View Full Version : Water tank hose hook up?
FiveOhMustang
06-21-2004, 06:22 AM
Is it possible to hook up a garden type hose to a water tank instead of using a pressure washer unit????? I jsut got my 90 gallon tank in the mail and was wondering if it will work with a garden hose instead of me goin out and buying the pressure unit???
FiveOhMustang
06-22-2004, 03:21 PM
???
dr_detail
06-22-2004, 04:20 PM
Sure it`ll work.... you will, however, be limited to the Universal Laws of Gravity and Physics ;)
Intel486
06-22-2004, 04:51 PM
You can get 12v water pumps for the tanks to power the water hose. Check with places that sell supplies for RV homes, etc. Also check with farmer supply houses as they will often carry water tanks and accessories for them.
I personally would suggest going with a pressure washer though. Worth the investment as you`ll get a lot more pressure out of it than a small water pump. You can get by with using a cheap pressure washer not meant to suck water from a tank by using the above mentioned water pump to pump water to the pressure washer. The high end pressure washers will be able to handle pumping water from a tank though.
foris2
06-22-2004, 11:06 PM
I would definately get a pressure washer. Even with a 12v utility pump, your water force will be limited significantly.
Not to bring up an old subject, but, If I have a water tank and just hook up a regular pressure washer... example... a Karcher 2400 psi model, would I then be able to just run the hose from the tank to the pressure washer with no problems? What I`m trying to say is, will the pressure washer draw water from the tank sufficiently?
gentletouch
07-21-2004, 06:40 PM
Some pressure washer pumps are designed to have a minimum psi and gpm going into them in order to pressurize the water. You may run the risk of burning up the pump on the pw if it is designed like that. Like Intel said most "higher end" or expensive pw`s have direct drive pumps that will be able to handle the water coming out of the tank via gravity.
gentletouch, thanks for the reply. would you be able to suggest a particular model? if not, no worries, i will definitely continue to search.
J.D.
seems like it would be better to just buy the whole unit, meaning, pressure washer and tank from a vendor instead of trying to piece something together.
dr_detail
07-21-2004, 07:30 PM
As long as the water from the tank gravity feeds into the pump, there should be no problem whatsoever with using any type of piston pump -- provided you do not run it dry. It is also not a bad idea to have the bypass feed directly back into the tank as opposed to it re-circulating through the pump. If, however you plan on using the pump as a suction type device and expect it to feed the water, you can and probably will, prematurely burn out the pump.
gentletouch
07-21-2004, 07:44 PM
The Excel line of pressure washers from Home Depot are good. I use the XR2500, which is a 2500 psi. It has a maintenance free pump that is covered in a plastic shell, so I think it cannot be used with just a straight hose to a water tank without a pump inbetween to give me that psi feeding into the pump. I would suggest getting a pw with an exposed direct drive pump. Those are the ones you have to oil with non-detergent oil.
Thanks for the replies, I certainly do appreciate it. This is all starting to make sense... I think.
ohsoclean
07-21-2004, 11:54 PM
about how many cars can you do on a 90 gallon tank
dr_detail
07-22-2004, 10:10 AM
It all kinda depends upon the volume of the pump (i.e. GPM), how dirty the vehicle is, and your usage. My pump flows at 1.7GPM @ 1500PSI -- I average 5 gallons per vehicle (this does not include filling the soap bucket). With a 90 gallon tank, I think 6-8 cars would be a good guess.
dr detail, are you using a gas pressure washer or an electric? sorry if this is a stupid question, just wasn`t sure.
J.D.