Whitco probs

JohnB

JohnB

JohnB
The other night my pressure relif valve kept blowing off.. so I tuned down my unloader ... and now it just leaks steady...I am getting about 2600 psi though... I felt the water coming out of the pin hole of the pressure relif valve and it feels warm but not hot.. I checked and I do have cold water running to the machine .. also my thermal relif valve leaks a little when I let off the wand for a few minutes... I wonder if maybe my unloader is going bad.. or could it just be the thermal relif and pressure relif valves... I will have to get some pics and video of what its doing..I do know that the thing will scare the crap out of you when it pops off... Maybe it wore out because I have been running th unloader pretty close to buried out... like 3200 with a spike at about 4000... The pump is rated at 3500 max 3000 normal... its a 1511...What do I need ???? Fixing to do a total overhaul on this machine...
 
Not to worry...

You said...

The other night my pressure relief valve kept blowing off.. so I tuned down my unloader ... and now it just leaks steady...I am getting about 2600 psi though... I felt the water coming out of the pin hole of the pressure relief valve and it feels warm but not hot.. I checked and I do have cold water running to the machine

I say - simply remove the pressure relief and plug it off until you can get a new one. You still have the unloader as a safety valve. Pressure Relief Valves have to be replaced more often than other valves. But before you remove it see if you can adjust it. Look on the 'pin-hole' side and if there is an allen screw just turn it all the way in. That is the normal setting since most are rated to 6000 psi


You said...

also my thermal relief valve leaks a little when I let off the wand for a few minutes...


I say... A few minutes! No, No, No! In 3 minutes the pump head has already surpassed the 145 degree rating on the thermal valve. If you have a water tank simply by-pass the water back to the tank and the problem is solved. Anytime you but water in a 'closed loop' (by-passing back to the inlet side of the pump) you stand the chance damaging he Packing more so that the pump head. This why people are constantly replacing packings and wonder why. If you do not have a tank install an engine terminator. It installs on the inlet side of the pump and if it sees the by-passed water go over 145 degrees it simply shuts down the engine before pump damage occurs.

You say - I wonder if maybe my unloader is going bad..

I say - NO

You say - or could it just be the thermal relief ..

I say - NO, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT IS DOING WHAT IT WAS DESIGNED TO DO

You say - and pressure relief valves...

I say - VERY POSSIBLE BUT TRY ADJUSTING IT FIRST. IF YOU HAVE TO REPLACE IT - THERE ARE PRETTY CHEAP.

You say - I will have to get some pics and video of what its doing..

I say - PLEASE DON'T WAST YOUR TIME - GO MAKE SOME MONEY. YOU HAVE THE ANSWERS ABOVE. THERE IS ALREADY WAY TO MUCH EXHAUSTING 'CHIT CHAT' TO WEED THROUGH WHEN YOU ARE TRYING TO HELP SOMEONE OUT OF A JAM

You say - I do know that the thing will scare the crap out of you when it pops off... Maybe it wore out because I have been running the unloader pretty close to buried out... like 3200 with a spike at about 4000... The pump is rated at 3500 max 3000 normal... its a 1511...What do I need ???? Fixing to do a total overhaul on this machine...

I say - WHY? YESTERDAY I NOTICED THE AIR IN MY LEFT REAR TIRE WAS GETTING LOW AND I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHY. ONE BET YOU CAN MAKE AND WIN - I WON'T BE AT THE FORD PLACE TOMORROW GETTING AN OVERHAUL.

THESE ARE SIMPLE WEAR ITEMS THAT NEED REPLACING PERIODICLLY. YOU WILL BE WAY AHEAD OF THE GAME BY KEEPING INEXPENSIVE REPAIR PARTS ON THE SHELF.
 
JohnB, I'm thinking you have a trapped pressure unloader. If the outlet piston gets stuck or the o ring on it goes bad, it becomes a regulator instead of unloading, holding pressure in the head constantly.

The first symptom...the pop off valve blowing...tells me you have the unloader set pretty high. A quick flash of high pressure before unload won't usually pop the valve off, but constant excess pressure will.

The second symptom...the thermal valve leaking after a short period...is indicative of a bad outlet piston. When the pump runs with the excess pressure trapped in the head, it will overheat very rapidly.

The outlet piston is located on the outlet side of the unloader. Take it apart, inside you'll find a spring and a "bullet" with an o ring (or at least a groove where the o ring used to be). If it's stuck in the bore due to debris, etc. pry it gently out and clean it. If the o ring is gone, you need a new one. You know my number if you need help.

The pop off valve may need to be replaced if it has blown several times. It's a safety device, only used in emergency. Please get a new one and don't "plug it off". It's there for a reason.
 
We call it a Popit. It is really a check valve that stops the pressure from going back into the unloader when you release the trigger.
 
Got it ... No Leaks now at all.... The block that mounts to the frame where the unloader is mounted wAs loose and leaking.. also the pop valve moutedby the inlet of the coil was so freAkin nasty that it caused it to leak so I cleaned it out and no leaks... Well since I did all this I have discovered its time for a little teflon and hose tightening maitanance... Thank yall for the help... And thank you Russ Johnson ..... Yall need to order from Russ Johnson I think I am fixing to start ... This guy knows alot about pressure washers.... Thanks RUSS!!!!!!!!!
 
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