How To Winterize Power Washer

If you don’t want to start work in the spring and find that your high-pressure washer pump body is frozen and cracked, or the carburetor is blocked by sticky old oil, then now you have to take some time to do a thorough winter storage (Winterization). The vast majority of pump damage accidents are caused by ice expansion. To avoid this expensive loss, I strongly recommend that you strictly follow these four steps:

Step 1: Thoroughly Flush The System And Initially Drain The Water

The first step of winter protection is to ensure that there is no chemical detergent residue inside the machine. Many people will ignore this, but the residual cleaning agent will agglomerate at low temperatures and block the internal valves. You need to put the pipette into the bucket of water first, and run the machine at low pressure for about two minutes. After flushing, turn off the water source and unplug the water inlet hose. If it is a fuel machine, repeatedly pull the starting rope 5 to 6 times; if it is an electric pump, turn on the power for 1-2 seconds and then turn it off quickly. This “pulse” action uses the pump’s own movement to throw out most of the water in the pump manifold-that’s where the ice expansion is most likely to cause damage.

Step 2: Filling The Pump Body Protective Agent

It is not enough to drain the water. Using a special pump body protector (usually called Pump Guard or Pump Armor) is the key to antifreeze. This thing not only can prevent freezing, but more importantly, it can replace residual moisture and coat the internal sealing ring with a lubricating film. The specific operation is very simple: connect the protective agent bottle to the water inlet of the machine (the place where the garden pipe is usually connected). Open the bottle knob and squeeze until you see white or colored protective fluid flowing out of the high-pressure outlet. This protective film can prevent the piston and O-ring from becoming brittle in the dry and cold winter.

Step 3: Fuel System Stabilization

If you are using a fuel machine, you must focus on the oil circuit. The ethanol content in the current gasoline is high, and it will oxidize after a few months, producing a “glue” or “paint film” like glue, and directly scrap your carburetor. I suggest to add the fuel tank to about 95% full (leaving a little space for thermal expansion and contraction), and then add high-quality fuel stabilizer. Then be sure to start the engine and let it run for at least two minutes. This step is to ensure that fresh fuel with stabilizers can be recycled to the entire fuel line and carburetor.

Step 4: Accessories Emptying And Storage Environment Selection

Your cleaning kit-high-pressure pipes, spray guns, spray bars-also have to be dealt. The internal passage of these fittings is very thin, and the accumulated water hidden in them is easy to freeze and break the pipeline. Remove them all, pull the trigger of the gun, let the boom face down, and drain all the water by gravity. As for the storage location, although you have already added a protective agent, if conditions permit, I still recommend that the machine be placed in a dry and temperature-controlled environment, such as a basement or a heated garage, instead of throwing it directly in an open shed with ventilation on all sides. Avoiding extreme temperature fluctuations is the minimum respect for garden machinery.

Author: David Miller

“Hi, With years of experience working in the maintenance room, I’ve dismantled countless scrapped garden machines and seen firsthand how devastating winter neglect can be. I’ve witnessed too many high-pressure washers destroyed by simple ice expansion and oxidized fuel. My mission is to share the professional ‘insider’ knowledge I’ve gained on the repair bench to help you avoid expensive replacements.”