The New Pressure Washer

Okay, maybe it's silly to devote a page to a pressure washer. But I like it. My friend Steve, who has more money than time, gave me his pressure washer when it stopped working. The engine still ran fine, and the whole unit was almost new, but the pump had stopped putting out pressure. He had pulled the pump off, in the process breaking the crankshaft key and oil filler tube, and had left it there.

I took the old pump to a local shop, who said they could sell me a new one for $200. I wasn't planning on putting any money into it, so I declined. I did get a new key for $0.83, and you can the pipe nipple I used to replace the broken oil filler tube in this photo.

So I pulled the old pump apart, and found little bits of plastic valve scattered all through it. I called Coleman about buying new valves, but they wanted $99 for a six valve kit. They wouldn't sell the valves individually. Since I wasn't sure that was the only problem, and because I wasn't sure I could replace the valves myself, I declined.

Only one thing left -- the internet! I looked around on various web sites, and the best price I found for a new pump was around $150. Then I checked eBay. I found the exact model of pump I wanted, new, and the bidding was currently at $25. Now that was more like it. I finally got it for $66 plus shipping. It took about three weeks, but it finally arrived.

I got it all bolted up in about five minutes, and tried it out. Or I tried to, but the rope starter had given up. I fooled with it for a bit, then quit. A couple days later my dad suggested spraying WD40 into the starter, which made it work right away! I got the sucker fired up, and went to spraying.

One of the first things I wanted to try was getting the oil/grease/trans fluid off the driveway. Worked pretty well..

Then Linda wanted a try.

Then my dad gave it a go.

I took these photos in about the worst possible conditions, with the subjects in shadow, and the background in sunlight. I suppose Photoshop could clean things up, but I'm too lazy. Plus I don't have Photoshop. Next time I'll just pay more attention. The best photos are the links above, but there are some more on the New Pressure Washer Page.

Update: It is my sad duty to report that the pressure washer is on the disabled list again. It had been lent out to many friends and relatives. Lately people were reporting a drop-off in pressure, and finally no pressure at all. I pulled the pump apart, and found the same problems as before -- little bits of plastic valve everywhere. I suspect one of several possibilities. It may be that those pumps are junk, and just don't last very long. Or the spray wand may have choked the pump. The trigger on the wand has always felt as if it does not open all the way, and does not allow full pressure to pass through. I keep the trigger taped open, to avoid blowing out the pressure relief valve, but if the wand is defective it could still blow out the valve. I guess I could take apart the wand and look.

The pressure washer's future is uncertain at this point. The engine is in great shape, but obviously the pump needs to be replaced. I will keep my eye on ebay looking for another replacement pump AND WAND. It is also possible that the engine will power a portable blender. But doubtful. Or the whole thing might just go off to the dump, or anywhere else but here. Look for more updates.

Good News: The pressure washer has gone to live with Dean. He has a big farm where it can run and play. Dean got another pump off ebay (not a Coleman this time, but a universal replacement). Because it is a different pump, the hose and wand won't fit, so he is trying to epoxy/dremel something together. Stay tuned, the pressure washer will live again! And I can borrow it.

It Lives: Dean was able to get everything to work, with a little help from JB Weld and the Dremel tool. I haven't seen the washer in action, but I hear it works great. He ended up replacing the wand, so this pump should last a long time.