Are You Preparing Your Business For The Worst?

How much money will you loose if you have to spend a day waiting on parts to repair your machine? Even if you have a strict preventative maintenance routine, you will have occasional parts failures, damage or losses. That is why it is very important that you are preparing your business for the worst. With this in mind we have compiled a list of the items that you should keep in your shop, and on your rig, to minimize costly down time and to better serve your customers.

1. 1. A trigger gun of your choice. This is an item that will fail or may be damaged that you can’t do without. Having a backup will save you costly down time. We recommend upgrading to an easy pull gun like the YG-5000. These guns feature a trigger that is designed to reduce the amount of energy required to keep the trigger engaged. This will greatly reduce operator fatigue.

1. 1. Spray wands of the size you most commonly use can come in handy when one is lost, damaged or in case an adjustable wand simply fails. You may want to consider upgrading your standard aluminum wand to a Zinc Plated Insulated Steel Spray Wand. If you are looking for a dual lance variable pressure wand, we recommend the Suttner ST-53.

1. 1. Spray Nozzles will wear out and can be damaged or lost! Nozzles are available in many different sizes and configurations. We recommend upgrading to a nozzle with a quick coupled connection. These nozzles are easy to change and brightly color coded to make them easy to find in your tool box.

1. 1. Quick Couplers can fail or be damaged. Spare sockets and plugs of each size should be readily available. Consider upgrading to stainless plugs and sockets for cleaning with corrosive chemicals like V-502. Stainless steel couplers also stand up to rust and surface abrasion better than standard brass couplers.

1. 1. “O”-Rings can also fail and cause leaks, and they are not all created equal. The best O Rings for chemical applications are made from viton, and O Rings for high temperatures are made from silicone. For general cleaning use you can’t go wrong with standard black buna.

1. 1. Unloader Valves can fail at any time. When this happens you are often out of business until it is replaced. When you must replace your unloader valve you should replace it with the same valve that was installed from the factory.

1. 1. Pressure Hoses are often damaged and fail during a job. To keep from having to leave the job before it is finished you should always carry a spare hose with you! Pressure hose is available in 1 wire braid for pressure up to 4000 PSI and 2 wire braid for pressure up to 5800 PSI. We recommend non-marking hose if you need to drag your hose across concrete or tile surfaces.

1. 1. Pressure Relief Valves often fail as they age! Your pressure relief valve is like an artificial weak point. It will pop off if your pressure spikes to prevent a failure in another area like your hose or trigger gun. Keep them in working order to maintain your margin of safety.

1. 1. Burner Fuel Filters need to be replaced at 2 month intervals under normal circumstances, but if you get fuel that is contaminated you may have to change them on a moments notice.

1. 1. Water Filters often fail due to freeze damage or rough handling. Water filters protect your system from debris in water that can damage your machine. We recommend the can type water filter, because it has an easy to clean screw off cup.

1. 1. Burner Transformers, especially the 12 volt variety can fail without notice. Often they do so when you are on the job. With this in mind you should always be prepared to replace one when needed.

1. 1. Burner High Limit Switches can fail due to extreme pressure spikes, from vibration or from damage. The high limit switch is installed in the flow path after the burner coil to monitor the water temperature as it exits the burner. If the temperature reaches a dangerous level, the switch will fire and the burner will shut off. This important safety device can save your life.

1. 1. Pressure Switches are most often used to control the fuel solenoid located on the burner fuel pump. They are part of the system that turns the burner off when you release the trigger and stop the water from flowing through the system.

1. 1. Fuel Solenoid Shut-off Valves attach to the discharge from the fuel pump and are used to interrupt the flow of fuel to the burner when there is no water flowing through the system. These are commonly used on mobile hot water pressure washers.

The parts mentioned above are based on you having one hot water pressure washer though some of these parts can also be used with cold water washers as well. They aren’t all that you will ever need but they are the most common ones that will fail and cause you to lose time on the job!