Pressure Washer shutdown procedure ... thoughts?

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Picked up a Troybilt Pressure Washer a few days ago. Reading through the manual, the listed shutdown procedure is as below:

1. Release spray gun trigger and let engine idle for two minutes.
2. Turn engine off according to instructions given in engine operator's manual.


This seems contrary to convention. I would think you would want the pump operating in bypass ideally as little as possible considering that the longer water circulates within the pump body, the more it heats up.

Am I missing something?


Manual
 
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Hmmm. I have one with a Cat pump and it specifically says NOT to have it running dead-head for any length of time. Yours would seem to be the opposite.
When I'm using mine for any length of time, I pull the restrictor tip off the end and pull the trigger. This puts it into high volume purge . This ensures good water flow through the pump while the engine cools at idle.

Maybe ask Troybilt about it?

Mine has a "thermal overload valve" that I've heard horror stories about when people trip it. I guess you have to buy a new one, but it does save your pump. It would seem like playing with fire to intentionally have it dead-head.
 
I have a Cat pump on my Honda powered pressure washer. It is an older unit. I trigger the wand while starting the engine and while turning it off. The pump is probably 30 years old now and used in commercial use. It is just starting to show signs of the need for a rebuild. I'd say that process worked.
 
That's stupid. Just turn the engine off. I'll unscrew the pressure washer high pressure line off of the pump, and it will continue to flush cool water through the pump to cool it down as long as the hose is on.

I don't run the engine for more than 15 seconds without releasing the pressure from the line with the handle.
 
I found the biggest mistake people make with some of these machines is moving them while the engine is running and not triggering the wand every 20 or 30 seconds. I watched a guy power washing a house and when it came time to move the machine he left the engine running WOT and proceeded to move the machine without triggering the wand. That is a great way to ruin many of these pumps, especially the older pumps.
 
Release the trigger and let it idle a few seconds and shut it off. If you are worried about cooling the pump you can pull the trigger after the engine is off run some water. I have been doing this for several years and mine hasn't come apart yet.
 
I got a light commercial Generac. It has an ANNOVI REVERBERI pump. It stays in full unloaded mode after it builds required pressure. There is no load on the engine at all except when triggered. There's not appreciable heat build up in the pump either as it's just spinning unloaded. Shutdown only when unloaded. After the engine stops, I'll release the line pressure and the inlet hose pressure will then flow water through the pump.
 
Originally Posted by MichiganMadMan
Hmmm. I have one with a Cat pump and it specifically says NOT to have it running dead-head for any length of time. Yours would seem to be the opposite.
When I'm using mine for any length of time, I pull the restrictor tip off the end and pull the trigger. This puts it into high volume purge . This ensures good water flow through the pump while the engine cools at idle.

Maybe ask Troybilt about it?

Mine has a "thermal overload valve" that I've heard horror stories about when people trip it. I guess you have to buy a new one, but it does save your pump. It would seem like playing with fire to intentionally have it dead-head.


This is what I do.

My OM says something similar to what the OP describes - doesn't make sense! S/D sounds better/ more gradual when I've got water flowing through it.

I also do the same when starting - hose off, full flow through. It doesn't mention that, AFAIK
 
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I have never, ever, ever had a pressure washer pump overheat when the wand is released... the pump is in bypass mode and doing no work at all - why would it overheat?!?!?!
 
Is the pump working to maintain in bypass?

I just purchased my first pressure washer, a Crafstman, and it is nearly impossible to start if I have the nozzle attached and shut. If I have water flowing through the pump, it starts on the second pull.

Similarly, shutting the engine off at dead-head, it stops abruptly. If I remove the nozzle tip and let water flow at near-zero pressure, it seems to wind down less abruptly. I'm not saying that this is better for the engine, but it does show that the engine is loaded and the pump is doing SOME work in bypass.
 
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