sealant tape if necessary. | |
| 4. Nozzle obstructed. | 4. Clean Nozzle | |
| 5. Water filter screen obstructed. | 5. Remove and clean filter. | |
| 6. Defective pump | 6. Call Customer Service | |
| 7. Air in hose. | 7. Squeeze trigger to remove air. | |
| 8. Choke lever in choke position. | 8. Move choke to “RUN” position. | |
| 9. Throttle control lever is hot in fast position. | 9. Move throttle control lever from fast position. | |
| Water leaking at pump. | 1. Loose connections. | 1. Tighten connections. |
| 2. Worn or broken 0-rings. | 2. Call Customer Service. | |
| 3. Pump head or tubes damaged from freezing. | ||
| Pump will not draw chemicals. | 1. Wrong size spray nozzle. | |
| 2. Chemical hose/filter clogged. | 2. Clean hose/filter. | |
| 3. Chemical screen not in chemical. | 3. Ensure end of chemical hose is fully sub- merged into chemicals. | |
| 4. Chemical solution too thick. | 4. Dilute chemical. Chemical solutions should have same consistency as water. | |
| 5. Chemical build-up in chemical injector. | 5. Clean or replace. Call Customer Service. | |
| No or low pressure (after period of normal use). | 1.Wom seal or packing. | |
| Water leaking at spray gun/spray wand connection. | 1. Worn or broken O-ring. | 1. Wom or broken O-ring. |
| 2. Loose hose connection. | 2. Tighten hose connection. | |
| Oil leaking at pump | 1. Oil seals worn. | 1. Call Customer Service. |
| Pump pulsates | 1. Nozzle obstructed. | 1. Clean Nozzle |
| 2. Air in the system | 2. Squeeze trigger to remove air. |
| Problem | Probable Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| AC outlet circuit breaker trips | 1. Circuit (outlet) over- loaded. | 1.Make sure circuit is rated at 15 amps or greater and unit is plugged into a dedicated circuit. |
| 2. Extension cord is too long or wire size too small. | 2. Use proper extension cord. | |
| 3. Nozzle partially blocked causing excessive pressure.. | 3. Clean Nozzle | |
| Motor stops suddenly | 1. Extension cord is too long or wire size too small. | 1. Remove extension cord or use proper extension cord . |
| 2. Thermal safety switch has tripped due to overheating and over- work. | 2. Make sure main sup- ply voltage corresponds to specifications. Allow to cool and restart unit. | |
| Unit will not stop when trigger is released | 1. Gun/Hose Assembly is defective. | 1. Remove Wand from the Gun and squeeze trigger to ensure that the water is coming out of the front of the Gun at a rate equal to the Garden Hose. Call Customer Service. |
| Unit begins to smoke | 1. Overheated, over- loaded or damaged motor. | 1. Tum off unit and Call Customer Service. |
| Trigger will not move | 1. Gun Safety Lock in engaged. | 1. Release Safety Lock |
| Gun/Hose – Leaking water | 1. Loose fitting. | 1. Tighten fittings. If persists. Gun/Hose will need to be replaced. Call Customer Service. |
| Pump is noisy | 1. Pump is sucking air. | 1. Make sure hoses and fittings are air tight. Turn off machine and purge pump by squeezing trigger gun until a steady flow of water emerges through the nozzle. |
| No water coming out of Wand | 1. Clogged Nozzle. | 1. Clean Nozzle. |
| 2. Wand is attached incorrectly. | ||
| 3. Clogged filter. | 3. Clean filter | |
| 4. Kink in the Garden Hose or Hose is wrapped on a storage wheel. | 4. Unwrap the Garden Hose and lay it out flat to ensure that there are no kinks in the Hose. | |
| 5. Gun/Hose Assembly is defective. | 5. Remove Wand from the Gun and squeeze trigger to ensure that the water is coming out of the front of the Gun at a rate equal to the Garden Hose. Call Customer Service. | |
| Unit does not reach maximum pressure or pressure is irregular | 1. Diameter of garden hose is too small. | 1. Replace with a 5/8 inch or larger garden hose. |
| 2. Water supply is restricted. | 2. Make sure garden hose has no kinks, leaks and blockage. | |
| 3. Not enough inlet water supply. | 3. Open water source fully. | |
| 4. Garden Hose length is too long. | 4. Shorten the length of the Garden Hose. We recommend a maximum length of 25 to 50 feet for City water supply and 30 feet for Well water supply. | |
| 5. Water supply is over I00°F. | 5. Provide cooler water supply. | |
| 6. Water inlet filter is clogged. | 6. Clean the Screen filter | |
| 7. Water leaking from either Hose or Unit. | 7. Stop water from leaking before using the unit or Call Customer Service. | |
| 8. Pressure hose is blocked or leaks. | 8. Clear blocks in pres- sure hose or replace hose. | |
| 9. Nozzle worn or not correct size. | 9. Replace nozzle. | |
| 10.Gun or Hose failure. | 10. Call Customer Service | |
| 11.Pump sucking air from hose connections. | 11. Make sure connection fittings are properly tightened. | |
| 12.Pump, Unloader or Valves are clogged or worn. | 12.Call Customer Service | |
| No Detergent | 1. “Black” detergent nozzle is not being used | 1. Use “Black” detergent nozzle. |
| 2. Detergent is too thick. | 2. Dilute detergent. | |
| 3. Damaged or clogged detergent suction tube. | 3. Call Customer Service. | |
| 4. Nozzle is clogged with debris. | 4. Unclog nozzle using provided cleaning needle. | |
| Detergent Leak from inside the unit or won’t hold detergent | 1. Disconnected or Kinked Detergent Pick up Tube. | 1. Call Customer Service |
| 2. Chemical Tank Nipple Broken. | ||
| Leaking Oil from Pump | 1. A small amount of leakage is normal. | 1. If leakage persists. Call Customer Service. |
| Leaking water from bottom of unit | 1. Machine Inlet connection is defective. | 1. Check the Machine Inlet at the front of the unit to ensure that water is not leaking from it. If the connection is leaking, it will have to be replaced. Call Customer Service. |
| Spray wand leaks | 1. Spray wand is not properly attached. | 1. Call Customer Service. |
| Detergent Tank fills up with water | 1. Detergent Suction Assembly is defective. |