Quick pressure washer question

[dcross]

I'm trying to pressure wash my porch for painting. I've got a Karcher 240, and it isn't doing ANYTHING! It's got water, and it runs as soon as I squeeze the trigger, but even with the nozzle an inch away it isn't removing paint that's already loose!

Are these little things really that underpowered?

[agmantoo]

The machine is suppose to make 1400 psi. I think you do not have something correct and you are just getting the pressure of the supply source. It takes my pressure water a brief time to prime and get underway. I would let the unit run a few minutes and see if it does not start making pressure once all the air is out of the pump and the system is primed.

[dcross]

I left it off and ran water through it, is there more to priming it than that? Thanks!

[vegascowgirl]

You might try a different nozzle tip as well. It could be that the nozzle tip your using is blocked, or just doesn't give a good stream. Some tips create a straight stream, others "twist" the stream (Think of a bullet coming out of a barrel). I find that the ones that "Twist" the stream work alot better

[agmantoo]

There are check valve(s) in the pump and I think sometimes they get stuck and when that happens there will be little or no pressure from the pump. Letting the pump run with water passing through it is your best bet for getting it to work IMO.

[Obser]

That machine should blast loose paint off immediately (and the wood too if you are not careful). Is it your machine? Have you run it before? Do you know it worked properly recently?

If this is the first time since winter that it is being run, was the water drained and/or antifreeze run through the pump last fall? The pump or other parts can be damaged by freezing. Is water coming out anywhere other than the hose?

Did changing nozzles help?

[Bret]

Dcross,

I just read my directions a couple of weeks ago. This may help. Try aiming the spray at an angle to get under the paint. This will lift the paint if it is loose. Is your spray wand adjustable? Is it on "minimum" or "max" or in between?

I thought I would soon wear out the plastic threads where you hook up the hose. I put a brass quick connect thingy on there and the hose. Works pretty good.

Good luck.

[dcross]

It's going pretty well now, water does gush out of the housing whenever I let up on the trigger though. Still way to slow for the job, so it's going back home in favor of a bigger version. Thanks everyone!