Pressure Washer Fuel Filters

A few dollars of fuel filter stands between your fuel supply and a plugged carburetor or a fouled burner. Sun Brite Supply carries pressure washer fuel filters for both sides of the machine, small inline filters for gas engines and Racor and Mitco fuel oil filters for hot water burners. Not sure which one your machine takes? Call 301-519-9274 with the make and model and we will look it up.

Two Fuel Systems, Two Kinds of Fuel Filter

Hot water pressure washers burn fuel in two places, and each fuel line needs its own filtration. The engine side runs gasoline through a small inline filter before the carburetor. The burner side pulls diesel or kerosene from a separate tank, through a fuel oil filter, into the burner fuel pump, and out a nozzle that atomizes at very tight tolerances. A speck of dirt that would pass through a carburetor unnoticed will plug a burner nozzle. That is why burner filters are bigger, finer, and often built as fuel and water separators.

Engine Fuel Filters

Inline gas filters are cheap insurance. Ethanol blend fuel absorbs moisture and sheds gum and varnish as it ages, and all of it heads for the carburetor jets. When a filter starts plugging, the engine gets hard to start, surges under load, or sputters at full throttle. Replace the filter instead of cleaning it, and point the flow arrow toward the engine. Honda GX series engines use a filter and holder made for the GX fuel line, and we stock a universal small engine filter that covers most everything else.

Burner Fuel Filters and Water Separators

Water is the burner killer. It condenses inside fuel tanks as temperatures swing, and it rides in with fuel pumped from job site transfer tanks. Water rusts the burner fuel pump internals, makes the burner misfire, and leads to white smoke and soot-caked coils. A fuel and water separator like the Racor 140R puts a clear bowl under the filter element so water and sediment settle where you can see them. Crack the drain valve, dump the water, and the element keeps working. Simpler canister filters like the Mitco 264 and our 1/4" FPT assemblies mount inline between tank and pump and use replaceable cartridges.

Fuel Filter Lookup

Availability moves fast on burner parts. Call before you drive over and we will confirm what is here or get it ordered.

From the Field

The pattern we see on burner service work: a machine comes in for a new burner fuel pump, and the old fuel filter is either missing or has clearly never been changed. The pump did not fail on its own. It ate dirt for two seasons first. Racor elements and replacement bowls are steady sellers here for a reason, and the crews that drain the separator bowl weekly almost never buy fuel pumps. One more habit worth stealing: filter your fuel going INTO the tank too. A funnel screen on the fill costs almost nothing and catches the rust flakes that transfer tanks and old jerry cans shed. Replacing a $25 element every season beats replacing a $300 fuel pump mid-January when the schedule is full of hot water work.

Related Collections

• Burner parts and burner nozzles
• Burner fuel pumps
• Fuel nozzles and fuel tank accessories
• Engine parts and engine air filters
• Honda replacement filters and Briggs replacement filters
• All filters and strainers
• Hot water pressure washers
• Local pickup at our Gaithersburg pressure washer store

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I tell my fuel filter is clogged?

On the engine side, hard starting, surging under load, or sputtering at full throttle. On the burner side, delayed ignition, misfiring, white smoke, or a burner that locks out. A starving fuel pump gets noisy before it fails.

Which direction does an inline fuel filter install?

Follow the arrow on the filter body. It points in the direction of fuel flow, which means toward the engine or carburetor, not toward the tank.

Why is there water in my burner filter bowl?

Condensation. Temperature swings pull moist air into the fuel tank and the water settles out. Transfer tanks add more. Drain the bowl weekly during heavy use and you will keep water out of the fuel pump and nozzle.

How often should burner fuel filters be replaced?

At least once a season for a machine in regular service, sooner if the element darkens or the burner starts acting up. Machines fed from dirty transfer tanks may need elements two or three times a season.

What does a fuel water separator actually do?

It combines a filter element with a settling bowl. Fuel slows down inside the housing, water and heavy sediment drop into the clear bowl, and the element catches fine particles. A drain valve lets you dump the water without opening the housing.

Can I run an automotive fuel filter on my burner?

Fuel oil filters are built for diesel and kerosene at burner flow rates, with pipe thread connections that match burner plumbing. An auto parts filter may fit the hose but it is not rated for the job. Use a filter made for fuel oil systems.