I’m sure you don’t want to damage your pressure washer during the freezing months of winter. You, therefore, need to know how to winterize pressure washer and keep it safe.
You can cause immense damage to your cherished pressure washer during the harsh months of winter. To avoid losing your precious pressure washer during the winter, you need to take helpful steps to protect your machine so it can continue to serve you after the winter. Although some user’s manuals come with winterizing instructions, this may be sometimes too vague.
In this post, you will adequately be guided on how to preserve your pressure washer through the winter. Whether you use gasoline or electric or battery-operated pressure washers, you shall receive the step by step guide on how to keep it in top form for the winter activities.
Why You Need To Winterize Your Pressure Washer
Proper storage of your pressure washer has some advantages. Improper storage can wreak untold damages on the internal components of gas or electric pressure washer.
- It helps you to promote the lifespan of your machine by eliminating freezing of residual water, soap, or gas in the pressure washer pipes which can cause clogging and corrosion.
- It will help you to keep the warranty running and valid for a long time. Warranties become invalid when damages are due to your inability to keep to the terms of the manufacturer.
- It saves you the cost of maintenance or purchasing a high pressure washer.
Winterizing A Pressure Washer
Either a gas or electric pressure washer, the following steps will help you know how to winterize pressure washers safely during the winter.
For electric pressure washers, the attention is mostly on the water system and the detergent tank since they don’t use gas, there is no hassle about cleaning any fuel tank or pump.
Empty and rinse the soap bottle: The first step in the process of winterizing your pressure washer is to empty and thoroughly empty the soap bottle. This helps to get rid of remnants of detergents that can freeze and clog the hose during winter. To achieve this, remove the detergent hose to free the bottle of any soap remnants. Reconnect the hose to the bottle and rinse with fresh water to ensure that the bottle and the hose are free of remnants of detergent. Flush until the tank and the hose is empty.
How To Winterize Pressure Washer
1. Protect the fuel system: You need to add a fuel stabilizer to the fuel system to protect the fuel from getting stale during storage. This is required for gas-operated pressure washers. The use of a proven quality fuel stabilizer with help to preserve the fuel in the fuel tank. It is necessary to read the instruction on the bottle of your desired fuel stabilizer to know the amount you require to add.
2. Turn on and run the washer for about 2-3 minutes: This is necessary to circulate the stabilizer through the fuel system. This process distributes the fuel stabilizer evenly during this running time. Switch off the power of the pressure washer. This prevents gas from gumming into the lines at low temperatures.
3. Disconnect your pressure washer from the water source: Disconnect your pressure washer from the water supply source after running the machine for about 2-3 minutes. Detach and drain the pressure washer hose, wand, gun, nozzle, and detergent tank provided it is removable.
Open the water outlet valve to completely get out water in the water tank. You can rock the machine back and forth to get all the water out.
4. Apply Antifreeze into the pump’s system: This is done when you are sure you have drained the pump’s system of water. Make sure you use a non-toxic antifreeze which passes through only the water lines. Again, switch on and run the pressure washer motor for a few minutes. Gently pour the antifreeze liquid into the float tank or use a funnel attached to a hose. Allow the antifreeze solution to pass through the soap tank and come out from the engine outlet. This is how to know that the antifreeze has passed through the pump system.
This applies to gas pressure washers only. In case you are using an electric pressure washer, check the user’s manual because some brands are enhanced with frost care kits for winterizing the unit. If you own an electric pressure washer, please refer to the machine’s manual for reference, as some brands have their frost care kit to help you winterize your machine.
5. Storage after winterizing: Winterizing is a great step to protect the internal components of your pressure washer but you need to also protect your machine further by storing it away in a convenient and protective place like the garage or storeroom. You must cover the pressure washer with a tarpaulin, thick plastic, or PVC sheet.
Conclusion
Now that you know how to preserve and safeguard your pressure washer from the throwback of the winter harsh low temperature. You need to have your pressure washer back to its ultimate working state without any hassle after the winter. The above step-by-step routine on how to winterize pressure washer so we can continue to enjoy it at no extra maintenance cost.
