It is essential that you fully understand how the fuel system works on your hot water pressure washer or steam cleaner. If you mess it up, it could catch on fire, and if you’re not there to put it out, you could lose your machine. This type of equipment has been known to explode and Hydrotek of California has a video on CD Rom of a machine exploding when a fuel leak is ignited just to show operators what could happen. We recommend Hydrotek hot water pressure washers. Some people prefer Landa, but we’ve tried them all.
If your hot water pressure washers are diesel powered, you need to replace these diesel filters. All hot water pressure washers have a burner that uses: diesel fuel, kerosene, or natural gas to heat the water. If you use diesel or kerosene fuel, make sure the fuel is clean. A clogged filter will cause blockage and shut down the burner due to lack of fuel flow. You should clean the dirt from your filter every two months.
There is a fuel pressure setting on the burner. To adjust the fuel pressure on your burner (which we don’t recommend), turn the adjusting screw counterclockwise to decrease fuel flow; clockwise to increase fuel flow. Warning: Never exceed 145 lbs. fuel pressure; Doing so will create a giant flame on top of your steam cleaner. It will also burn through the insulation around the coil. I’ve even set the coil on fire. I turned off the heat but the fuel was still burning because it had soaked the insulation in diesel fuel. It also melted the paint on the coil cover, burned out the transformer, and worse yet, we ran out of water in the tank trying to put out the fire. So we drove down the street in flames and smoke, found a water faucet and hose at someone’s house at one in the morning, turned on the hose and put out the fire. All the neighbors woke up. Someone called the fire department, and sure enough, two police cars showed up. All this because the water wasn’t staying hot while we were cleaning the sidewalks in the middle of the night and thought we’d adjust the fuel pressure screw. This wouldn’t have helped anyway because we had a water flow issue that was shutting off the water before it got to the right temperature. Please don’t touch that screw! – Call the dealer. As you can see, you can really learn from our twenty years of experience. That was fifteen years ago, but we at headquarters will never forget it.
fuel control system
Our units use a fuel solenoid valve located in the fuel pump to control the flow of fuel to the combustion chamber. This solenoid, which is normally closed, is activated by a flow switch when water flows through it. When you release the shutoff gun trigger, the flow of water through the flow switch stops turning off the power to the fuel solenoid. This closes the solenoid, cutting off the fuel supply to the combustion chamber.
By controlling fuel flow in this way, our machines are unique in that they create instantaneous burn or no-burn situations. The solenoid allows us to maintain safety by eliminating high and low water temperatures. Temperatures that are too low will not clean well, and temperatures that are too high can cause an explosion, fire, or melting of machine components. We have also almost completely eliminated the combustion smoke associated with our units by incorporating this lockout gun. It also saves fuel and extends the life of the insulation. Not to mention, it doubles the time between regular descaling maintenance on program 80 coils.
I recommend a periodic inspection to ensure the fuel solenoid valve is working properly. To do this, simply stand next to the coils exhaust and pull the trigger on your gun. When it makes a low thud, you know everything is working great. With this patented solenoid installed on the machine, we believe it to be a much safer piece of equipment.
ignition circuit
You should periodically inspect the leads, spring contacts, and electrodes for condition, security, and proper clearance. To test the transformer, use a (defect-free) screwdriver with an insulated handle. Be sure to keep your fingers away from the metal parts of the screwdriver. Position the blade over one contact and within 1/2 inch of the other contact. The transformer should arc with a small flash over the 1/2 inch distance. Be careful not to touch this because it’s something like 10,000 volts.
burner nozzles
Keep nozzle tip free of surface deposits. Use a clean cloth saturated with solvent. Be careful not to clog or enlarge the nozzle when cleaning. For maximum efficiency, replace nozzle at tune-up every two to two and a half years.
air settings
Steam cleaners are generally set at the factory to operate at seventy-five feet above sea level. If your unit is operating at five hundred or more feet above sea level, you may need to make a one-time correction because the higher above sea level you are, the thinner the air. This correction will improve efficiency, performance, economy and extend the life of your machines. If you notice smoke coming out of your machine or burning your eyes, you probably need to adjust it. But first, make sure you’re burning clean fuel. The number one fuel for home heating is the best, but kerosene is fine. Diesel fuel can also be used.
A fire with oily smoke indicates a lack of air and the air band should be turned to allow air to flow through the burner. Heavy smoke that burns the eyes indicates too much air is flowing through the combustion chamber and unburned fuel is escaping, so turn the air band counterclockwise.
The fuel flow to your steam cleaner is by far the most serious part of your machine, it can cause the most damage if not controlled or working properly. If you have a trailer unit, jerks and speed bumps can cause problems with the system and you could find yourself trying to put out a fire in your machine. It could even blow up in your face and hurt you or possibly, if you’re unlucky, kill you. Play it safe, inspect it regularly, and don’t get hurt or involved in a lawsuit. Think about it.