Pressure Washer Filters

Most pressure washer breakdowns start with something a filter should have caught. Grit in the pump, dirt in the carb, trash in the fuel line. This collection gathers every pressure washer filter we sell in one place: water inlet filters, engine air filters, fuel and oil filters, chemical strainers, tank screens, and high pressure inline filters. Not sure which one your machine needs? Call 301-519-9274 and we will sort it out from our counter in Gaithersburg, MD.

Every Filter on Your Rig, Mapped

A gas pressure washer runs three separate systems, and each one has its own filtration. Water flows from the spigot or tank through the pump and out the nozzle. Fuel flows from the tank through the carburetor. Air feeds the engine. When any of these runs dirty, the repair bill lands on whatever sat downstream of the missing filter.

Water Side

The inlet filter or Y strainer sits before the pump and catches sand and scale that would grind through packings. Tank screens thread into buffer tank ports and stop debris at the pickup. On the pressure side, a high pressure inline filter rated to 5,000 PSI guards your surface cleaner and turbo nozzle from pump debris, which matters because a surface cleaner nozzle orifice is small enough for one flake of teflon tape to plug it. If you run well or tank water, filter twice: once at the tank, once before the pump.

Engine Side

Air filters do more work on a pressure washer than on almost any other machine because the engine breathes right next to the overspray and the dust the job kicks up. Honda GX and Briggs engines use a paper element with a foam pre-filter over it. The foam catches the heavy stuff and can be washed, the paper element gets replaced. Fuel filters are cheap insurance against rust and sediment in job site gas cans, and a clogged carb jet costs a lot more than a $6 inline filter. Engines with pressure lube systems also take a spin-on oil filter, and the Briggs 491056 is the one we sell most.

Chemical Side

Downstream injectors pull soap through a small clear hose with a chemical strainer on the end. The strainer keeps undissolved powder and jug debris out of the injector check valve, which is the part that fails when people run unfiltered mix. Soft wash and 12 volt systems use slotted PVC filters and suction strainers on the tank pickup for the same reason.

Filter Finder

Call before you drive over and we will confirm pricing and what is on the shelf that day.

From the Field

Add up the table above and the whole filtration package for a typical rig costs less than one pump rebuild. That is the entire argument. The catalog also tells you where people cut corners: we sell far more replacement screens, foam pre-filters, and strainers than complete filter housings, because the pros who filter everything just service elements a few times a season. One habit worth copying from the fleet accounts: buy filters in pairs. Keep the spare in the truck, because the day a filter clogs is never a day you are parked near the shop.

Related Collections

• Water inlet filters and inline filters
• Strainers and chemical strainers
• Engine air filters
• Honda replacement filters and Briggs engine filters
• Fuel filters
• Hypro filters and garden hose pump inlets with filters
• Need hands-on help? Our Gaithersburg pressure washer store matches filters at the counter

Frequently Asked Questions

Which filters does a gas pressure washer actually have?

Usually four: a water inlet filter before the pump, an engine air filter, a fuel filter in the gas line, and on pressure lubed engines an oil filter. Machines running soap add a chemical strainer on the downstream line.

What does a high pressure inline filter do?

It catches debris after the pump, before it reaches tight orifices in surface cleaners and turbo nozzles. Pump seal fragments and teflon tape shreds are the usual culprits. Ours is rated to 5,000 PSI and connects with standard 1/4" quick connects.

How often should each filter be serviced?

Check the water inlet screen weekly. Tap out the air filter monthly and replace it yearly, sooner in dusty season. Swap fuel filters yearly. Rinse chemical strainers whenever you switch soaps so residue does not set up in the screen.

Can I clean a filter instead of replacing it?

Stainless mesh screens rinse clean and last for years. Foam pre-filters wash in warm soapy water, dry, and go back on. Paper air elements and fuel filters do not clean, replace them once they load up.

What is a tank screen and where does it go?

It is a 50 mesh screen that threads into a buffer tank bulkhead at the pickup port. It stops leaves, insects, and fill debris from reaching your plumbing. Sizes run 1/4" through 3/4" FPT to match the tank fitting.

What happens if I run without a fuel filter?

Rust and grit from gas cans end up in the carburetor, and the machine starts surging or dies under load. Cleaning a gummed carb costs an hour of downtime. The filter costs about six bucks. Easy call.