Michael
New member
This is NOT intended to promote one product over another but merely as the subject says above and hopefully to educate the consumer...
Recently I came across a reputable on-line retailer making certain claims that I would like to address.
First, from a pure safety standpoint I have this concern. They claim to be able to get a 5800 PSI working pressure from a Schedule 80 coil. The truth is Sch. 80 pipe has an 'official' pipe industrry rating of 700 PSI working pressure. In the pressure washer industry Sch. 80 has been used for years to 3500 PSI because all manufacturers test to 14,000 PSI static or a 4:1 safety margin. This is a standard engineering safety factor. Some manufacturers push this to 4000 PSI or 3.5:1. I prefer the minimum standard of 4:1. At 5800 PSI the safety factor is down to only 2.4:1. Is this unsafe? No, possibly not but I do know of manufacturers who go to 5000 PSI with only Schedule 120 or even 160 pipe. You decide.
They also claim to have ultra-high pressure Quick couplings but their advertisement shows brass. Forged brass is limited to 4000 PSI and UL requirements are for steel beyond that. Steel fittings cost 3-5 times forged brass ones do. I would want steel fittings on my >4000 PSI machine. For that matter I do not like the idea of all those little O-rings keeping everything under control. Fewer of them is better in my mind.
From Cat pumps techincal manual you will find this formula for determining HP requirements for given Flow and Pressure... (Flow X Pressure) / 1460 = Electric BHP. Electric BHP X 1.5 = gasoline engine HP. Therefore 4.3 @ 5800 would require 25.6 hp but this on-line company says you can do that with only 22 hp (HP ratings of engines are at full song at full rated RPM).
Some manufacutrers of consumer pressure washers choose to use the theoretical engineering value of 1100 to determine engine requirements. This is based on EVERY component working at full specified performance and works possibly in the laboratory only. Under this formula you would still need 22.7 hp or ~3% more than the engine is rated for. Again, you need to decide how you want to proceed.
Every engine and pump manufacturer will void their warranty if you alter their products. Adding drain plugs is an invitation to disaster, IMHO, because it allows for an out for the component builder. Oil is the life's blood of any metallic moving device. Loss of it will cause really unpleasant sounds. The component manufacturer warrants their components with their parts and no one elses. Give them an out they will take it and that WILL always cost you money. Again, you decide.
From R.W. Beckett the SDC burner is designed and warranted by them for 300,000 Btu at a 1.75 nozzle and 140 PSI fuel pressure, with the famous purple wire. Increasing the nozzle size or fuel pressure may make no difference because the blower can only supply so much air and that is at rated performance. Pushing will merely cause a dirty burn which creates health/pollution problems and may cause the coil to soot up. You need to decide if this is an OK thing for your purchase to do.
The SF burner from Beckett IS rated to 770,000 Btu with a 5.5 nozzle or 5.5 gph use. A 20 gallon tank (18 usable or less) will only give 3.3 hours of operation before requiring refuelling. However, the rule of thumb to raise 1 gallon of water 140 degrees requires 100,000 Btu., so at 12 GPM you would require 1.2 million Btu which is only 54% over the rated maximum input from Beckett. Again, you need to decide if this is good enough for you.
Generators used for pressure washers are NOT rated to run any other electrical appliance other than the burner. There is not enough excess capacity to accomodate the initial start up load of the burner kicking in. The plugs are there so that when the generator is used in an application that includes a voltage conditioner and variable loads then you can plug a limited amp draw into them. If it were as easy as merely turning an generator to develop power then there would never have been the rush to buy them during the Y2K nonsense. I would never plug anything into one of these outlets because I do not know how the voltage will affect it; blowing out bulbs, frying radios, frying the ignitor on the burner et al. If you want portable power then buy a generator; in theory you could run things from your vehicle alternator too, but you don't in practice.
Are your gauges calibrated? Mine are and they cost me $300 to certify them every year. If I want a rough idea I use a $30 non-calibrated gauge that is 'accurate' to + or - 10% or so. For most applications that is enough. Do you want to determine a critical component's performance with a $30 gauge? Why do you need to adjust the fuel pressure on your burner? Did you discover something Beckett forgot? If it is there to fiddle with, human nature dictates that you will fiddle with it. Doing so usually ends up in what mechanics of all kinds call a 'basket case'. You show up with all the pieces in a basket and ask them to fix it for you.
Truth is only found in someone you have reason to trust. Your local professional pressure washer dealer is usually your neighbour too. You can trust them with your child on their soccer team, why not your business? Dealing with a local professional pressure washer dealer will also give you more say in warranty related items with their supplier (the manufacturer).
In business you either build it or you sell it. None of the car makers do both, so why should any one else it?
Hope this helps some of you decide where you invest your dollars.
Cheers.
PS: I shall as always use my personal email address so anyone can contact me. And if you do not know by now I am a salesman for a pressure washer manufacturer who I link to every time I post. I have nothing to hide and only wish to help with as close to an unbiased post as is humanly possible.
