Every pressure washer owner needs to know that these machines must be stored well during winters for longer durability. Also, the pressure washer warranty stays valid only if it is well-maintained by the owner.
I know that taking care of a pressure washer is a headache during the winter. Hence, to help you learn how to winterize a pressure washer after you take it out of the custom box with logo, I have written this detailed guide for you. It will take only a few minutes for you to learn the right ways of preventing damage to the machine during cold winter days.
Keep reading to know more!
In this article we will cover:
- Why You Need to Winterize Pressure Washers
- Steps for Storing Gas Pressure Washers
- Steps for Storing Electric Pressure Washers
- Tips for Using Pressure Washers During Winters
Why Do You Need to Winterize a Pressure Washer?
Before delving into how to store pressure washers during winters, let’s take a glimpse into why you need to do it in the first place. A pressure washer is sensitive to freezing temperatures as we all know. Hence, when you keep it unprotected in cold weather, the internal seals can get damaged beyond repair.
Internal seals are the major functioning units of a pressure washer. So, if they get damaged, you can no more use the machine ever again. In addition, leaving the pressure washer in ethanol during the winter months can corrode the pipe and cause many other problems in the machine.
A few years back, I tried to store my pressure washer in a closed garage where the temperature never went below the freezing point. But even there, my machine got severely affected. I saw that the tiny bits of water left in the pressure washer got frozen, expanded, and then broke through the water hoses. Cold temperature also caused the growth of mold, fungus, and mildew, affecting the washer even further.
If you think the company will give you a 100% warranty on even damaged pressure washers, you are wrong because most brands do not take responsibility for leaked or corroded machines.
That is why you need to store your pressure washer rightly if you have no plans for using it for a month or more.
To help you avoid such a dire situation, I have laid down all the pressure washer storage ideas for this winter. Follow them to save a few hundred bucks from getting wasted!
Steps for Winterizing Your Gas Pressure Washer
Let’s start with the steps for winterizing gas pressure washers:
Firstly, remove any water or detergent from the pressure washer. If there is water left behind, they will freeze, expand and finally break off the water hoses. To get rid of the excess water or detergent, you will have to use a fuel stabilizer and a pressure washer pump saver.
Start with adding the fuel stabilizer to the gas tank. Then run the machine for a couple of minutes. This will help the stabilizer to circulate in the fuel system for a while.
Now fill a bucket with clean tap water. Do not fill it with soapy detergent water because that won’t serve the purpose.
Attach the washer to the garden hose as usual and put the detergent tube into the bucket filled with water.
Now turn on the pressure washer and use a low-pressure nozzle while pulling the trigger. Do not turn off the washer unless all the detergent water has come out of the system.
Shut the water supply off and pull the trigger again. This will help you to remove the extra water from the system. · Ensure you disconnect all hoses and flush out every inch of water from the gun, hoses, etc.
Add pump saver into the pump inlet if you think the surrounding temperature can fall below zero degrees Celsius.
Finally, store the power washer in a clean and dry area.
Steps for Winterizing Your Electric Pressure Washer
In this section, I will teach you about winterizing electric pressure washers. Have a look:
Fill hot water in a gallon. You can fill the detergent tank with hot water or stick the detergent hose into the liquid. This depends on the electric pressure washer you use.
Now fix a hose to the inlet and then turn on the tap water. Now turn on the machine and keep it running for a couple of minutes so that the detergent water flushes out completely.
Disconnect the hose and then turn on the washer again to remove excess water.
Remove the hose and the trigger gun, and allow the water to drain out.
Finally, add the pressure washer storage fluid, and store the machine in a clean and dry space.
Tips for Using Pressure Washer in Cold Weather
Now that you know how to winterize pressure washers, here are some more tips to help you out:
Ensure that you clean the hoses properly once all the water is flushed out so that the tiny water particles do not freeze over time.
Try pulling the cord at least six times so that there is no water left.
In gas pressure washers, do not use fuel that contains ethanol. Many brands sell a mixture of regular gas with ethanol without even mentioning it on the product packaging. So buy from a reliable brand always. Even if you go for regular gas, use 93 octane (premium) only because that contains far less ethanol than other regular gases.
To maintain the machine in all seasons, try adding a fuel stabilizer in spring. This will help the pressure washer run effectively throughout the year.
Even after the hose has been removed, run the pressure washer for a few seconds so that no water remains.
Electric pressure washers come with zero gas, and hence, they are much lightweight and can be easily stored in basements or garages. Storing them in the house will help you keep the machine safer against cold.
If you want better protection, then invest in a pressure water storage box or have a garage storage lockers. It will keep the system free from rust and unwanted dust particles.
When you keep the machine outdoors, a pressure washer cover is a must because the machine needs to be protected from sunlight, dust, bird poop, etc. Keeping the machine outside without any protection can cause many issues within the pressure washer, affecting its performance.
These tips are my lifesaver for pressure washing in winter. I have learned these strategies with time and when I share them with you, trust me, you are getting your hands on one of the most valuable secrets of keeping a pressure washer safe in winter. Follow them, and your system will perform as if you bought it yesterday!
Final Thoughts
I hope my guide has helped you learn how to keep the pressure washer from freezing in detail. As you can see, it is not a tough job at all. You just need to keep two important things in mind- there should be no water inside the pressure washer, and it must be stored well in a dry area. If you remember these two things, then winterizing the pressure washer will be an easy job.
Many pressure washer owners take the machine for granted and think it can survive freezing winters without any extra protection. But that’s where they go wrong. I have seen my friends commit the same mistake and regret it later. So, don’t make that mistake and store the machine properly if not in use.
Have you ever winterized your pressure washer? If yes, how was the experience? Please share your thoughts and tips with me
