How To Store A Pressure Washer: The Complete Guide
Pressure washers are an essential tool for businesses and professionals to have in their box of tricks. They’re powerful tools that can save you time and effort. They come in various sizes and power levels, ranging from low-powered to high-powered models.
They may be your favorite cleaning tool, but if you’re not careful with them, they can also damage buildings you are working on or even injure you! So how do you know how to store your pressure washer? What should you be looking out for?
Do You Really Need To Learn How To Store A Pressure Washer?
Yes! How do cracked seals, damaged pistons, and a safety hazard for your employees sound? If you store your pressure washer incorrectly, you could soon be dealing with these.
Nobody wants to spend money on costly repairs or new tools. So let’s look at some consequences of incorrect storage.
Frozen Parts
If you live in a very cold climate, you’ll want to ensure that your pressure washer doesn’t freeze up. The cold can damage seals and pistons, leading to costly repairs or, in extreme cases, the need for a new pressure washer.
Damaged Parts
The wrong storage location can lead to problems like rusting parts, leaking hoses, and other issues. Again, expensive repairs or replacement of your pressure washer could result.
If you’re storing your pressure washer for extended periods, keep it away from extreme hot and cold weather. Both could cause irreparable damage. Moisture is another culprit – your storage area must be dry.
Fuel Issues
If your pressure washer runs on gas, then proper storage becomes even more vital. Gasoline can go stale in just a month. Stale fuel damages the components of your washer, so improper storage can be an expensive mistake.
In addition, there are safety concerns related to storing fuel in the tank. For example, fumes and fire may cause injury to you or your workplace. For these reasons, it’s important to know how to store a gas pressure washer.
How To Store A Pressure Washer: Tips For Short Term & Long Term Storage
Proper storage means you’ll get more use out of your pressure washer and be safer while using it. Whether you’re putting your pressure washer away for a day or the whole winter, careful storage will prolong its use.
How To Store Your Pressure Washer In The Short Term
You’ll want to ensure that you’re storing your machine appropriately after every use. Following these tips will help maintain the condition of your pressure washer.
Check the hoses
After using your pressure washer, you should inspect the hose and fittings for any signs of damage. If there are any holes or tears, fix them immediately to avoid water leaking.
Clean the nozzle
You should also clean off the nozzle before storing it. Use soap and warm water to remove any dirt or grime. After cleaning, keep the nozzle upright.
Check the temperature
When storing your pressure washer, always keep it at room temperature. This temperature will help prevent condensation inside the tank. Condensation can damage the internal parts of your pressure washer.
Keep your pressure washer in an airy, cool place. Don’t leave it in direct sunlight because this can cause overheating.
Never store your pressure washer near heat sources such as radiators, furnaces, or stoves. Heat causes metal to expand, which can lead to cracks.
Check the storage location
Never store your pressure washer where it can come into contact with other chemicals. Dangerous substances include cleaners, solvents, paint thinners, and degreasers.
Your pressure washer should not be left outside either – wet weather and sunlight can cause damage.
Clean it up
Always keep your pressure washer clean. After you use it, clean both the outside and the inside. Leaves, dirt, and dust can easily block your system and prevent it from working correctly.
Keep it upright
Keeping your pressure washer upright will help protect the hose. It will also prevent the mechanisms on the inside from loosening or becoming misaligned.
How To Store Your Pressure Washer In The Long Term
The tips we covered above are fine if you use your pressure washer regularly. However, if you’re storing your pressure washer for an extended period, you’ll have to do more to ensure its continued functionality.
Winterize your pressure washer
You already know you’ll need to avoid extreme temperatures when storing your pressure washer. Especially if you live in areas with harsh winters, knowing how to store a pressure washer for the winter is vital to keeping it running.
Winterizing your pressure washer means that you’ve prepared it for storage when the weather is cold.
You’ll need to:
- clean out the detergent tanks and lines
- run a pump protector or antifreeze through your washer to protect the engine
- ensure your machine is clean and dry throughout
Use a cover for protection
We recommend using a cover when storing your pressure washer. A good cover helps prevent damage from rain and snow if you’re unable to store your pressure washer indoors. But even when storing your unit inside a safe location, we encourage you to cover up your machine – this will keep bugs and varmint from causing damage. There’s an array of plastic and cloth covers available, and some covers contain both materials.
Canvas and polyester are great options because they are breathable and easy to clean. Waterproofing helps prevent water from leaking into your machine.
Tips To Get Your Pressure Washer Back Up & Running After Storage
If you’ve ever had to store your pressure washer, it may not start running the way you’d hoped right out of storage. Whether the machine has been sitting idle for a few days, weeks, or even months, here are four tips for getting your pressure washer back up and running again:
1) Check the hoses
When you first start using your pressure washer again, make sure all the hoses are connected properly. This includes the supply line, return line, and any other hoses attached to the unit. Hose issues are common when storing a pressure washer. If you find an issue, tighten the connections.
2) Inspect the motor
While you’re checking the hoses, inspect the motor too. Make sure it’s not leaking fluid or water. If you see any signs of leakage, stop immediately. You’ll need a mechanic to stop the leak.
3) Clean the filter
After you’ve inspected the hoses, be sure to check the filter. If it looks dirty or has a lot of debris stuck in it, give it a good cleaning.
4) Test the pressure washer
Once you’ve successfully cleaned the filters, test the pressure washer by turning it on. If everything sounds normal, then it’s safe to assume that the pressure washer is ready to use once more.
As we’ve discussed, you can keep your pressure washer in storage for a long period of time without causing major problems. However, if you want to ensure that your pressure washer is always ready to go, follow these five simple steps before starting your pressure washer.
My Pressure Washer Isn’t Working After Long-Term Storage – Any Advice?
There could be any number of reasons why your pressure washer isn’t working after you’ve stored it – mechanical failure, issues with pipes, clogged nozzles. Our advice?
- Perform a pressure washer maintenance as per the manufacturer’s advice.
- Check that you’ve added the fuel and that your hoses are all connected.
- Clean out the nozzle to ensure that there aren’t any blockages.
If your pressure washer still hasn’t started, don’t worry. Our pressure washer repair service can help you get that machine up and running again – visit us at a Hotsy location near you!
Final Thoughts On How To Store Pressure Washers
So that’s the complete guide to storing your pressure washer. Whether it’s just for the day or for the winter, you know what to do to keep your machine in tip-top shape.
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