Winterize your pressure washer
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Senior User
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 165
Likes: 0
From: PA
Winterize your pressure washer
Anybody have any doubts about putting 50/50 antifreze mix into a brass pressure washer pump for winter storage? Anybody have a better suggestion? I am in the northeast and we will have a couple of below freezing days.
Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 6,214
Likes: 13
From: New Jersey
What I do with my pressure washer is take off the hose, and blow it out using compressed air. Then do the same for the pump, blowing into the high pressure water outlet and whatever residual water is left comes out the garden hose inlet. It doesn't work the other way for some reason, probably a check valve or something.
Anyway, that's all I do, and my pressure washer has been a happy camper for the five years I've had it in my unheated NJ garage.
Anyway, that's all I do, and my pressure washer has been a happy camper for the five years I've had it in my unheated NJ garage.
Lead Driver
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 9,359
Likes: 1
From: Hampstead, NC
I use a solution sold by Karcher(which is the brand washer I have) that you run into the pump for winter. It comes in a bottle that attaches to the inlet side of the pump, open the valve and pull the recoil (with the switch off) until it comes out the outlet. AFIK, there is enough solution in the bottle to last 2-3 winterizations at about $5 a bottle.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,413
Likes: 14
From: cape may county NJ
I do as Frederic with mine but I have also stored it with the pink antifreeze they use for RVs.Reminds me I need to get my small unit back from my buddy before it turns into a popsicle.
i ain't rite
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 65,481
Likes: 5,542
From: Marlboro Mental Hospital.
i also do the same as fred on all 4 of my units. compressed air and blow everything out. 15 years now, and never any problem.
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Tuned
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 352
Likes: 0
From: Kansas, USA
Now you young fellas can't get away with this; but I just bring mine into the bedroom. Us old farts sleep a separate bedrooms. I got tired of foolin' around with all that winter prep. 
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Senior User
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 235
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From: Long Island
i use a pressure washer everyday for work, we keep it outside. we run antifreeze through the machine, the heater and the high pressure hose. we've modified a 5 gallon container with a hose and let it gravity feed to the machine. we drain out the gun and connect it back on the end of the hose. each morning we drain the antifreeze back into the container to use again. we start out with straight antifreeze and it gets more watered down each time we cycle it through. we've found this is easier than draining the machine, the heater and all the hoses every night.