MtnViewRanch
Elite Member, Advertiser
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2005
- Messages
- 10,455
- Tractor
- Mahindra 7520, Mahindra 3215HST, Case 580 extendahoe, Case 310 dozer, Parsons trencher, Cat D6,
I had gotten tired of fighting with my pressure washer trying to get it to work. You know if you have had a similar problem, pull the trigger to start washing and only water comes out, not with any pressure. You let off the trigger, pull again and sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't. It gets worse and worse until it just never sprays with any pressure anymore.
So I call the local pressure washer repair shop and ask them about my problem. They ask what type and I tell them that it is a Karcher that I had bought at Costco. They tell me that those are disposable washers and that I will need a new pump for about $400. I say "that is more than what I paid for the whole thing". Their response was "that is what it is for a good pump that you can service". Okay, more than I want to spend, so I call the closest Karcher service center, tell them the same story, their response is that those pumps were no good and that they could put an upgraded pump on for $240. Still more than I want to pay, so I go to a Karcher website and find the same pump shipped to my door step for $140, okay, this is better but still more than what I want to pay.
As a last resort I call Karcher themselves from a number that was on the website. Ask for service and tell him my problem and what the other guys solutions were. He laughed and said that those guys just wanted to sell a pump. He told me to remove the unloader valve, told me where it was, told me how to remove it, there is a trick to get it out, and to grease the valve with siliconized grease, re-assemble and I would be good to go for a few more years.
Well, I did just that today and it works like new. So for a few bucks and about 15 minutes of my time my washer is now repaired. What makes me mad about this deal is that the repair shops did not want to repair or service my pump, but replace it when it simply needed to be greased. Well they tried to get the whole enchilada and ended up with nothing. That's what greed does for ya.
So I call the local pressure washer repair shop and ask them about my problem. They ask what type and I tell them that it is a Karcher that I had bought at Costco. They tell me that those are disposable washers and that I will need a new pump for about $400. I say "that is more than what I paid for the whole thing". Their response was "that is what it is for a good pump that you can service". Okay, more than I want to spend, so I call the closest Karcher service center, tell them the same story, their response is that those pumps were no good and that they could put an upgraded pump on for $240. Still more than I want to pay, so I go to a Karcher website and find the same pump shipped to my door step for $140, okay, this is better but still more than what I want to pay.
As a last resort I call Karcher themselves from a number that was on the website. Ask for service and tell him my problem and what the other guys solutions were. He laughed and said that those guys just wanted to sell a pump. He told me to remove the unloader valve, told me where it was, told me how to remove it, there is a trick to get it out, and to grease the valve with siliconized grease, re-assemble and I would be good to go for a few more years.
Well, I did just that today and it works like new. So for a few bucks and about 15 minutes of my time my washer is now repaired. What makes me mad about this deal is that the repair shops did not want to repair or service my pump, but replace it when it simply needed to be greased. Well they tried to get the whole enchilada and ended up with nothing. That's what greed does for ya.