Recently I came across a reputable on-line retailer making certain claims that I would like to address.
First, from a pure safety standpoint I have this concern. They claim to be able to get a 5800 PSI working pressure from a Schedule 80 coil. The truth is Sch. 80 pipe has an 'official' pipe industrry rating of 700 PSI working pressure. In the pressure washer industry Sch. 80 has been used for years to 3500 PSI because all manufacturers test to 14,000 PSI static or a 4:1 safety margin. This is a standard engineering safety factor. Some manufacturers push this to 4000 PSI or 3.5:1. I prefer the minimum standard of 4:1. At 5800 PSI the safety factor is down to only 2.4:1. Is this unsafe? No, possibly not but I do know of manufacturers who go to 5000 PSI with only Schedule 120 or even 160 pipe. You decide.
They also claim to have ultra-high pressure Quick couplings but their advertisement shows brass. Forged brass is limited to 4000 PSI and UL requirements are for steel beyond that. Steel fittings cost 3-5 times forged brass ones do. I would want steel fittings on my >4000 PSI machine. For that matter I do not like the idea of all those little O-rings keeping everything under control. Fewer of them is better in my mind.
From Cat pumps techincal manual you will find this formula for determining HP requirements for given Flow and Pressure... (Flow X Pressure) / 1460 = Electric BHP. Electric BHP X 1.5 = gasoline engine HP. Therefore 4.3 @ 5800 would require 25.6 hp but this on-line company says you can do that with only 22 hp (HP ratings of engines are at full song at full rated RPM).
Some manufacutrers of consumer pressure washers choose to use the theoretical engineering value of 1100 to determine engine requirements. This is based on EVERY component working at full specified performance and works possibly in the laboratory only. Under this formula you would still need 22.7 hp or ~3% more than the engine is rated for. Again, you need to decide how you want to proceed.
Every engine and pump manufacturer will void their warranty if you alter their products. Adding drain plugs is an invitation to disaster, IMHO, because it allows for an out for the component builder. Oil is the life's blood of any metallic moving device. Loss of it will cause really unpleasant sounds. The component manufacturer warrants their components with their parts and no one elses. Give them an out they will take it and that WILL always cost you money. Again, you decide.
From R.W. Beckett the SDC burner is designed and warranted by them for 300,000 Btu at a 1.75 nozzle and 140 PSI fuel pressure, with the famous purple wire. Increasing the nozzle size or fuel pressure may make no difference because the blower can only supply so much air and that is at rated performance. Pushing will merely cause a dirty burn which creates health/pollution problems and may cause the coil to soot up. You need to decide if this is an OK thing for your purchase to do.
The SF burner from Beckett IS rated to 770,000 Btu with a 5.5 nozzle or 5.5 gph use. A 20 gallon tank (18 usable or less) will only give 3.3 hours of operation before requiring refuelling. However, the rule of thumb to raise 1 gallon of water 140 degrees requires 100,000 Btu., so at 12 GPM you would require 1.2 million Btu which is only 54% over the rated maximum input from Beckett. Again, you need to decide if this is good enough for you.
Generators used for pressure washers are NOT rated to run any other electrical appliance other than the burner. There is not enough excess capacity to accomodate the initial start up load of the burner kicking in. The plugs are there so that when the generator is used in an application that includes a voltage conditioner and variable loads then you can plug a limited amp draw into them. If it were as easy as merely turning an generator to develop power then there would never have been the rush to buy them during the Y2K nonsense. I would never plug anything into one of these outlets because I do not know how the voltage will affect it; blowing out bulbs, frying radios, frying the ignitor on the burner et al. If you want portable power then buy a generator; in theory you could run things from your vehicle alternator too, but you don't in practice.
Are your gauges calibrated? Mine are and they cost me $300 to certify them every year. If I want a rough idea I use a $30 non-calibrated gauge that is 'accurate' to + or - 10% or so. For most applications that is enough. Do you want to determine a critical component's performance with a $30 gauge? Why do you need to adjust the fuel pressure on your burner? Did you discover something Beckett forgot? If it is there to fiddle with, human nature dictates that you will fiddle with it. Doing so usually ends up in what mechanics of all kinds call a 'basket case'. You show up with all the pieces in a basket and ask them to fix it for you.
Truth is only found in someone you have reason to trust. Your local professional pressure washer dealer is usually your neighbour too. You can trust them with your child on their soccer team, why not your business? Dealing with a local professional pressure washer dealer will also give you more say in warranty related items with their supplier (the manufacturer).
In business you either build it or you sell it. None of the car makers do both, so why should any one else it?
Hope this helps some of you decide where you invest your dollars.
Cheers.
PS: I shall as always use my personal email address so anyone can contact me. And if you do not know by now I am a salesman for a pressure washer manufacturer who I link to every time I post. I have nothing to hide and only wish to help with as close to an unbiased post as is humanly possible.
