An electric pressure washer is a great tool to remove dirt, grime, and stains from your home’s surfaces. To produce good results with an electric pressure washer your machine must produce the required pressure. Because, When the pressure is good, the game is on!
But sometimes it happens. There is no pressure or low pressure. Don’t worry! There are simple solutions for your pressure problems.
Troubleshooting electric pressure washer producing low pressure
Electric pressure washers are easy to use as compared to gasoline models. But the electric ones have a limitation, they can perform properly only if they have a proper voltage supply. If you use it on the wrong voltage the pressure washer will not produce enough water pressure to be commended.
Reset Pressure Washer
The first thing you should do is reset the pressure washer. Disconnect it from the power source, take off the water hose and press the reset button.
After that, plug in the electrical cord again and switch it on. Sometimes this simple solution can fix your problem, but if it doesn’t then you should check the voltage supply by using a voltmeter.
If it is not the voltage, then you should check the hose and cable for possible issues.
Check engine and motor speed
If you’ve tried all of the above and the pressure washer still doesn’t perform as it should then it might be a problem with the engine. You can check that by using a tachometer. If it doesn’t run too fast, then most probably it’s a problem with the engine’s connection or voltage regulator. In case the engine is running too fast then most probably it’s a problem with your pressure washer’s gears.
If the engine doesn’t run, then most probably it has a problem with its electric motor or regulator board. You can test the motor by using a voltmeter. If you measure no voltage between the terminals of the pressure washer’s electric motor, then most probably it’s a problem with the motor or regulator board.
You can try to test them both, but if you find out that the problem is in the pressure washer’s engine, then most probably it needs to be replaced with a new one. The same thing goes for the regulator board, but usually, there are no bigger problems with this part.
Check water source and water supply:
If the pressure washer still doesn’t work properly, then most probably you need to check the water supply. It is possible that there are some minerals in your water, so try to use filtered or distilled water. You can also check if your pressure washer’s filter is clogged up so it produces less pressure. Clean the filter or replace it with a new one if needed.
There might be also a possibility that your pressure washer’s hose is clogged up and needs to be replaced.
Check Unloader Valve
If you have done all of these and still not getting enough pressure from your pressure washer, then the problem is most probably the unloader valve. Examine the unloader valve for leaks or damage. If you find any, then you should replace it with a new one. Most electric pressure washer pumps have only one unloader valve so if you change this part all of the system’s components will be ok too.
Check Water Pump
If everything seems to be fine, then the most probable cause of your problems is a faulty electric pressure washer pump. You need to check the pump and replace some of its parts if damaged. You should replace it with a new one if the problem with the pressure washer pump is beyond repair. Before you do that though, check all the hoses and cables again just to be sure that they are not damaged or broken.
Check High-Pressure Hose
However, if your pressure washer is producing less than optimum pressure then the high-pressure hose inside the machine may be partially blocked with tiny particles of dirt. It’s easy to solve this problem by tapping or shaking the electric pressure washer to remove these tiny particles from within the high-pressure hose.
Check Pressure Washer Wand Nozzle
If your pressure washer is still not producing pressure, then the problem most probably lays in its spray nozzle. If you have already checked all of these and don’t know what to do next, then try to check the nozzle by removing it from the water pump.
Clean it carefully with a toothbrush and examine for any cracks or damage. Take note of the direction of water flow through the nozzle. Insert it back to its place and try to use the pressure washer again.
If there are any problems with the tip, then you need to replace it with a new one. Pressure washer nozzles can wear out after some time so you will most likely need to change them every once in a while.
I hope if your electric pressure washer was producing low pressure then now you are able to troubleshoot it without any expert’s help. Thanks for reading the article. Please share it with your friends and family.