Pressure washer with suction?

[Jstpssng]

I got an 8 year old generac and this weekend I tried gravity feeding it. It actually worked quite well. PSI was down from hooking up to the house. I'd say it was running around 1500-1700 psi. Washed the wife's truck and went through about 12 gallons of water. Pump did start to heat up so it gives me an idea.

How long was your hose from the water source and how much of a drop?

 

[Joel/ak]

Hose was 15 ft and the barrel was raised roughly 4 ft above the washer.

How long was your hose from the water source and how much of a drop?

 

[JohnDeereJoey]

I think it is correct to say that belt driven pump pressure washers are ok drawing from a zero pressure source. Belt driven pumps turn slower than direct drive pumps and are less likely to cavitate.

 

[nytryder]

tracks on an excavator? i consider my 2k electric to be the bare minimum. your going to be slow going at 500 psi.

Volume is key to pressure washing anything. 1000 psi is plenty with a 5 gallon per minute pump. I used one for years.

 

[JohnDeereJoey]

Volume is key...1000 psi is plenty with a 5 gallon per minute pump....

Agreed. Excavator tracks tend to carry a fair amount of dirt and small rocks. It takes volume to wash that away.

 

[Joel/ak]

New video by lauren Siebelink

photos.app.goo.gl

 

[Joel/ak]

Works pretty good. Not gonna remove paint but still knocks mud off

 

[5030]

Been my experience that the majority of PW pumps develop very little suction so I always have an inline mounted vane pump supplying the PW pump because I washdown all my equipment using a pair of 350 gallon IBC totes that collect the rainwater from my shop roof. If you use domestic cold water from a tap, you are supplying the artificial head pressure for the PW pump to work. I don't have that.