As a professional pressure washer, your entire business revolves around commercial pressure washers. These helpful devices enable you to clean dirt and grime from several types of surfaces, ranging from office buildings to warehouses.
These tools are among the only ones on the market that can quickly remove layers of mud, dried chewing gum, and stains. They’re remarkable devices, but they’re not immortal.
If you notice that your pressure washer isn’t performing as well as it should, you may wonder when to replace a pressure washer. Sometimes, the answer is immediately. Others, though, it’s more appropriate to ask when to repair a pressure washer.
If you’re not sure which route to take, don’t worry! In this guide, we’ll explore the situations that cause you to need a new pressure washer. So, without further ado, let’s jump right in!
Are Your Commercial Pressure Washers Leaking?
If your pressure washer leaks, you can bet there’s something wrong with the machine. The only question is, what’s causing the leak?
When a pressure pump leaks, there are often a few problems that cause it. One option is when you have bad water seals. Over time, your seals can weaken until they no longer hold.
Another potential cause of a leak is when you have a broken ceramic plunger. In addition to causing leaks, this issue can also weaken your water pressure.
Both of these problems may seem minor at first. However, if allowed to progress, they can lead to much more critical issues. Conduct pressure washer maintenance to fix the problems if possible.
If the damage is beyond repair, you’ll need to replace these parts. Depending on the situation, it may be more cost-effective to replace the entire machine.
What Color is Your Pump Oil?
Many pressure washer pumps have an oil body that keeps the pump lubricated. When this works properly, it allows your system to run smoothly without any interruptions.
If you notice that your system is running slower than usual, check the oil body to see what color the oil is. If the body remains intact, the oil should have a standard color.
However, you may find that your oil has turned a milky or gray color. If so, this means that you have water in the pump’s oil end. To fix this problem, you can drain your oil.
From there, look for any broken oil seals or other parts that allowed water to infiltrate the system. If so, use some pressure washer care and fix the issue.
Sometimes, though, parts break in such a way that it becomes impossible to repair them. If you find that you can’t fix the machine, it may be time to replace it.
How are Your Connecting Rods?
If you’re trying to determine when to replace a pressure washer, try removing the head of your pump. When you do, you’ll usually find there are three plungers behind the pump’s head and in its body.
These plungers attach to connecting rods and a crankshaft. When you remove the head, there are two potential problems to look for.
First, play around with your plungers. Do you notice that they have a lot of give? Do they not seem as sturdy as they should?
This issue often results in a decrease in water pressure. Sometimes, it can even have a pulsation effect.
If so, there’s no way to repair this issue. It’s time to replace the machine.
The same holds for your connecting rods. These components shouldn’t have a lot of give or slop in them. If you find that they do, consider replacing the system soon.
Have You Lost Oil?
Have you run the oil in your pressure washer low? Or, have you run the machine when the pump was out of oil?
If you’re not sure, there are a few ways to tell. First, oil shortages result in frequent losses of water pressure. Another possibility is that you hear a loud, gravelly noise in your system.
If you notice these problems, check the oil body in your machine. Most likely, you’ve burned your pump out. Without sufficient oil, the pump becomes super-heated.
What does this mean? In short, it means that the oil end of your machine is ruined. At this stage, the only solution is to replace the pump.
You may be thinking, “I keep enough oil in my unit to keep it running! How did this happen?”
If your system has enough oil, ask yourself: “What kind of surfaces have I set the machine on?” Pressure washers should rest on flat, stable surfaces. If you rest the washer on slanted or downward-facing slopes, it causes the pump to have improper lubrication.
Have Your Pump Frozen?
At the end of the winter season, you may notice that your pump isn’t functioning as well as it used to. Typically, this happens because the pump wasn’t winterized or drained before the cold temperatures set in.
When water freezes, it becomes much denser than frozen metal. If you have frozen your pump, it compromises the machine’s structural integrity.
Sometimes, you can repair these issues by replacing certain parts. Some examples of these parts include check valves or plungers.
In other situations, the colder temperatures could damage your pump head, causing it to freeze. If this happens, you may have a workaround. Some manufacturers and sellers offer lifetime warranties on these parts of pressure washers for such occasions as these.
Get the Equipment You Need
If your commercial pressure washer goes down, you need a quick solution. First, discover what the problem with your unit is. As we’ve said before, some damage may be fixable.
Once you figure out the problem, come by our shop for the solution! We offer top-quality commercial pressure washers and parts to help you get back on the job in no time. Contact us today to learn more about our repairs service!
