Draining a pressure washer

[300jk]

I have a 6.5 hp. 2550 psi Briggs and Stratton pressure
washer. Every year I take it to my basement so that it doesn’t
freeze and break something. Is there a plug somewhere I can
pull, drain it and leave it in my garage over the winter instead
of lugging it up and down the stairs ?

 

[Patsdeere]

There is stuff, essentially antifreeze, that you attach to the input, squirt and wait for it to come out the high pressure side. Then I give it a few good pulls on the engine and squirt some more and call it good. Helps lubricate the pump guts too.

 

[matthies]

I install a clear hose and fitting where the garden hose attaches, then fill the hose with green antifreeze pull the rope till the discharge turns green. I do have the high pressure hose removed and drained. But store it in an outside shed with a dirt floor, so if it drips a little antifreeze no big deal to me. Doing this for over 8 years.

 

[MSD]

I±'ve been putting RV anti freeze in mine whenever I get done running it. I made a pipe with a funnel top that screws onto the hose end and run it till it blows the pink stuff out and then dump some more in and turn it over without starting till it comes out again.

 

[Blackhole49]

RV antifreeze x 4.

 

[miangus]

That’s what I do, what is it something about great minds.

 

[kevinj54]

(quoted from post at 16:34:18 11/29/20) I install a clear hose and fitting where the garden hose attaches, then fill the hose with green antifreeze pull the rope till the discharge turns green. I do have the high pressure hose removed and drained. But store it in an outside shed with a dirt floor, so if it drips a little antifreeze no big deal to me. Doing this for over 8 years.

Yup, same here.

 

[Jeff NWOH]

I made an adapter to hook my air hose to the water inlet on mine. Hook it up and roll it over a few times til it quits spitting water out.

 

[glennster]

i use the same stuff, hook it up squeeze the bottle and roll the motor over till it runs out the discharge side. i also use a blowgun and blow the water out of the wash hose.

 

[guido]

Hello 300jk,

Make some like this one. The fellow that owns it, wanted to keep it in his unheated garage.

I have one I made years ago for my sprinkler, and water hoses. Squise washer trigger open, then apply same air pressure as water pressure,

Guido.

 

[Duner Wi]

Can't find a plug on mine so I use RV antifreeze.

 

[moresmoke]

They sell a purpose made winterizer for pressure washers. 1 bottle will last me 3 years. I usually winterize mine and put it in cold storage sometime in December. Right now it is under foot inside the shop door, but it is still warm enough I can wash outside mid day sometimes.

 

[MarkB_MI]

I make it a point to disconnect the hoses on my washer and pull the cord through several revolutions each time I'm done using it. That will get most of the water out; it's been OK through several Michigan winters. Using the winterizer is no doubt better, but I've never done it.

 

[Brendon-KS]

I do the same as you. Remove the hose, make sure the ignition switch is off, give the starter three or four pulls, and it's ready for winter. Haven't had a problem yet doing it that way.

 

[Hobo,NC]

The only problem I have had with mine is leaving water in the pump I make it a point to flush it now and run some antifreeze thru it.

 

[Case Nutty 1660]

I made up a adapter from a old garden hose and just screw a correct air coupler in the hose, hook the adapter to the washer with wand and hose attached and plug the air hose to it it blows them out very well in no time,, I do unroll the wand hose and lay out flat to make sure the water is pushed out fully

 

[JeremyR]

Just did mine today. Used an air fitting to a hose adapter.

 

[David G]

I air blow mine.

 

[Pete in Holland MI]

Disconnect the hose and blow out.

Start the engine on idle, pour pink RV antifreeze into the inlet till it pushes out the other end. Do this quickly so the pump doesn't run dry.

Make sure to properly Stabil the gas and run it before you start the winterization process.

 

[catalina0029]

Briggs & Stratton Pump Saver.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Briggs-Stratton-4-fl-oz-Pump-Saver/3241112

 

[Michael Soldan]

I just run some windshield wash fluid through mine, good for-40

 

[Hobo,NC]

Maybe but whut about rusting it up, all the washer parts on a car are rubber/plastic...

I have had to replace parts on my pressure washer because they rusted bad that's why I use antifreeze... I think I have the old parts bagged up if you want to see'em... Its happen two times : (

 

[MarkB_MI]

> I have had to replace parts on my pressure washer because they rusted bad that's why I use antifreeze

True. But I think you need to run antifreeze through the pump after every use if you want to eliminate corrosion.

Right now, I need to replace a piston in the pressure washer I share with my two BILs. I put new seals in it a couple of years ago in an attempt to fix a leak, but found one piston to have a big gouge in it from corrosion. So it still leaks. I suspect if my BILs and I had been careful to purge all the water after each use the damage wouldn't have occurred.

I like the idea of using an air-to-garden hose adapter to blow out all the water. I already have one I use to winterize my RV.

Another thing that folks don't do is routinely change the pump oil. Probably should be done every year or two.

 

[Hobo,NC]

Yep it gets a good drink of antifreeze after each use... I took the pump apart once it looked great, the issue was in the manifold from a part that rusted into...

 

[Bob - MI]

I have used Pump Saver on the pressure washers I have at the shop and at home. I have never had any issues with freezing or seal failures and I recommend this as a cheap and very easy step in protecting the pump. My home unit is stored out in my unheated barn and has seen temps below zero F.

I follow directions and pull the motor over while spraying it through the system. If flows through the pump quickly an you can see that is displacing water.

If Menard's isn't available in your area I suspect that you can get this almost anywhere that sells pressure washers/parts.
Pump Saver Menards

 

[Hobo,NC]

Here's my bag of parts... The hex broke off (rust) I had to weld a washer on it to get the bolt out... I did not need the manifold the last time I brought parts it came in the kit for about the price of the parts I needed that was OK the old one was right hard to adjust...