Trashed commercial Hot Water Pressure Washer. Can it be Saved?
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- Опубліковано 19 сер 2023
- I went to a going out of business sale and this powermaster 1404 steam pressure washer was in the corner for sale, but it had a broken tag tied to it, so I took a chance and bought it, lets bring it back to the shop and see what is wrong and if we can fix it,
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I've been a pressure washing contractor for 23 years. A few tips for your machine; Bypass the break tank under the unit and plumb it to a garden hose with an inline water filter. Put a male and female guick disconnect on the pressure hose so that you can easily remove the wand from the hose. The valves you pulled out are called check valves. They get clogged open usually not allowing the pump to build full pressure. Pick up a bag of viton o-rings for the QDs. They wear out regularly. Your burner should not come on unless the trigger is pulled open, if it does you have a bad flow switch and that dangerous (steam explosion)!. Always run water through the system before and after running the burner. The shrader valve is probably to blow the water out of the pump and coil, better to fill with antifreeze if it can freeze. The braided hose is a pressure bypass line. When you let off the trigger it recirculates the water through the pump head so it takes pressure of the coil, hose gun. After 2-3 minutes in recirc. the water will get hot and can damage the seals in the pump. Make sure you have the correct tips in the wand. According to the gpm of the machine. You will need a low pressure soap tip with a single lance wand, it uses the venturi effect to draw soap but its always best to have the draw hose after the coil so your not running chemicals through the pump or coil. You can run diesel or kerosene in the burner tank and your right about it being like a home oil furnace. Beckett makes most of them. Good luck and be careful.
I agree I used to work for hotsy the correct tip can make or break a machine people think u can just go by tips anywhere also when ur done using heat run cold water through the coil to v oil it down and ur burner tip can usually be cleaned you want a good fine mist out of them
You ever had any experiences with steam explosions on the job? I haven't ever thought about that before but I also have only cold water pressure washed. I imagine it'd be dangerous as hell
He never reads comments...
Logic and common sense will always get the right result !!
@@JimLahey21 Yes , he does . He has even emailed me with questions about my comments . He's good that way . But the best thing about his comment section are the responses . Some really knowledgeable and experienced people watch his videos . From mechanics to techs, and engineers . I've learned a lot from reading the comments actually . Good source of knowledge .
Possibly the first-ever pressure washer that puts dirt onto the item you're trying to wash. :)
Helps get the paint off when you add the heat and some "grit".
Might get a lot more pressure if you continue cleaning those valves in the pressure pump that were stuck closed. Probably a multistage pump that needs them all flowing to create max pressure.
When he didnt have the hose on you could see the water losing pressure coming out of the cupler reguraly, like how an old engine gallops due to stuck rings. I definitely think that at least one of the valves isnt free on the top.
The top valves are the inlet valves. Stuck closed and they won't let water through, stuck open and they won't make pressure. It's possible that one is stuck, probably not two and definitely not all three.
Yes I will say it didn't have the right water pressure. I hope he makes a follow up video were he improves it.
He didn't have the pressure dial turned up until he put the knob on at the end. Pressure is probably fine.
I spent a few years repairing these, it must be set up so the burner only runs when water is flowing. Otherwise you quickly end up with a very large steam bomb. There is a vacuum switch i saw it on the unit but its not working right. I know its a video but before you run it again..please get that part fixed..id miss the sunday morning videos. Edit im 49 minutes in maybe you do fix it by end.
PRV bosd
The Schrader valve is for blowing air into the coils so it
doesn't freeze residue water in the coils in winter. I'm thinking the seals on the pump valve might need repacking.😊
Everything you work on I learn something new. Thank you so much for making these videos.
Another great fix without a manual , you have a very great sense of deductive reasoning , great intelligence and a pleasure to watch . Thanks for the video's you produce !
Elementary, my dear Watson
i used to work on these pumps and it looks like a interpump pump. when you seen the water dripping from under the pump from all 3 of the pistons it means the piston seals are worn and need replacing so you get the full pumping capacity, the pistons are ceramic and the seal acts similar to a regular piston ring but is located in the bore and not the piston
I found a Alkota hot water pressure washer at a metal recycler. 4000PSI @ 4GPM, with a 18HP Vanguard engine. After cleaning the rust out of the coil with acid and replacing the burner motor, igniter, unloader valve, muffer, and rebuilding the water pump, it works beautifully. Overall, I spent about $1000 for a unit that probably cost $12 - 14k new.
