Pressure washer pumps are designed to run for extended periods of time, and as long as water is constantly flowing through them, most of them will last for many years with proper maintenance.
The number one cause of failure in pressure washer pumps is allowing the pressure washer to run for extended periods of time while it’s not being used. Most pressure washing contractors don’t realize it, but Pressure washer pumps are water cooled, so when water stops flowing through the pressure washers pump, it begins to heat up the water inside it. Then when the operator squeezes the trigger again colder water rushes into the pressure washers pump and causes a rapid temperature change which can crack the porcilean parts inside, or warp the pump.
Since a pressure washer pump is the the most important part of any pressure washer, you want to make sure that the quality of your pump is as good as your engine! Most pressure washing contractors prefer Honda Engines, Belt drive General Pumps, particularly the TS2021 General Pump, and on hot water pressure washers Becket Burners. These are the most popular components on pressure washers sold in America for quite some time.
Tere are the two main types of pressure washer pumps best suited for DIYers/homeowners. The most popular pressure washer pumps for residential machines are usually the AXIAL CAM pressure washer pumps. They are built by a lot of manufacturers and it’s usually best to buy one of the popular name brands instead of a generic water pressure pump. Most popular name brand pumps are built with higher grade components than the generic brand pressure washer pumps.
The problem with most of these types of pressure washer pumps is that they are only designed for a running life of only 60-100 hours! Most pressure washer repair stores call these pressure washer pumps “One Season Wonders” – and if your a pressure washing company you will be lucky to get three months of use from them. Most home owners can use these pressure washer pumps for a few years because they only use them for 10 hours a year or so.
Another heavy-duty pressure washer pump is the TRIPLEX water pump. They are usually used on better quality machines made for handyman companies, or medium use ranging around 300 hours or so if they are properly maintained.
The best pressure washer pumps for constant use by pressure washing companies are belt drive pumps. These types of pressure washer pumps run at lower RPM’s compared to direct drive models, pass less vibration from the engine to the pump, and can pull water from a tank mounted system, so there is less concern of pump cavitation when first starting the pressure washer.
Another benefit of belt drive pressure washer pumps is that since it can pull water from a tank, most vendors and manufacturers will run the bypass line from the unloader back into the tank. When the line is bypassed into the tank it allows the pressure washers pump to circulate a much larger amount of water than normal, extending the life of the pressure washers pump! Not all manufacturers and vendors run the bypass line from the pressure washers pump like this, but the good ones do! If the pressure washer that your looking at doesn’t have a bypass system run like this, then I would be very careful in purchasing equipment from them, because they don’t have your best interest in mind, or they don’t have enough experience in the work that you do, to be very reliable.
Pump Parts, Burner Parts and Engine Parts aren’t needed very often, but when your pressure washer is your livelihood, it is important to make sure that it is well-maintained. We have the normal replacement maintenance items you need to take care of your equipment. Stop by our store today to pick up these parts for your machine!
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