The pressure washer is an essential presence in many cleaning businesses and home garages. This tool helps eliminate accumulated dirt, even the most stubborn elements, within minutes using extreme pressure.
In this term, this unloader valve on your pressure washer plays a vital role, yet it’s not a simple component to handle. You should learn the method to adjust unloader valve on your pressure washer.
The job is not really a daunting task, including the following steps:
- Perform preparatory tasks
- Turn the outlet valve on
- Tighten the pressure spring
- Adjust the pressure
- Allow the trigger to go off
- Check everything
This article will also walk you through some detailed information!
Basic Concepts
Before jumping to the method of appropriately setting your unloader valve/pressure regulator on your washer, you need to understand some basic concepts about either pressure washer or unloader valve.
Basics of Pressure Washer
Most pressure washer models come with various standard features and components. The most important among them are the pressure gun, nozzle, pressure hose, hose reel, and unloader valve.
All these components make a huge contribution to your daily cleaning jobs. Just like how other machines work, a motor drives the pressure washer, producing the fundamental power that guarantees you adequate water flow.
Basics of Unloader Valve
Understanding the ultimate use of a washer’s unloader valve is essential to get used to this small item. Basically, an unloader valve is the pressure regulator directing the water flow in the pump.
Or in other words, your unloader valve helps the water flow through the washer’s pressure system and come out from its spraying gun.
When not in use, it regulates water flow back to a safe, gentle pressure outlet by driving it toward the initial inlet side.
The water then flows through the washer system or the pumps and turns back to the unloader’s inlet.
As seen, a pressure regulator is a critical part of a pressure washer.
Why Is It Necessary To Adjust Your Unloader Valve?
Pressure washers deliver a pretty wide range of pressure levels.
Some models can even generate an extreme pressure of 3500 PSI – such a strong power that may not apply to some objects, such as your car.
Hence, you need to be highly cautious, or else you might damage sensitive, fragile stuff.
Besides, this intense power applies to flooring systems because their sturdy design and hardness can withstand such robust flows. Also, the dirt amount they usually have requires this sort of pressure.
Nevertheless, we advise you to test it on a particular area first to ensure no significant damage. The immediate pressure spike could pose a danger to stuff and hurt someone.
Plus, running a pressure washer requires you to gain the suitable spring tension range on your unloader valve.
This way, you can make sure of maximum pressure as you pull the spray gun’s trigger as well as minimum pressure sudden change as you let it out.
Fortunately, many pressure washers offer adjustable pressure, allowing users to minimize it and wash their cars, glasses, screens, and other furniture.
If you know the method adjust unloader valve on your pressure washer, your device will function at its highest potential.
How To Adjust Unloader Valve On Pressure Washer?
Our guide covers the proper process for most typical unloader valves.
Preparation
Adjusting your unloader valve is not really a daunting job, as many expect. Before starting the process, you need to perform the following preparatory tasks.
While you adjust the pressure regulator, the machine’s motor will be running. So, to set machine’s motor at the right rpm, you’d better maintain about 3700 rpm prior to a load, then 3400 rpm after a load.
- Leave the nylon locking nuts from your unloader valve. Next, shut the pressure regulating knob off, then spin it so it’ll let go of the bay.
- Detach the spring and washer from your unloader valve. After that, you’ll notice this threaded piston that has two locknuts.
- Now, lock these nuts using the wrench. Apply only 3 threads off your valve’s bottom and place back the locknuts, locknuts, and spring to their initial positions.
- Next, fasten the pressure gauge between the pump and pressure hose with a clip. Ensure your clipping enables you to watch the pump and pressure hose clearly during the valve adjustment.
This way, you’ll have perfect adjusting when tightening your unloader valve’s knob or triggering the gun.
Adjustment
Our five-step instruction on unloader valve adjustment is pretty easygoing and straightforward. Read through carefully to do the job correctly.
Enable the press washer’s outlet valve to allow the water to circulate through and push the remaining air in the nozzle.
You will not turn the valve off until the air all gets out, making sure only water circulates out of the hose.
Always keep the pressure gauge assembly in check when you start clipping the spring. Pull the trigger and check if you reach the highest pressure point.
After releasing the trigger, make sure this pressure spike stays somewhere between 6% and 9%.
Should you struggle to keep the spike under ten percent, then it’s better to move the nuts constantly until you reach the desired spot.
As long as it’s less than a ten-percent spike, it’s the acceptable pressure range. In case you can’t still achieve the ideal range by moving the locking nuts, you should unlock the washer, spring, and nuts again.
After eventually reaching the perfect spot, you simply allow the gun to go off at least 15-20 times. This way, you’re creating a nice break in your unloader valve and ensuring it doesn’t go hung up.
At this phase, if you wish the pressure to be at 3500 PSI, for instance, then when letting the gun go off, observe to keep it under 3850 PSI.
So, you’ve achieved the targeted adjustment. Now, put your washer, pressure spring, and locknuts back to their original places.
To finish up, look at the figures on your pressure gauge one more time to check if it’s displaying the same figures.
Once finished, remember to screw the locknuts back to the piston rod’s top and put the adjusting knock’s cap back to its previous place.
Key Takeaway
Pressure washers are definitely a must-have piece of equipment in every home.
This machine makes cleaning the driveway, backyard, garage, outdoor grills, and cars much easier and quicker. It saves you a fortune from hiring professional cleaners.
Learning the method to adjust unloader valve on your pressure washer helps you run the machine precisely and keep your properties safe.
We believe our step-by-step instructions are easy enough for you to understand how to do the job correctly.
Happy cleaning!
Read more: Pressure Washer Loses Pressure – How To Fix?