12k. LMAO.
Eh. A Northern Tool hot water pressure washer of similar capacity and style is $9k, and there's no Alkota dealers in my area to check prices.
It is a professional tool thay double or triple the price for those
Always a good feeling when you fix something, and bring it back to life.
Another demonstration of advanced diagnostics. There is not a chance I would ever dive into such a project; I guess that's why it's so fascinating to see someone who would. Amazing video, as-usual Mustie.
You need to make sure the burner doesn't run unless the water is flowing out of the gun. It has the potential to be a pressure vessel. The silver box you referred to as a pressure switch is a vacuum switch. It should be wired in series with the fuel solenoid so every time you let off of the trigger it stops solenoid from energizing.
He said in the video that it was shutting the burner down when he stopped pulling the trigger.
he read the instruction to do that and ignored it!
I've used numerous industrial steam cleaners and all of them shut off the burner when you let off the trigger. It's exactly the same way instant water heaters work.
I purchased a used one of these machines years ago someone bypassed that switch. thank God I caught it
Sweet Jayzus that´s scary and a half. Don´t these things have an overpressure valve like the ones on Sodastream canisters to stop them from turning into a bomb? @@nellof1244
We used this kind of pressure washers at the family winery to wash out the fermentation containers. I fixed them all the time. We had hard water and the minerals would collect along every interior water passage, especially the heating coil. Clogged like crazy.
Good score that one Mustie, the fuel filter is a baldwin B825 and the upper valves are the outlet valves so should not stick on you. The soap intake usually drops the pressure slightly so with it turned off you should get a better pressure, I always run the cleaner with the heat turned off until i can comfortably hold my hand on the steel part of the wand, this only takes a minute or two and cools the heating coil down enough to not cause any thermal shock if you run cold water into it
Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening, Mustonians, & Happy Sunday!
mustonians, 😂 I love it, we should start a Mustie 1 fan club.
I have no idea what is going on in your world, but it is great to hear you laugh again. Keep up the good work.
The "tire valve" is for blowing the water out for winter storage. You need out flow for the pump to engage.
I worked as a detailer in the late 1980s and used a kerosene powered pressure washer. It was a labor saver for sure.
Yet another great job. I would have had no idea whatsoever where to start.
Awesome barn find. You now have a bargain steam geni. Congrats
$300 and it now runs fine. ..... That sounds like a win in my book.
Wow! Fire, electricity, water and high pressure steam. You outdid yourself this time. Be careful!
For a little added security for your shop...park that forklift tight across the inside of the garage door! Will wake some thief up if they decide to ram the bottom of the door to get in.
You can also just put a steel beam across the door about hip high. Downside is you have to lift it on and off.
My local high school has colour matched beams across the outside of the roller doors on a shed they put up for their various vehicles. I believe they're on the outside as a visible deterrent. Personally I'd put them on the inside so they can't be removed without breaking in first.
Used a Hotsy brand hot water pressure washer for years in a meat processing plant. It made cleaning up at the end of the day so much easier. You did well with this purchase.
We have a couple of those spread across the adm plant I work at and I’ll use them as pumps to wash ac coils if they’re really dirty
We used a Hotsy as well, both gasoline and an electric powered at the shop. We had a a guy washing our well service trucks every night, all 26 of them, and we didn't have any problems with it at all.
We used a high pressure hose hooked to a 160+ degree hot water tank in the meat room I worked in as a young man. Hit everything with low pressure soap, blasted, then sanitizer, then blasted again.Took about 90 minutes to clean the whole room and all the equipment. Went home every night soaked. Learned a ton at that job, those guys were all nuts, in a good way LOL!!
Glad you bought this Darren.
I bet the lady who sold it wished you worked for her.
Definitely not a bad deal for just 3 stuck intake valves. Congrats! In case you don't know, look into getting one of those rotary tips with a fine point on it. They work amazingly well for cutting through grease and nasty stuff.
Mustie if you get tired of burning your hands on the wand do what I did back in the day, I took 2 1x2’s the full length of the wand and carved a groove 1/2 the diameter of the pipe in each and hose clamped them around the wand, I shaved corners off the boards for comfort, great video keep em comin
Never sell it. It is incredible tool to have. It takes off mold from anything, Washes interior parts and seats . And for washing greasy engines , there is no comparrison with the simple preassure washers. We cleanesd the production floor of grease production facility with one of those , it is so good of a tool.
