How to care for your pressure washer

General

A pressure washer is an excellent tool in your armoury for keeping your home or business premises clean. In order to keep your pressure washer at optimal efficiency and ensure it has a long life, it’s really important to care for it properly.

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Regular checks

You need to make regular checks in a few specific areas of the pressure washer. Each time you do a maintenance check, check all the following things.

First, check for damaged O rings, which can cause leakages and damage to the engine or the pump. Then check for holes in the hose; even the tiniest hole the size of a pin can cause water to jettison in the wrong direction at huge speeds. Hoses should always be replaced rather than simply fixed.

For petrol-powered washers, you should also check the spark plug for corrosion, carbon buildup or any other damage. Any signs of damage will require a new spark plug. You can buy a spark plug, along with other Briggs and Stratton parts, from https://diyengineparts.com/.

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In addition to these potential areas of damage, you need to be checking for blockages in the nozzle. A blockage in the nozzle will mean the washer has to work harder to get the water out, making heavier demands on the parts. You can unblock a nozzle using a dedicated nozzle cleaner or even a paper clip. Stubborn blockages can be cleared by leaving the nozzle in warm soapy water for 10 minutes.

Winter storage

Before you put the washer away for the winter period, be sure to empty the fuel in the case of petrol washers in order to prevent stale fuel from sitting in the tank, which can make it hard to start the next year. Drain the oil, fill it with new oil, and run it for a minute to get the new oil all over the working parts. Disconnect and drain the main hose and power up without the hose to flush out any bits of water or detergent for a few seconds. Store the pressure washer indoors if possible; opt for a garage, home or business premises with some heating rather than a shed.

Regular maintenance checks and a proper drain before winter storage is all you need to do to keep your pressure washer in tip-top condition.

Written by suNCh8

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