Best Tips & Practices for Proper Pressure Washer Pump Care

Be sure to consult the owner’s manual for your pressure washer for proper maintenance instructions. This article is simply a general guide about pressure washer pump maintenance.

Commercial contractors generally use a pressure washer that has a positive displacement pump, with a triplex ceramic plunger system. It’s important to use either your owner’s manual, or online resources to learn about the pump on your pressure washer. This is the most vital component of your machine.

You’ll find that most manufacturers agree on the same points. Those points being:

• The pump requires a supply of water equal to the amount discharged.
• The water supply should be a filtered source. Particles in the water supply can damage the pump.
• The pump oil needs to be maintained regularly. It should be at the correct level, clean, and free of moisture.
• The pump has a maximum pressure rating, which should never be exceeded.

Pump Oil

Consult your owner’s manual for oil change recommendations. For BE Pressure Supply pressure washers, change the pump oil after the first 50 hours of use, then every 500 hours or as needed. DHS Equipment offers pump oil by BE Pressure Supply, a mineral oil based SAE30 weight oil, specifically designed for high pressure plunger style pumps.

Unloading Valves

The pressure washer pump, driven by an electric motor or gasoline engine, is fed water through a filtered source, into the inlet valves as the plungers open. As the plungers close, inlet flow stops, directing water to the outlet valves, and to the discharge.

Water flow direction is controlled with an unloading valve. The positive displacement pump is continuously delivering a specific volume of water, even when the discharge port is closed. Consequently, the unloading valve serves to direct water through the discharge port, or to redirect water back to the inbound side of the pump when the discharge port is closed.

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