What causes electric power washers to fail?

[JDgreen]

Hello all, I purchased a $65 Karcher portable electric PW at Menards about a year ago. After perhaps three hours of use, (10 car washes at most) it started to lose output power. I know you get what you pay for, but three hours of use...? I bought a $100 Karcher electric PW about four years ago, it only draws 1 more amp and has 200 psi greater pressure, but I have probably used it over 200 hours and my neighbors and friends use it for deck cleaning, it seems bulletproof.

Cannot understand the disparity, I have never run any PW unless it has a strong flow of water and unless it has auto shut off, I never let one run unless I am using high pressure. So why does one fail so quickly and the other works fine? I lost the receipt for the $65 model so no warranty coverage.

The other day I stopped at a local Goodwill store, they had a used Karcher 1700 psi electric for $29.99and on the off chance it would work well I took it home, same problem as my $65 one, motor runs fine but no pressure. At least the store will let me return it during a 7 day period.

 

[dria]

There is a chance that there is a physical partial blockage in one of the hoses. Or it could be that the high pressure wire that goes to the spark plug is not making a good connection. What are the exact symptoms?

 

[noma]

Hi dria

We need to know what it does the symptoms are. By chance did you let it run more then two minutes with it pressured up and the gun not opened, in other word let it run and was not washing something, that will make them not work . Did you get a little foreign matter in the pump or hoses some how? Just try run water from your hydrant through it with the gun wand open and see if that helps then with it hooked up turn the power on.So does it have any pressure at all?

 

[noma]

hi dria

Sorry got the wrong name on that one should go to JD Green sorry about that

 

[KennyV]

When you consider the motor, plumbing spray wand and tubing plus the container it sets in there is not much left over from the $65 retail to put in the pump...
Unfortunately from what I have seen the low end pumps will not take much 'use' before they have no ability to increase pressure... :frown:KennyV

 

[JDgreen]

When you consider the motor, plumbing spray wand and tubing plus the container it sets in there is not much left over from the $65 retail to put in the pump...
Unfortunately from what I have seen the low end pumps will not take much 'use' before they have no ability to increase pressure... :frown:KennyV

Gets a fine water flow thru the device and was never run without the gun actually washing something (thought I made it clear it would be shut off if not automatically done while using high pressure) but 3 hours of use before failure is really poor.

Does anyone have experience with the so called "pump rebuild kits" found on places like Ebay? Cheapo guy that I am, I hate to toss a $65 item if it can be repaired for a reasonable amount.

 

[KennyV]

If a rebuild kit for the pump can be had, definitely do it ... if you can not find a readily available kit you can take the pump apart and measure the parts you need ... should be able to locate most parts... KennyV

 

[monica123]

We also have a Karcher pressure washer that is having issues. It is putting out water but has no pressure. It works, just not the way I would like it to, it is frustrating.

 

[noma]

JD Green

The washer you have is a throw away model, that's what they made now days i hate it. I don't think there is a repair kit for that machine and if there was it would cost to much. If the repair shop charged $45.00 a hour for labor then you have parts on top of that it will be more then your $65.00 you paid for it. So i don't think there is a repair kit for it. I would call a karacher dealer and ask him what's up with this and then see if they can repair it. We are just in those times of every thing is a throw away world i don't like it any better then you do but what can a person do. I work in a small mfg plant and we make every thing that can be replaced ,on the product we make and the labor is so high that the cost of the produce is so high that no one is buying it so we are very slow to. Money talks

 

[KennyV]

You should not have to take a simple PW pump to a shop to have it rebuilt... there is nothing to a low pressure washer1000 to 2000 psi...
a 3000+ psi pump is going to be a bit more picky as to its rebuild... A $65 pump is a do it yourself repair OR buy another... KennyV