I couldn't really tell with his quick demonstration. But is there a clear advantage with the heated water as apposed to just pressurized water alone?
With all the projects he gets this machine is perfect. Like that old bicycle he fixed.
Lots of gooey material will soften an melt with hot water, making it easier to remove.
Yet again, another in-depth education on something I didn't realize I needed an education on. NOW, I need one of those things! Thanks Mustie!
I have to say my first reaction to a GFI trip is not to ignore it and then touch metalwork that could be live. Lol. Maybe I am getting soft in my old age. Done the whole 'being thrown off my chair by electric shocks' in my early years. 😅
really pisses me off when people watch for 5mins then stop and start making comments,do this do that.If they would watch the whole thing first they would see he covers 99% of what they are telling what to look for
I have an alkota machine. I use the air chuck to blow the water from the coil so it doesn't freeze up in the winter.
Awesome as always.Thanks for sharing and taking us along
Another nice win, I love to watch you figure out machines on the fly! Thanks for the fun.
In high school my friend had a job cleaning a slaughterhouse every night after school from 3-6pm. He used a similar machine to clean every service in the slaughterhouse. They also added some kind of cleaner/sanitizer. It was a very hard job, but back then it paid twice as much as retail jobs the rest of us had.
That thing works great now! I build race engines and use a spray wash tank with heat, but I’ve always wanted to try the hot pressure washer for pre washing the nasty engines that come in for rebuilds. Good job and awesome find! I’ve been watching your videos for years and will continue watching!
I use a carpet cleaner with heat I've run a little bit of vinegar through it every now and then to clean out the scale.
Those are nice machines! Can't wait to see what happens!... EDIT:... Nice save!! Definitely worth the time and effort. Thanks for bringing us along! J.W. in Mass.
Good afternoon everyone watching from Lincolnshire UK 🇬🇧
Hello from Columbus Ohio USA 👍
The lift at the end. I still remember you fixing that distributor. It was a brilliant video. Thank you.
Your pump is at half power. Free the other 3 valves.
Thanks for the shop time Mustie1! Great save on the washer! Steam cleaning is handy to have.
We used to have an industrial Karcher diesel pressure washer at one place I worked at.
Every now and then we had to run some descaling fluid through it on hot wash when the pressure began to drop noticeably.
Also, try to get the thermostat sorted too, as it is its more of a paint stripper than a hot washer.
Gr8 vid 👍
You are absolutely lucky. You stole that .now don't let it freeze. I'm so jealous. In a good way 😊
Nice score and no personal injury
getting it going!
Used to service permanently installed versions of that years ago. Drove 3hrs to service one, in a brand new fleet van just picked up, got all filters changed valves clean, pressure reset etc. Switched it on to test it using the van as a test vehicle. Blew the paint and filler out of the front wing! Turned out it had been bumped and repaired by the dealer.
Cost them a new front wing and 2yrs free servicing 😅
You had the best explanation of GFCI I've ever heard. Thanks for teaching me something new!
You just have knack of bringing all kinds of things back to life there Darin. Very awesome video like always my friend.
FYI, burning kerosene, especially on a machine that sits quite a bit, is a much better plan. Unfortunately, it’s expensive and not as easy to find. I work on these things for a living and it’s extremely rare for a kerosene burner to need anything more than the most basic service.
Additionally, make sure your nozzles are properly sized, otherwise, pump and unloader valve damage can occur.
Hopefully I don’t feel stupid after watching the video and find out you already cover this stuff. Ha.
will running pump without water hurt the pump
Another advantage to burning kerosene is that you can use diesel fuel in it, which is much easier to find.
No problem getting kerosene in his area
@@nedasher116 right? Where is he at that kerosene isnt easy to find?
Also diesel fuel has better lubrication for the fuel pump. A customer of mine was told to use Varsol and wore out fuel pumps in a week.. I loved the repeat service calls untill he believed me. And switchee back to diesel.
My company, HOP Sales & Service was the original seller of this machine (blue & white decal on the side). This is a mid 1980s model. Great unit, though. We still carry all the parts for them. Nice work on the diag / repair.
