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Sometimes
a valve will stick open or closed. Usually there is debris stuck in the
seat or springs. Look at the valves and replace if needed.
Generally speaking not ALL valves will go at the
same time to the point you have zero pressure. If 1 or 2 valves fail you will
still have pressure. The discharge hose will vibrate when one or more valves are
damaged. Having this vibration will not cause damage other than reduced
pressure. In fact, there are drain and sewer jetter valve caps that fit
on pumps, which limit the operation of a valve to produce pulsating
action. Click
here to read more about drain cleaning with a pressure washer.
If you lose all valves at once then there is a serious problem somewhere
else. Your pump may have frozen, which could cause catastrophic pump
failure.
Valves on most pumps are made of a plastic cage with a
metal seat held in position by a spring. Sometimes the cage will break due to debris in the supply water,
allowing the valve to float. The metal valve seat could be worn or
scored due to
dirty supply water. The valve assembly sits on an o-ring that fits
between the valve assembly and the head of the pump. Click
here for a selection of replacement valve assemblies. Check
this o-ring for wear and the brass seat for scoring.
Usually this
condition is caused by cavitation
due to insufficient water supply. Cavitation in this area will destroy
your pump. The worm holes under the o-ring are in the head of the pump and not
fixable.
Fixing your water supply problem and replacing the valves and
o-rings will help for a while but the problem will soon return as the
pressurized water will work it's way under the o-ring, through the
wormholes. For a
discussion on pumps click here. To
see a range of replacement pumps click here.
SOME OF THESE OPERATIONS CAN BE
EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT TRAINING IN THESE PROCEDURES, WE RECOMMEND YOU
SEEK ASSISTANCE FROM A QUALIFIED
TECHNICIAN
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PRESSURE WASHER
TROUBLE SHOOTER
