[Peter Sweeney]

Guys

Am at a complete loss. Cannot not get water pressure from machine.

It works for a few seconds when turned on then splutters down to almost nothing. It's a steamway 9100 and here is a list of what me and me mechanic has checked (its the first time he has been stumped by the machine).

Have checked all pistons and seals in cat pump.
inline filter in feed from header tank.
All front of machine feed points
pump drive belt
Sureflow pump is supplying from water tank
oil level in pump

Can anyone offer up any thing else worth checking?

Pete

[Russ Chadd]

Are you testing this using a tool on the end of the hose ? if yes remove and try without any restriction on the hose.. could air trapped in the system, is the CAT pump self priming? is it possible to feel if its sucking on the inlet side of the pump?

[Peter Sweeney]

Hi Russ

There is a solution bottle filler hose at the front of the machine which replicates that test and the problem is the same. Yes it is self priming and no, there is no way (that I can see) to tell if the inlet is sucking.

Cheers
Pete

[John Kelly]

Sounds like a water starvation problem at the pump. If its giving pressure for a few seconds then it is doing its job as this pressure disappears it seems as if the water isn't being replaced at a sufficient rate. Check the feed from your header tank, the hose may be collapsing under load cutting off the supply. Try and get a hose pipe feed direct to the cat pump and see if it works then.

[Mike Halliday]

Disconnect the high pressure line coming out of the pump, if you have a spare 2ft line you can connect on then that would be great but if not you will get wet.

Turn on the machine....... What happens? Are you getting a constant flow of water?

This will tell you what side of the pump the problem is at, (don't do this for long as your HX will overheat) this will also clear any airlock you have created by disconnecting the supply line


Do you have a direct feed on the front of the machine? Do. John said and put a positive flow of water direct to the pump

[Doug Holloway]

Hi Guys

I know this might seem a bit obvious but have you descaled?

Cheers

Doug

[mark pritchard]

I had a 9100lx for 6 years, i did have to descale it every now and again. the best way to do this is put some rust remover in the header tank at the back of the machine and connect a hose from the front connecter and circulate the water back to the header tank, you may have to wait 5 minutes for the rust remover to work. You can you any kind of acidic chemical
regards
Mark
any problems give me a call on 07774 771387 and i'll talk you through it

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Get a box of calgon From a local super Market! But it also could be the spring in the numpty that adjusts your psi mine went and the same thing happened no flowing pressure it's a simple spring but it corrodes.

Shaun

[john rees]

Is the header tank filling up? it could be the microswitch in the supply pump faulty if not,

                                                                      John

[Peter Sweeney]

Guys,

Thanks for the replies. Found 2 water starvation causes. One of them was in the pipe leading from heat exchanger and the other was a blockage in a solenoid. Took some time but got there.

Cheers
Pete