Gas Pressure washer "turn off" instructions incorrect??

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crazy charlie

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I bought a Westinghouse pressure washer.Pretty happy with it so far though a little more power would be nice.Bought the larger engine model 212 cid. The instructions for turning off seem to be in the wrong order.Manual states step 1 turn off power switch, step 2 turn off fuel, step 3 turn off water source. Unless I am going to use the machine for consecutive days,I always turn off gas 1st so carb is run dry. I do this one everything I have with a fuel line cutoff. Am I wrong?? Charlie
 
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crazy charlie

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crazy charlie said:
Yep,thats why I store it indoors.Just saw an aerosol can of oil that blows thru the water inlet to coat the internals....not a bad idea for $10..??
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Though I bet if I lay the machine on its side and spray the fogging oil I already have in the inlet and outlet, will probably accomplish the same.Charlie
 
sangerwaker

sangerwaker

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Charlie, I use those spray cans of pump protector every year in mine and store it in an unheated garage in northern WI without issue. Just be aware that the stuff will shoot out the pump exit, and is a bit oily/messy. I position my pressure washer on the side of the driveway so the pump exit is facing the grass.

Something like this:

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Captain Caveman

Captain Caveman

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crazy charlie said:
I bought a Westinghouse pressure washer.Pretty happy with it so far though a little more power would be nice.Bought the larger engine model 212 cid. The instructions for turning off seem to be in the wrong order.Manual states step 1 turn off power switch, step 2 turn off fuel, step 3 turn off water source. Unless I am going to use the machine for consecutive days,I always turn off gas 1st so carb is run dry. I do this one everything I have with a fuel line cutoff. Am I wrong?? Charlie
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Just fill it full of non-ethanol gas and a little fuel stabilizer and you don't have to worry about constantly draining the carb and fuel lines.

The best move that I ever made was switching to non-ethynol gas in all of my tools/toys that sit for periods of time. I now leave the tanks topped off before winter and haven't had to rebuild a carb yet.
 
Lou C

Lou C

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That’s what I’m doing as well and when I winterize my 4.3 I/O I will run it off the outboard tank with straight gas 94 octane in it. E0 gas is very hard to find here but worth it. I already ran the pressure washer on it & on E10 it always surged with the choke off but on straight gas it does not surge….
 
dingbat

dingbat

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Closet E0 fuel is 2 hours away.
I use stabilizer in my fuels all year long

At the end of the season, I simply turn off the motor, blow out the pump housing with compressed air and roll it in the garage for the winter.
 
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Chris1956

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Gee, I put a short garden hose (washing machine hose) on the pump, stick a funnel into the upper end and dump in some windshield washer fluid. After it stops draining, I blow some compressed air into the hose, blowing out any water and fluid. I cover and store it outside.
 
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Jeff J

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No one has an airport or marina within a 2 hour drive? Some airports have 100% unleaded gas now.

Leaded aviation fuel is not an option for any engine with catalytic converters or O2 sensors but lasts for years. I can also see lead as a possible problem for spark arresters.

E0 convenient here. All I have done for the last 10 years to store my pressure washer is to get the water out if it by leaving the switch off and pulling the cord a few times. We freeze here but rarely for more than a week. Washing the pellet grill is the most common task the pressure washer sees.
 
Lou C

Lou C

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Over 30 years with numerous small engines, I have done OK with E10 if carbs with float bowls are drained at the end of the season, I put shut off valves on them for this reason, and will remove the bowl if it doesn't have a drain on it, that way you don't have deposits left on the bottom that will be drawn in and clog the jets next year.
If you can get E0 fuel then you probably don't have to drain it, but most engine manufacturers do advise that. A shut off valve to me is a good idea, because if the needle valve leaks with gravity fed fuel systems you could wind up with fuel all over the garage floor!
 
Lou C

Lou C

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PS definitely make sure to winterize it Charlie, we do get cold enough for it to freeze and crack the pump housing. The spray cans for that work well.
I have an older one that the pump gave out on (not from freezing just wouldn't make pressure) and was able to get a new pump for less than 100 bucks that works as well or better than new. It had a good Briggs & Stratton 6.5 hp engine so it was worth saving IMO.
And running on E0 gas, it definitely surges less, keep in mind most later model carbs are non-adjustable, unless you can change jets to get the fuel mix a bit richer, the EPA regs set them very lean and then when you use E10, they run even leaner. Can't have it both ways.
 
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Jeff J

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Not my first choice but Walmart and other stores sell canned “small engine” E0 unleaded gasoline for about $10 a gallon.
 
Lou C

Lou C

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One local station is selling 94 octane E0 for $7.50 a gallon. If I use 2-3 gallons with the yard engines a year it's a lot. Worth it.
 
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Chris1956

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Gee, I do not use small engines very often or for long times. The only ones I have are 2 chainsaws and a pressure washer.

Anyway, the chainsaws get whatever fuel I have laying around from the last use. The fuel is sealed in soda bottles for years, so it has to be good, right? I did clean the carb on one chainsaw after 30 years, but it really didn't need it.

The pressure washer gets whatever fuel I have left from the boats. Sometimes it gets 50::1.

E10 is not a death sentence. Heck, it is not even a misdemeanor.
 
A

airshot

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Chris1956 said:
Gee, I put a short garden hose (washing machine hose) on the pump, stick a funnel into the upper end and dump in some windshield washer fluid. After it stops draining, I blow some compressed air into the hose, blowing out any water and fluid. I cover and store it outside.
Click to expand...
YES....use the pink RV antifreeze as it is designed for plastic/ rubber impeller and gaskets....
 
A

airshot

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Chris1956 said:
Gee, I do not use small engines very often or for long times. The only ones I have are 2 chainsaws and a pressure washer.

Anyway, the chainsaws get whatever fuel I have laying around from the last use. The fuel is sealed in soda bottles for years, so it has to be good, right? I did clean the carb on one chainsaw after 30 years, but it really didn't need it.

The pressure washer gets whatever fuel I have left from the boats. Sometimes it gets 50::1.

E10 is not a death sentence. Heck, it is not even a misdemeanor.
Click to expand...
Very true, been using E10 since it came onto the market, add a fuel stabilizer like have always done for the past 60 plus years....never have had a clog or any other issue with it !
 
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Jeff J

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Fuel stabilizers are important for anything that may sit but critical for E10. Fortunately, 2-stroke oils generally contain stabilizers so my gallon of 2-stroke fuel I mix up for the saws and weed-eater about once every other year does just fine. My saw can have the same fuel in it for up to 3 years. I usually forget to treat things like the pressure washer because, while it doesn’t see a lot of use, it does get used year around. Same with the boat. I doubt I run a full tank of fuel through them in a year. The only time I had trouble was the year getting E0 wasn’t convenient but I didn’t treat it either. Everything I own except for the daily drivers should be treated.
 
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