2000 psi 1.5 gpm Pressure Washer - Orifice Size?

[Blaine B.]

Hello. I recently acquired a NorthStar 2000 psi 1.5 gpm electric pressure washer. I was told that it needed repair due to being used with well water, and it was sitting idle for two years with a tag on it that read "needs repair." I fired it up and found that it worked flawlessly. I ordered the correct Cat Pumps oil and changed it. I know you can use generic non-detergent SAE 30 oil as a substitute, but I opted for the OEM stuff ($15 per quart including shipping from Northern Tool.)

Anyway, most of the nozzles were missing except for the yellow and the white ones.

I ordered a set of 5 nozzles online, non-OEM. The smallest orifice size they had available was "3.0," but I believe these were listed as being compatible with 2.0 gpm or 2.5 gpm pressure washers. I was not able to find anything beneath a 3.0 orifice size, even though my pressure washer has a lower gpm rating than what these nozzles are listed as being compatible with.

They have no arrived yet, but I am curious as to if these will function correctly.

Also, the lance on this pressure washer is odd. It isn't a straight tube, but has a sort of arc in the tubing. It makes it somewhat difficult to spray because you have to tild the entire wand at a strange angle. It looks like it came this way from the factory.

NorthStar's most recent 2000 psi 1.5 gpm pressure washer appears to come with a straight lance. What is this curved lance generally used for? It is not curved enough to be for gutter cleaning. It just seems strange and not very helpful in any particular cleaning situation that I can think of.

Generic Photo of their latest model with pneumatic tires.

 

[ILENGINE]

They should work fine. may have effect on pressure but you probably wouldn't know the difference without a pressure gauge. A number 3 nozzle is for 3 gpm at 4000 psi so the same number 3 should produce about 2000 at 1.5 gpm.

the smallest nozzle I have seen is 2.3 which comes with some of the comsumer washers.

 

[Blaine B.]

I see, well then this is good.

Any idea about the curved lance? I don't have a photo, yet. Perhaps it is not the original lance, either. Maybe the entire wand isn't original.

These nozzles I have may not be original, either. I wouldn't assume that they were original.

My hose does not have any quick disconnects on it like their latest model, either. And the tires are solid, not air-filled.

Also, I am not sure how I would get the chemical spray portion plumbed in. There is a short rubber hose coming out of the "pressure" port on the pump that is capped. But there is no other hose that connects the "supply" port to the "pressure" port as shown in this photo.

It seems to be a different arrangement.

 

[Blaine B.]

Reporting back to say that the nozzles work fine. My "favorites" are the 40 degree (white) for washing cars.

I just have to figure out how to plumb in a chemical wash, should I ever want to use soap or something with the low-pressure nozzle (black). I will grab some photos in a bit.

Also, the lance and wand are made by Apache. It is obviously a replacement for the original that came with the NorthStar washer. I found an Apache straight wand on eBay so I went ahead and won that auction, so I can replace the curved wand that is on my unit currently.