Craftsman Pressure Washer

[lefty]

I'd like to service my pressure washer. This probably sounds like a dumb question to the pros but do I need to have it hooked up to water when running it? I'd like to run it for a bit, change the oil, clean the carb and so forth.

[Skywatcher]

Hi Lefty

Yes, you definitely do need to have the water hooked up. Water is what lubricates the seals and the valves in the high pressure pump as well as keeping the pump cool. If you are concerned about wasting water, you can run a siphon hose from a 5 gallon pail to the inlet of the pump and hold the nozzle under water in the dame pail so as not to froth the water or get air bubbles into the pump. Running water through the washer also gives the engine a load and helps it to warm up properly before dropping the old oil. Hope this helps,

Sky

[lefty]

Thanks Sky

[Arkie]

lefty:

In your spare time if you will do some searching around on the computer sometimes you can find a free downloadable owners manual for the Craftsman pressure washer pumps.

A guy gave me one and like you I was not familiar with them and found a owners manual online.
You will need to winterize the unit when stored in freezing temps and pay attention to the pump oil level and type of oil.
I wear safety glasses when fooling around with those things when they are pressurized.

The guy that gave it too me said it had a loud knock and he bought himself a new one and is throwing it out and sure enough when I went to kill the engine it knocked as the engine was dieing, due to the engine mounting bolts being loose on the frame.

[lefty]

Thanks Arkie. I'm the original owner of this one and have stored it indoors, in a heated space since it was purchased. It's practically brand new in every sense of the word. I've never run it without water to this point. But wanted to be sure. Thanks again.