dead pressure washer - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

birdog · 09-20-2007, 08:33 AM

My washer has been running good then has a hard time starting up on other days, finally the other day I could'nt get it to start, it has fresh gas so I change the spark plug, I only use it about 6 times a year so I took it in to a large contractor equipment/rental business. They called me and said that the pump was shot with corrosion. repair quote $410, the unit is a honda engine 6.5hp with a Annovi Reverberi pump and the cost new was about $700-800. I guess my question is would a bad pump not allow the engine to turn over,should I pay to repair or try to do it myself. This was a Home Depot pressure washer .

Dustball · 09-20-2007, 10:08 AM

I had a pressure washer that wouldn't start- had spark and fuel but just wouldn't start. Turns out it was a broken cam.

kapena · 09-20-2007, 01:54 PM

The clowns at the repair shop are probably just going to replace the old pump with a new one that they bought on ebay for less than $200. including shipping. You can easily do the same thing yourself instead of paying $400.+, if you are not in too much of a hurry. Don't forget to put some gear oil in the housing before bolting it on if you decide to go that route.

It's possible that a bad (jammed) pump would keep the motor from starting, since it is a direct drive. It could be something else altogether,as Dustball said.

PressurePros · 09-20-2007, 07:04 PM

Do you run chemicals (like bleach) through your pump?

jackrabbit5 · 09-20-2007, 08:32 PM

Does it have enough oil in the crankcase? I have a Graco with a Honda engine that has a "low oil shutoff".

plazaman · 09-20-2007, 08:42 PM

The pump should affect if the engine starts or not i would tend to think.

I pump went out 2 months ago and the engine still worked. Dont pay 410 to repair it. I have a 5hp honda and paid about 150 for a replacement pump.

Im pretty sure you can find a replacement for a bit over 200. Takes about 10 mins to replace. Simple

Da Vinci · 09-20-2007, 10:30 PM

It may have been the pump, but I agree with everyone else- do it yourself and save bucks.

The other thing - since you only use it occasionally, do you put a gas treatment in the tank? Over time, gas will absorb moisture, especially in high humidity areas. Treatments absorb the moisture, too much water will prevent it from firing... just because you put fresh gas in it doesn't necessarily mean there wasn't moisture in tank.
LAstly, you put a new spark plug in it - did you check if there was spark?

Bob
Bay Area Painting company

PressurePros · 09-20-2007, 10:56 PM

The problem with the "home cheapo" machines are that the unloader is built into the pump and those are usually proprietary and can be expensive to replace.

fireguy · 09-21-2007, 12:07 AM

I had one Anno-Reverbi pump. It died and I went back to the General Pump, they give much better service. If it going to cost $700 to fix your home cheapo, would it be cheaper to rent a PW 6 times a year and let someone else have the repair bills? or just toss the home crapo and buy another cheap PW?

toddcla2002 · 09-24-2007, 01:28 AM

I had a similar experience. I used to have a Home Depot pressure washer with a Honda 6.5. I don't remember the pump....it eventually died. I got a quote for about the same amount as you to get it fixed and they said that it would probably have the same problem after awhile because it's essentially a homeowner model and the parts aren't made to last forever. (it's cheap). I have since spent money and bought a nice industrial one. So I would consider getting an industrial one. Maybe one that was lightly used as a rental or a heavily discounted one from a paint supplier or something. Good luck!

~todd