Need help with PW ASAP!

**manzz** · 04-13-2008, 05:29 PM

I have a new Husky 1800 pw. Everything is hooked up correctly. There is water going to the pw. I turn it on, and the blue light comes on which is high, then it drops to yellow which is medium. I squeeze the trigger and i get nothing. I press the reset buttom and again, it goes blue, then to yellow. Do i not have enough power? My generator is 3500 watts. But still at medium, there should be spray

**howareb** · 04-13-2008, 05:37 PM

Did this happen after a while of using it or did it start after you unpacked it from the box. I have the same unit and sometimes find that the wands are very particular with the settings. You are right you should get a spray of some sort. Do you have good water pressure going to the Husky through the garden hose? Are you using a water tank?

**jshillin** · 04-13-2008, 05:57 PM

Do you have it running through an extension cord to?? Skip the generator and the extension cord if you are using one and connect it directly to an outlet.

**manzz** · 04-13-2008, 06:01 PM

I first tried it on my house through the garden house and it worked like a charm. Once i hooked it up to the generator and tank, no water, just drips

I have it plugged directly into the generator. I unplugged the inlet from the tank to the pw, and water was gushing everywhere so there is water going to the pw from the tank, no doubt

My setup is gravity fed, with 2ft of of hose

**manzz** · 04-13-2008, 06:05 PM

i did try replacing the stock quick connect that came with the pw. It has like a small plug inside the quick connect that you can push in or out. I swapped it out with one that didnt have the plug so the water would go straight through. Same results. With the factory, the water would stop flowing when i disconnected it. With the new one, water was everywhere. I was thinking that was the problem

**Legacy** · 04-13-2008, 06:07 PM

Originally Posted by manzz

I first tried it on my house through the garden house and it worked like a charm. Once i hooked it up to the generator and tank, no water, just drips

I have it plugged directly into the generator. I unplugged the inlet from the tank to the pw, and water was gushing everywhere so there is water going to the pw from the tank, no doubt

My setup is gravity fed, with 2ft of of hose

Sounds like your generator is not supplying enough current.

**manzz** · 04-13-2008, 06:13 PM

I was thinking 3500 watts was enough, though it is an older generator. It has a blue light for hp and yellow light for mp, so there should be some spray? It does not stay on blue, and just drops to yellow each time

**howareb** · 04-13-2008, 06:22 PM

To find out if it is the generator or if you may need a water pump for you tank (gravity fed does not work all the time), connect your PW to the house current while the water supply is fed from the tank. Based on your previous results with your house current the washer should work if the water tank is not the problem. If it does not then you may need a water pump for your tank. If it works correctly then your generator may not be providing enough current (like what was stated earlier).

Harbor freight has water pumps for cheap that may help.

**manzz** · 04-13-2008, 07:12 PM

howareb

I did what you said, and i got the same thing with the house outlet so its not the generator. So i will now need a pump? What kind? I dont have much funds? I have a 65 gallon tank.

My tank sits higher than my pw, and i use clear pvc hose, and i can see full water in the hose between the pw and tank. I`ll unhook the quick connect and water is every where, full pressure, so im confused

**howareb** · 04-13-2008, 09:09 PM

Sorry for the delay. I had to put the little one to bed.

While I agree that it should work there are threads on here that claim that they needed a water pump. The good thing is that the pump does not have to be expensive. There are some pumps on Harbor Freight that should work. Let me take a look. The pump has to at least be able to pump more water than the Gallons per Minute rating of your power washer. Your power washer is rated for 1.6 GPMs if I remember right.

**howareb** · 04-13-2008, 09:37 PM

This may work you you if you have a 12v connection on your gnenrator.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=9576"]12V MARINE UTILITY PUMP $39.99

Here is another reference (read showroom shine):

http://autopia.org/forum/professiona...ighlight=pumps

**BigJimZ28** · 04-13-2008, 09:42 PM

what size pvc hose?

you could try a larger hose

**manzz** · 04-13-2008, 10:47 PM

I`ll check out that pump..thanks

My pvc hose is 1"od, 3/4"id - good size, i think big enough

**manzz** · 04-14-2008, 04:55 PM

So i brought the pw inside to test it. Ran a separate hose from the garage water supply and i ran the water. Water came out fine. I then attached the hose to the pw inlet, and it`s like it`s clogged, because the water was squirting out the garage connection. I disconnected the quick connect and water was gushing out..hhmm, does my pump push rather than pull?