homemade portable pressure washer

[tractorman1234]

I am interested in making a cheap portable pressure washer. I know they have the nice set ups on trailers that the mobile car washers use but I was thinking something along the lines of a a plastic 55gal drum in the back of my truck with a hose running from the bottom of it to a $250 gas powered pressure washer from Home depot.

This would not be something that sees a lot of use mainly it would be used for cleaning off dirty tractors or other equipment in the field that needs repair so that it is easier to work on.

I guess what I am wondering is if these pressure waters need a pressured input, or if a gravity feed to them would work.

Seems like it would be simple and cheap to set up unless I am missing something.

 

[Wayne County Hose]

I made a hose for a guy that had a set-up like this. He had a 1500 gallon tank in the back of a box truck with a gas powered pressure washer. I guess the pressure from all the water provided enough input pressure. I would try to keep the drum outlet higher than the pump inlet.

 

[fonman_4859]

First 55 gallons of water won't last very long, you might get about 5 minutes out of it. I think you need 7-9 psi water pressure at the inlet of your pressure washer pump otherwise you will burn up your pump due to lack of water. If I was going to build what you are wanting, I would start with about 300 to 500 gallon tank with an electric pump capable of the 7-9 pounds of pressure you need. This is what the mobile washers are using.

 

[cmuncy]

Most of your consumer make gas engien washers run 2 to 4 gpm so a 55 gallon drum could last longer than 10 minutes.

If its for occasional use, the pressure from teh 55 gallon drum will feed the washer ok. I've done this several times over the years with a 65 gallon water tank in the truck with no issues.

If you were going to do this more frequently, go find a 300 gallon poly tank that had chemicals in it ( usually had for free ) and plumb in an electric pump between the water tank and pressure washer as stated above.

 

[AlanB]

Many, Many Motorcross guys have small tanks on their rigs with a garden hose connection on the bottom to wash the bikes off at the races.

Many just use an old 55 gallon plastic with a plug in the bottom and fill at the track. Gravity feed down to the pressure washer.

What you described is how most I know do it.