Pressure washers look like small tools, but they help accomplish massive tasks. Adjusting the pressure valve can save a lot of time and trouble.
My son recently gifted us a pressure washer, and ever since, my husband has been obsessed with it. Honestly, I think cleaning a car by hand is a young man's job, and it was rather cumbersome doing it ourselves. The pressure washer helped clean the car relatively well, barring one issue he kept facing.
My dear husband complained that the water pressure was too intense at times; but he didn’t know how to adjust the unloader valve. Last weekend when my son came to visit us, he brought up his plight. Well, it turns out that adjusting the pressure washer unloader valve isn't that daunting of a task as we had thought.
Hi! I'm Stacy, and I've curated this guide especially for my lovely readers looking for a solution on how to adjust pressure washer unloader valve. Once you learn to do this, you will be able to use the pressure washer for different tasks safely.
Without further ado, let's get right into it!
Adjusting A Pressure Washer Unloader Valve
A pressure washer is made up of different components, all of which contribute to its optimal performance. Well, the good news is that you don't need to get into the technical details of each component to use the device. However, it helps to understand the job of the unloader valve of this useful tool.
Why Should You Adjust The Unloader Valve?
Various models of pressure washers flood the market - from large-sized ones to medium and even small pressure washers. Each of them has different uses, and every model comes with varying pressure settings.
Depending on the nature of your cleaning, you may need to adjust the pressure on the tool. The unloader valve is the component that is responsible for making this adjustment.
Did you know that adjusting the unloader valve and its pressure can lower the power consumption? Well, it's not just that. Too much pressure can end up damaging whatever it is you need washed. Also, adjusting the pressure accordingly can help to extend the lifespan of the device.
How To Adjust An Unloader Valve?
Depending on the kind of pressure washer you have, you can get up to 3000 to 3500 PSI, which is very strong. The pressure washer we used went up to 3000 PSI, and we wanted to learn how to decrease the pressure for specific cleaning jobs.
First, you need to prepare the tool. Here is what you need to do:
Step 1 - Running The Motor
The motor should be continuously running during the adjustment process. Set it at the appropriate RPM - 3700 RPM before a load and 3400 RPM under a load.
Step 2 - Removing The Nylon Nuts
Gently remove the nylon nuts from the unloader valve, and shut off the pressure adjusting knob. Now, spin the knob to remove it from its bay.
Step 3 - Removing The Washer & Spring
Next up, remove the washer & spring from the unloader valve till you see the threaded piston with two locknuts. Using a wrench, lock the two nuts to just three threads off the bottom. Set the washer, spring, and locknuts to their original position.
Step 4 - Clip The Pressure
For the final preparation step, clip the pressure gauge assembly between the pump and pressure hose, ensuring you still get to see them while triggering the knob.
Instructions To Adjust The Unloader Valve
1. Turn On The Outlet Valve
The first thing I watched my son do on our new pressure washer was to turn on the outlet valve. This caused some water to flow out of the hose. When I asked him why he did this, he explained that often, the air gets trapped in the nozzle and hose. By letting the water flow for a few moments, any remaining air gets pushed out naturally.
2. Tighten The Pressure Spring
Keeping a close eye on the pressure gauge assembly, begin tightening the pressure spring. While engaging the pressure gun, observe for the maximum pressure. Once you release the pressure gun, the pressure spike should be around 6-9%.
3. Adjust The Nuts
Your goal is to make the pressure spike under 10%. If you find yourself unable to, continue adjusting the nuts till you reach the sweet spot. You should notice the pressure spike decreasing under 10%.
If not, repeat step 3 in the preparation process, removing the washer, nuts, and spring and readjusting them.
4. Testing The Trigger Gun
Upon completing the previous steps successfully, it's time to test the trigger gun. Engage the gun a minimum of 15-20 times. Ideally, this should make a perfect break in the unloader valve, ensuring that it doesn't get hung up.
Make a minute observation here - if you wish to set the pressure at 3500 PSI, ensure that the trigger doesn't exceed 3850 PSI when you let go of it.
5. Final Check
The final check involves placing the locknuts, washer, and pressure spring in their original places. Check the readings on the pressure gauge, and then screw the locknut back on the piston rod. Finally, place the cap back on the adjusting knob, and you're done!
Conclusion
If our son hadn’t helped us adjust the unloader valve the first time, we would've never figured it out on our own. Thankfully, he was there to help us out.
Now, my husband can adjust the pressure on his new favorite tool seamlessly. He uses it for pressure washing not only our car but also our driveway and garage walls. It's been a fantastic experience.
I hope my guide helped you understand why it's essential to adjust the pressure on your washer and how to do it on your own. With that, I better sign off.
Take care, until next time!