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Might it be possible to run a pressure washer using gravity feed for the water supply?
July 30, 2021, 01:33 PM
PHPaulMight it be possible to run a pressure washer using gravity feed for the water supply?
I'd like to do some pressure washing in an area where I don't have any running water.
I wonder if I could get away with gravity feeding the water from a 40 gallon barrel?
Without specific knowledge, it seems like it might work as you're really not moving a lot of water. I could put the barrel on the forklift and get maybe 8 feet of head which would be a bit over 3 psi.
Be careful when following the masses. Sometimes the M is silent.
July 30, 2021, 01:40 PM
HayesGreenerI see portable pressure washer rigs on trailers with big tanks around here all the time. I think your outlet hose that feeds the pressure washer would need to provide enough water to keep the pump chamber full
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July 30, 2021, 01:41 PM
Flash-LBThis link says 20PSI.
http://powerwashertips.com/do-...SI%2C%20consistently.
How Much Water Pressure Do I Need?
The average household water spigot will supply you with about 30-40 PSI if you have it turned on all the way. Most pressure washer manufacturers recommend that the water supply to the machine is approximately 20 PSI, consistently.
July 30, 2021, 01:42 PM
TXJIMMy understanding is that the power washer itself produces the pressure used for washing. As long as you can keep the pump supplied with water it should work. I think you need to figure out he flow rate of the gravity fed hose then compare it to the needs of the pump.
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July 30, 2021, 01:46 PM
gpbst3I think it would depend on the gallons per minute of your pressure washer. It looks like most are between 1-2.5 GPI. You would need to test the flow rate of your 40 gallon drum. Im not sure what would happen if you only supplied .75 gpi to a 1.2 gpi pressure washer?
July 30, 2021, 02:01 PM
cheezeI think it would work just fine. As long as there is water for the pressure washer to pull from , it’ll work.
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July 30, 2021, 02:16 PM
WoodmanIf you get the barrel 250' high and have a big-enough pipe to reduce restrictions, you could probably skip the power washer entirely.
"as you're really not moving a lot of water. " This would be the issue; feed velocity will be greatly hampered by standard hose at 3psi.
July 30, 2021, 02:19 PM
PHPaulquote:
Originally posted by Woodman:
If you get the barrel 250' high and have a big-enough pipe to reduce restrictions, you could probably skip the power washer entirely.
"as you're really not moving a lot of water. " This would be the issue; feed velocity will be greatly hampered by standard hose at 3psi.
Damn. My skyhook is in the shop.
Be careful when following the masses. Sometimes the M is silent.
July 30, 2021, 02:25 PM
old rugged crossI bought the Worx battery operated unit that sucks water out of a bucket. Has worked great for me. Not the power or volume anywhere near the gas operated one hooked to a pressure hose.
I did not have a pressurized water source. I really like it. Has worked great.
Someone here turned me on to this unit.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Wo...uded-WG620/314555726
"Practice like you want to play in the game"
July 30, 2021, 03:26 PM
RogueJSKI've seen guys clean boats using pressure washers supplied using a filtered hose dropped down into the lake. So as long as you're using a model of pressure washer with that same capability, you would not even need gravity feed, just access to a container of water with sufficient volume to keep it fed.
July 30, 2021, 04:38 PM
LS1 GTOquote:
Originally posted by PHPaul:
quote:
Originally posted by Woodman:
If you get the barrel 250' high and have a big-enough pipe to reduce restrictions, you could probably skip the power washer entirely.
"as you're really not moving a lot of water. " This would be the issue; feed velocity will be greatly hampered by standard hose at 3psi.
Damn. My skyhook is in the shop.
Walt, don't you have a 3D printer?
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July 30, 2021, 04:43 PM
sigmonkey
"the meaning of life, is to give life meaning" ✡ Ani Yehudi אני יהודי Le'olam lo shuv לעולם לא שוב! July 30, 2021, 04:46 PM
PHPaulquote:
Originally posted by LS1 GTO:
Walt, don't you have a 3D printer?
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...
Be careful when following the masses. Sometimes the M is silent.
July 30, 2021, 06:43 PM
tatortoddFrom what I've seen on YouTube about mobile detailers is:
That a tank elevated only a few inches above pump suction works fine. Might have to futz around priming it the first time.
However, the potential problem lies in pump longevity. This might not be a concern in Maine since the tank water wouldn't be that hot, but in the South the tank water will likely be significantly warmer than city water or well water. If your motor keeps at the same RPM and the pump just relies on a relief valve dumping back to suction you'll eventually overheat your pump. The solution is either a pump/motor with total stop systerm OR utilizing a pump with an external relief valve and hose (i.e. this doesn't work on internal relief) which is replumbed back to the the water tank instead of the pump suction.
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DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer. July 30, 2021, 07:00 PM
reflex/deflex 64Keep water in the hose all the way to the pump. Hold the wand valve open till you get an uninterrupted stream, at that point start the pump. Pressure washer pumps aren’t designed with suction in mind. They don’t tolerate running dry very well either, something that a normal hose feed protects against.
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July 30, 2021, 07:22 PM
shiftyvtecA proper triplex pressure pump will operate just fine with simple gravity feed assuming you don't exceed its Gallons per minute requirement (generally 3-5 GPM) its done all the time with mobile units.
Or elevate to 7000+' and skip the pressure washer altogether
July 31, 2021, 03:21 AM
WoodmanSpeaking of pumps, how would I go about rigging a power supply if I wanted to use this pump for a field shower application at a music festival?
Delavan PowerFlo 2200 Series 1.2 GPM, Diaphragm Demand Pump | 2200-201-SB
https://barndoorag.com/delavan...nd-pump-2200-201-sb/Would a small motorcycle battery with solar charging work? If a car battery is 500 amps, does that mean this 3.4 amp pump would run for a couple of hundred hours on one charge?
https://avatarhost.files.wordp...-gpm-2200-201-sb.jpgJuly 31, 2021, 07:12 AM
PHPaul
Worked perfectly.
Cleaned an 8x10 coop with 8 foot ceiling. Hit it twice, once with soap, once with plain water to rinse.
Used about 1/4 of a 30-ish gallon barrel of water.
Be careful when following the masses. Sometimes the M is silent.
July 31, 2021, 07:27 AM
patwIt would be no problem. I had a side business years ago and had the pressure washer mounted on a trailer with a tank and never had an issue.
July 31, 2021, 07:57 AM
trapper189quote:
Originally posted by Woodman:
Speaking of pumps, how would I go about rigging a power supply if I wanted to use this pump for a field shower application at a music festival?
Delavan PowerFlo 2200 Series 1.2 GPM, Diaphragm Demand Pump | 2200-201-SB
https://barndoorag.com/delavan...nd-pump-2200-201-sb/Would a small motorcycle battery with solar charging work? If a car battery is 500 amps, does that mean this 3.4 amp pump would run for a couple of hundred hours on one charge?
500 is probably the battery’s CCA rating which is a rating for starting power. You want to look at the battery’s amp/hour rating. A deep cycle group 27 battery weighing around 60 pounds will run that pump for up to 25 hours. If you want the battery to last, it’ll run that pump for 12.5 hours before you need to charge the battery.