Pressure Washer with Honda Engine Surges

A

AdamE

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Joined
Aug 1, 2015
Messages
105
Hey all.

I've got a pressure washer that surges majorly with no load. Once I pull the trigger, it's fine.

It's got a GCV190 N5AV NH1.

Is this possibly normal? If not, any ideas?

Thanks!
 
Idle circuit in the carb is plugged. You can try giving the carb a good cleaning, but at the cost of today’s Honda carbs it might be cheaper to replace the carb. Pressure washers normally sit for long periods between use, so future solution is to never allow old fuel to sit in the carb for longer than 30 days.
 
If it's been doing this since new, I think it's the pressure relief valve bypassing when it's not spraying.
 
AdamE said:
Hey all.

I've got a pressure washer that surges majorly with no load. Once I pull the trigger, it's fine.

It's got a GCV190 N5AV NH1.

Is this possibly normal? If not, any ideas?

Thanks!
Click to expand...
2 ways to interperate that, imo. I would say the pump is under load when you are not pulling the trigger.
 
Very True, been too long since I used mine..
 
cpurvis said:
If it's been doing this since new, I think it's the pressure relief valve bypassing when it's not spraying.
Click to expand...
It has been doing this since new (it was a refurb). Do you mean the unloader valve? I replaced it last year for other reasons and just checked it again. It seems to be moving freely. There's never been any change.

Thanks.
 
I’ll say it again carb needs a good cleaning or replacing.
 
Filthy carb. Clean or replace with OEM carb.

slomo
 
AdamE said:
It has been doing this since new (it was a refurb). Do you mean the unloader valve? I replaced it last year for other reasons and just checked it again. It seems to be moving freely. There's never been any change.

Thanks.
Click to expand...
Pressure washers must have a way of bleeding off pressure when the engine is running but the wand isn't spraying. It will depend upon the pressure difference between 'closed' and 'open' on the bypass valve how much the engine surges. It's not hurting anything; mine has been that way since new.
 
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