The steam genny you purchased was a super bargain. I used them in the past in a Diesel engine repair facility. It would make the most greasy engine or surrounding frame squeaky clean and then a pleasure to work on. Nice video as usual.
nice score with the hot water pressure washer Mustie. they are worth their weight in gold. bit temperamental at times but once you get the hang of their quirks, they arent too bad. you are on right path - descaling the coils. oughta help get rid of the muck etc
Uggg seeing that skid steer all covered in oil and a perfectly good cleaner, driving my OCD crazy, I must see it cleaned! Thanks for another great video.
That was a great find at that price and lucky that it was just a few stuck valves. I'm currently looking at getting one myself, fingers crossed I get as good deal.
You are a man after my own heart, operating a steam Jenny with short pants. You the man.
Awesome save on the ole steam cleaner...used one back in Auto Shop back in highschool and it always made quick work breaking down the old grease and grime. Like that for a small investment and a gamble..you got a machine that will serve you well. Bravo at bringing it back 😁🇺🇸🛠️😎
Thanks mustie another happy Sunday 😊😊😊😊
The 90 degree angled nozzle looked home made. I hadn't seen that before. Thanks for the cool video.
I would put some Lime-Away in that water tank and let it suck that through the system - that would help eliminate lime scale buildup too.
Pretty serious machine ,and another great repair !
That is an awesome looking hot water pressure washer.
It's been mentioned that the burner MUST shut off when you release the trigger and no water is flowing because it will quickly heat up and has the potential to become a bomb.
The inlet valves often get stuck with rust, the outlet ones get forced open by pressure so don't suffer as much. You can also get bits of debris stuck in the inlet valves stopping them from closing and allowing the pressure back into the inlet pipe.
Running the pump without water flow will burn out the pump seals, these have (normally) ceramic sleeved pistons running in seals which will leak if they get worn and water drips out of the holes under the pump.
When you let go of the trigger the pressure builds up quickly and opens the valve allowing the water to bypass back into the tank. If there is any air in the system this valve will hunt as the pressure drops and then as pressure builds again the burner will start for a second or two. It's likely that the burner doesn't fire up properly but will squirt fuel into the bottom of the boiler so you can get a build up resulting in a fire. If I remember correctly, and these machines arelikely 70s rather than 80s, the burner nozzle would be about 1.5 0r 1.75 UK gallons per minute, Check the filter in the pump and behind the nozzle as they can block, yours burns cleanly so should be ok.
Run it on cold only for a couple of minutes after switching off the heat.
More modern machines switch off when you release the trigger rather than allowing water to bypass which is a safer and more economical method.
High pressure hot water on car paintwork can cause damage to the paint so it's better to keep away from the bodywork and use the approriate chemical/soap.
This was a fun adventure to watch, LOL! I bought a different brand at an auction and it had the same problems. Once we got the wiring put back together we discovered it had probably been used in the oil field in Oklahoma since the heating coil was completely plugged up with what seemed to be bentonite. We took a 3/4 drill and some 3/16 cable and used it to auger out all of the clay, rebuilt the pump, got it fired up and it worked great. I recommend Stabil Pump Protector when you're going to let it sit. It keeps the corrosion out of the pump and displaces the water for cold weather.
Im sure many of us in the mechanical trade used these hot water washers, as it was usually the bottom rung of the ladder, as we learned our trade.
Id say, [ without watching all the way through, ] that you don't have enough pressure, so the pump needs an overhaul.
But i have fond memories of my early days, learning the ropes.
Thanks for this one, brought back some happy memories.
Mustie 1, I know absolutely nothing about these machines and I don't need one here in S.C. but, that was so cool to watch. God bless and stay safe.
👍👌👏 2) Great purchase again. Congratulations 🎉
Fuse popped when plugging in the powerwasher. That was so funny to watch.
Mustie1, Excellenteeeee!!! Nice purchase and amazing fix. Thanks for the video!
I really enjoyed that. I've been finding a lot of use for my little Ryobi pressure washer but I dream of having a gnarly degreaser like the one you just repaired.
I was super nervous when you put the impact gun on the valves.... Thanks for showing me how to do it.
Id say that was a good purchase. Nice work on fixing the intake valves which was probably the main issue.
