My pressure washer pump seized up on a big job in Cedar Rapids

I was halfway through cleaning a huge brick patio yesterday when my main rig just quit. The pump on my 4,000 psi unit locked up solid, no warning. It was a hot day, maybe that played a part, but I had been running it steady for about two hours. I had to call the client and tell them I'd be back tomorrow, which felt awful. I got it back to my shop, pulled the pump, and sure enough, the ceramic plungers were shot. The repair kit cost me $180 and took me most of the evening to install. Has anyone else had a pump fail like that in the middle of a summer job? What's your go-to move to keep them from overheating?

3 comments

3 Comments

uma_williams23d ago

Man, that's rough. I had a pump grenade on me last July, but it was from running cheap gas that sat in the can all winter. The ethanol gummed up the check valves so bad they welded themselves shut. Now I only use ethanol-free in all my small engines, even if I have to drive across town to get it.

elliot_gibson2723d ago

Wait, so did the pump actually explode or just lock up? I've heard of carbs getting gunked up but never valves welding shut from bad gas. How old was the fuel before you ran it, and what kind of pump was it? That sounds way more intense than the usual clogged jets.

taylorshah22d ago

Oof, that's brutal. @elliot_gibson27, it straight up locked up solid, then the housing cracked when we tried to free it. Fuel was maybe eight months old, just regular pump gas with ethanol. It was one of those generic diaphragm pumps. The gum turns into like a varnish, and heat just bakes it on there. Total loss.