Winterizing Your Pressure Washer

Posted on: October 27th, 2015 by McHenry PCS

 

As the leaves change color and temperatures drop, the time has come to begin thinking about winter days ahead. As cold temps arrive do not forget about protecting your pressure washer from freezing. October and November are ideal months to prepare your pressure washing equipment/system for hibernation or winter use.

The following tips will help you protect and maintain the life of your pressure washer as it is used and/or stored throughout the winter months.

Protect the Engine

Gasoline tends to go stale in about 30 days. Most fuels now contain ethanol which can cause rust, corrosion, and build-up in the fuel tank. Stale gas can cause components of your pressure washer engine to fail, resulting in some costly repairs. Adding a fuel treatment and running the engine for a few minutes to circulate it throughout your system will protect your engine during the winter months. If your unit is not going to be used again till spring, it is best to drain as much gas out of the unit as possible, then treat and run as described before.

Protect the Pump

If you’re storing your pressure washer in non-heated storage, it’s important that no water remains in the pump. Freezing can cause extensive damage to your pump and system components. Properly using a pump protection solution is extremely important. There are various products available but all need to be thoroughly and completely ran thru the entire pump system and all components. This displaces any water and the remaining protector solution will not freeze. Your hose gun and wand should be unhooked and thoroughly drained of all water.

Avoid the hassle of having malfunctions when you need to use your pressure washer again. Examine equipment for proper operation now. It is always better to fix issues during fair weather than when freezing temperatures arrive. A little preparation and proper protection will protect your investment.

For assistance winterizing your machine, please contact McHenry PCS by email at info@mchenrypcs.com or by phone at (301)663-4683.  We will be happy to assist you!