I must admit I was a bit nervous for you as I watched you troubleshoot this unit . I worked for Alkota in the late 70s and years ālater I was a mechanic for an outfit called Ben's Cleaner Sales in Seattle WA . The owners that started Aladin all worked for Alkota prior . The only thing I did not see the other experts mention is that if you want a more trouble free burner , run stove oil . Kerosene does not put out the same BTU as stove oil with the same size burner nozzle . The other thing with kerosene is if you run out , it has very little lubrication so you can damage the pump easily . Diesel #1 is a good second choice , #2 can soot up your coil . I would say a good buy .
I'm glad the pump wasn't roached! Fun to learn about a new kind of machine!!!
That fork lift looks like incredible! powerful and sporty too!
If pressure washer couplers leak, it often means that the o ring inside is damaged and needs replaced. A dental pick is good to remove them, and a small straight screwdriver is useful to install them. Have replaced many of these at work in 16 years.
Aeems like this would be a great addition to your garage to clean your projects before you work on them.
Love your channel Bud ! Great variety....I like your other friend who saves REALLY rusted VW's He does NOT know the meaning of Give Up..Love that.Thanks for entertaining Me
You got that machine for a steal nice you got it working, I bet that would come in handy for so many cleaning projects but especially for cleaning motors and oil of the bottom of vehicles.
I used one of these when I was working as a farm hand to pressure wash the tractors at the end of the year. Ours had a gas engine instead of electric but still used diesel for heating the water. They work really well when trying to remove grease and oils!
You will get a lot of use out of that. The hot water makes a lot of difference when cleaning. Good video, thanks !!
The one thing I saw is when you went to put the tip on with your finger on the end. You quickly moved it, which was a great idea. I've heard horror stories of guys injecting themselves with water, left over pressure in the hose.
Yes the key to it all is the hose hooked up always wen running
i love your ramblings and bad jokes' keep it up mate.
Nice job. Thanks for sharing
Thanks for another amazing video.
Good Morning Mustie! Another interesting video on another interesting machine!
This turned into ASMR power washing at the end and I'm all for it, nice save!
Great resuscitation!
You Scored big on this one... You're gonna love having that thing around
Seems to work fine as the pressure goes. Amazon sells a pressure gauge that you can hook up to the hose fittings. 3/8 size is the hose and 1/4 is the fittings size. I just replaced a cracked ceramic tube in the pump on a pressure washer i got. Went ahead and rebuilt the pump while I was in it but yours is fine. They get dry and will leak. Ive also filled some up with oil where the water inlet is and let them soak for a week. Works good for winter storage as well. Great content Sir.
I haven't finished watching the video yet, but working on a wet concrete floor with a system that has already faulted on a GFI circuit breaker 🤔, but I guess you posted the video so you made it out alive 🙄
Great find!
The gamble pays off! Nice machine well worth investing a few dollars to make it a long term shop tool.
This will bring clean up to the next level.
great change of venue's thanks we all learn together
I like how you read the instructions and still managed not to follow it, ending with steam explosion waiting to happen. More luck than brains.
I got one of these for free. I don't know if it works or not as I don't have 220 in my garage yet. I'm glad you found one so I can learn how to fix mine.
This was definitely worth 300 dollars good save sir six stars brother
Buy a good quality descaling acid and add some to the water supply reservoir, run the machine without a nozzle on the lance until you start to see black sludge appear. Once you see that sludge let the machine sit for a day to allow the acid to work. You may need to remove the low and high pressure valves when you flush the system. Also reducing the water flow using the pressure valve will increase heat if you are looking for wet steam.
I would be cleaning everything with that! Great find!
If the burner flashes to steam may be a faulty thermostatvon the output side of the coil OR TOO SMALL A NOZZLE OEFICE.
that is key to get the correct pressure and flow rate.
Another thing that is hard to get the burner running right is to replace the fuel filter. 5hat has caused lots of trouble for my customers. So I replace them often to eliminate some frustration. I sell and service all makes of pressure washers for 32 years now.
Nice to see you explore/fix contraptions outside of your comfort zone.... we all learn together, shame you can't ride/drive it 😁
Looks like it was a easy fix and a great gift for your collection …..
I painted used tractors for a dealer and used a steam cleaner to prep them for paint. Nothing digs into years of grease and oil build-up like one of those! Though you can come close with solvents and a regular pressure washer plus a little more elbow grease
Forklift engine now looks like it got a craiglist rebuild. Good find really interesting investigation and fix.