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Pressure washer question
Tractor Pointers;
I have borrowed a friend's pressure washer and have a question about the water supply. It is not covered in the manuals that came with it. Do you have to use a pressurized (i.e. garden hose) water supply, or will the pump draw water from a barrel? Or perhaps a little gravity flow from a barrel. The pump specs say inlet pressure should be "flooded to 75 psi". I'm thinking that means if the pump is primed and the inlet hose will flow the required amount (depends on the model of pump, but given as 3-4 gpm) the pump will pull in water on its own.
The pressure washer is a nice one, 4000 psi CAT pump and Honda engine. The owner of it doesn't know if it is safe for the pump or not.
I need to clean up the tractor up at the farm, no water supply up there. Tractor is too big and heavy for my trailer.
Thanks,
Bill
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Pressure washer question
Thanks, guys.
What I'm wondering is will the pump intake "suck" the (for instance) 4 gpm if it is available, or would the gravity flow need to be 4 gpm naturally?
I would just leave the 55-gallon barrel on the pickup, have the outlet at the bottom of the barrel, and have the pressure washer on the ground and downhill...maybe 4 vertical feet difference.
If the hose between the pump and the barrel doesn't collapse, and the pump is primed, I don't see why it wouldn't just draw as much water as it needs, within reason.
But then I don't know that much about pumps.
Bill
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Pressure washer question
I'll set the barrel up and check the flow. If it was mine, I'd just try it; I think I can tell when the pump is cavitating when using it. But since it's not mine, and damage to the pump is what I'm trying to avoid, I just want to be sure first.
The air pressurizing idea had occurred to me, but I don't have electricity at the farm, and I think I'd need my air compressor to pressurize the barrel (as it empties).
I guess I could just tram the tractor about 5 miles to the nearest car wash. That's just not as interesting.
I'll post the results after this weekend.
Thanks,
Bill
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Pressure washer question
I think that car washes will grow to be more strictly regulated. All the local ones have signs up that say "No parts washing" or some such.
Anyway, the car wash closest to the farm has an outdoor bay that is typically used by truckers. No problems washing the tractor there. I just don't want to tram it up the 4-lane that far.
I've e-mailed Cat Pumps with my questions (thanks for the idea!).
Bill
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Pressure washer question
Reply from Cat Pumps (very promptly, I might add):
"Good mourning, the 66DX40G1I will not develop any suction, but we do have unit out there running on gravity feed water. To gravity feed this pump make sure the pump is as close to the tank as possible and below the tank level. Run an oversized flexible hose for the inlet line and reduce it right at the pump. And make sure the tank is properly sized for your application. Any other questions please feel free to ask."
Sounds easy enough.
Thanks,
Bill
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Pressure washer question
Yes, well, that is why I contacted Cat Pumps directly, and they gave me the go-ahead.
That is also why I made up a water tank using a plastic 55-gallon barrel and 1-1/2 inch suction line. I JB Welded a 1-1/2 inch fitting on to the drum, got the required fittings to reduce it to garden hose size for the pump inlet, and tried it out today. Works like a charm. Set the barrel up in the back of the truck with the pressure washer on the ground so I had about 3-1/2 or 4 feet of head. I didn't need high pressure for this job, just about like a car wash, so I turned the regulator down toward the lower end of adjustment. No pump cavitation that I could tell. Only used about 2/3 of my water supply in the 20 minutes or so I worked on the tractor.
Your results may vary.
Thanks,
Bill
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