Residential-grade new-style horizontal anti freeze not feeding through pulling cord

[granel465 1]

For now I just have brand new a 3400 psi westinghouse residential machines.. All/most brands seem to have switched to horizontal shaft engines and a new style pump which is great because if either breaks there's $100 clone engines readily available at harbor freight/online and the pumps are about $100 too, whereas the older vertical shaft replacement engines in the cc range needed weren't as cheap or readily available.

 

but anyway, I went to put RV anti freeze in using a cut piece of garden hose and funnel and pulling the start cord with the kill switch Off, but it doesn't pull anti freeze in at all, the older Honda I had did as do most on youtube I just watched a bunch of videos. I used to use the brigg's pressured can foam stuff but that can get a bit pricey over time since I'm using it in colder months winterizing immediately after use, plus if not using for a few weeks in Spring-Fall I heard I should replace the water w antifreeze so it doesn't corrode/rust.

Most of the electric machine videos they run theirs for a second to suck the antifreeze because there's no pull cord to turn the pump, unless they're using the foam pressured product and also I noticed some use the plastic squeeze bottle product like Comet brand or Karcher. 

 

I had to run the machine for a second to suck the antifreeze in. I don't want to waste a bunch of antifreeze making sure I put more than enough in the funnel, plus, although I doubt a few seconds running dry would matter but I know not to run it without liquid in the pump and again I don't want to load a whole bunch in the funnel. I had to reconnect the hose so the antifreeze would go into that instead of spewing all over the place. 

 

Is it just the lack of pressure not feeding the antifreeze in or something with these new style pumps? But that doesn't explain why even when pulling the starter cord it didn't feed though.  If I just buy one of the plastic squeeze bottle products like the Comet or Karcher and refill w RV antifreeze it should have enough pressure to push through? I guess I'll buy a bottle of the brigg's just to make sure. 

But also according to this guy it's better to run it for a few seconds to suck the antifreeze through otherwise it won't open the Unloader Valve which would hold water if not ran (he removes his manually though and doesn't run the engine. 

 

Edited December 22, 2023 by granel465

[granel465 1]

after digging a little deeper it seems even the squeeze type plastic bottle can be a problem, it needs to be squeezed at the same time as pulling the cord and since there's no hose on the bottle and it basically just sticks out the back of the pump, it can't be like stepped on at the same time as pulling the cord, maybe large vice grips would work or a tourniquet or something if doing it solo because once you unsqueeze and go to pull the cord the bottle just sucks the fluid back in. I could try using hose end repair parts and making a 2 foot section of hose so the squeeze bottle can be stepped on at the same time as pulling the cord, and then refilling the bottle with RV antifreeze from a cheap $4 gallon. 
But the youtuber found that the aerosol foam type worked just fine on both his machines which wouldn't take the squeeze bottle type doing it solo. 

 

Many, including pro machines youtubes say they just blow theirs out with compressed air which is sort of like running the machine for a few seconds with no hose attached but a) running it dry is always risky and b), the rubber seals etc can then dry out in winter or air gets in there and starts to rust parts. 

 

I'm only making a big deal about this because I find myself needing to do power wash projects even in north east winters, and frequently winterizing it but I think I'm just going to buy a whole bunch of the aerosol bottles and spend more plus must have backups. 

Even just stopping for 40 mins for lunch on a cold day it could freeze up, also the gun should be detached and triggered pressed it and waved around to fling the water out, so it'd need lots of apps of winterizer but overall I usually don't power wash anything past Fall where I can just do 1 app of aerosol foam, not to mention getting wet in winter sucks, hoses should be winterized indoor shutoff vavles can be a hassle for the homeowners, walkways can freeze etc.  - new replacement pumps like this 3400 psi are only $65 shipped on eBay so I'm not worried to much about not using the foam for its protective lubricants during the non-freezing season, I never had a problem with that, nor a problem with the unloader valve not draining from not running the machine, and I don't like messing with parts on these to manually remove the unloader to drain it, but once I get a small pro unit I may have to learn all the parts.

 

 I'm more worried running it dry to replace the water with air because I know these pumps can be temperamental - even just letting them idle for like 30 seconds without pressing the gun can overwork and break them, if I have to start the machine on the ground and go up a ladder on a roof to do a gable wall or something and I put the gun and hose with slack up on the roof first before starting the machine so I'm not tangled etc by it climbing a ladder with it in one hand, I'm basically running around to get to the triggers asap.

 

 

 

I wonder though, since RV anti freeze is so cheap like $4 a gallon, would kind of lubricant could I maybe add to it to also protect seals etc? maybe just a few cups of used motor oil or canola oil in the anti freeze gallon lol? Then if I make a 2 ft hose conenctor to step on the squeeze bottle I can maybe just use that instead of the foam, the foam sometimes is out of stock during the winter at big box stores, takes a while to deliver otherwise, gets pricey etc so I would like a backup solution. 

[windowclean 0]

why not just keep it insulated?

[Peonino10 0]

Adding lubricants to the antifreeze, it's important to be cautious. While motor oil or canola oil might seem like feasible options, they may not mix well with antifreeze and could potentially cause damage to the equipment. It's best to stick to products specifically designed for this purpose to ensure compatibility and effectiveness.

[Lex4Lex 0]

On 4/1/2024 at 6:56 AM, Peonino10 said:

Adding lubricants to the antifreeze, it's important to be cautious. While motor oil or canola oil might seem like feasible options, they may not mix well with antifreeze and could potentially cause damage to the equipment. It's best to stick to products specifically designed for this purpose to ensure compatibility and effectiveness.

Ohhh, that makes a lot of sense, I'm now ashamed to not have known this sooner haha