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Do you drain your power washer?

2K views 14 replies 13 participants last post by  Grin 
#1 ·
Do you drain your power washer between uses (esp in winter), and if so - how?
 
#6 ·
I do. Disconnect the hose and then turn on the power until the water stops running. In that time I can disconnect the gun and stow away, so about 30 seconds to do. I think I read to do that when I bought my Nilfisk, and it's just a habit I've got into.
 
#8 ·
Yes. I don't regard any time of year as safe. I remember it freezing in June one year. I was fishing for the week and we were all in sleeping and survival bags.
I disconnect the water supply connector and the lance connector then run the machine for a few seconds. I have found this to be ok for most machines but some water outlets allow water to remain inside so with the portable types I physically pick it up and orientate/rock the machine to remove any water from the outlet and pump whilst it is running.
With my hot washer the pump outlets are horizontal and any water drains out when it is run so I disconnect the hoses and run the machine for 30 seconds until the tank has drained and no more water appears at the outlet.
If I am not using something for a while then I have hoses that loop from outlet to inlet and prime the machine with anti freeze solution and pump it round. Then plug the outlet to the inlet. This seems to keep any valves from corroding and sticking which I have always found to be a problem with Karcher machines and necessitates an unnecessary strip down.
I always try to keep machines inside but sometimes you have to leave one in the van or shed somewhere.
 
#10 ·
I'm not sure that this will have any effect on the important part - the pump.
Draining the hose, the gun and the supply hose may well be good practice but how can we drain the pump without running it dry and hence probably damaging it as it relies on the water to cool / lubricate internal parts?
I think, and this is my method, to protect the pw it needs to be moved from or protected from an environment that is susceptible to frost
 
#12 ·
Absolutely, Running it 'dry' for a few seconds will not hurt it, running it dry for minutes at a time will.... My nilfisk e140 has been ran dry for 30 mins once, came back to a garage full of smoke......yet strangely a fully working pressure washer, that was 3 years ago :)

'Cheaper' Pumps may not be so fortunate though, so do at your own discretion
 
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