[Richy L]

I was on a job yesterday and the elbow brass connector from pump outlet to the male coupling for the pressure hose snapped. It was just in the dirty stage of a block paving clean! I had to go and get it repaired straight away. I went back this morning and the pump was pulsing, then the new piece snapped too! same place!

So I have decided to buy a new machine.
I have just ordered a 21lpm 200 bar petrol yanmar.

[BDCS]

Richy, you said you had a brass fitting on the high pressure side ? What idiot do you use to fix your kit ? You should only have brass on the low pressure or suction side. Do you not just go and collect your spare machine 

[Blast Away]

Do you mean the thread snapped off and is still in the pump head?

[Richy L]

Im not as clued up as you guys on the theory side of pressure washing so I don't build my own machines. I will be getting a little spare one now though incase this happens again. As I don't employ the pressure to get another machine working immediately  is not as high. But as I travel quite a lot now to some jobs I need a reliable one.

This is a pic. Looking at it, it doesnt look like it is brass, just discoloured

http://img833.i.us/img833/7826/20130312141516.jpg

[Richy L]

Im not as clued up as you guys on the theory side of pressure washing so I don't build my own machines. I will be getting a little spare one now though incase this happens again. As I don't employ the pressure to get another machine working immediately  is not as high. But as I travel quite a lot now to some jobs I need a reliable one.

This is a pic. Looking at it, it doesnt look like it is brass, just discoloured

http://img833.i.us/img833/7826/20130312141516.jpg

http://i.us/photo/my-images/833/20130312141516.jpg/

[Richy L]

How do upload photos on this site?!

[BDCS]

I have not got a clue but I could fix your washer

[Richy L]

Yeah, it can be fixed, but the engine is 12 years old now! It has had new pumps and extras. It is a 15lpm and I would like a bit more power. If the pump was pulsing and cracking fittings what do you think that means?

[Richy L]

http://i1124.photobucket.com/albums/l565/Richard_Leek/brokenpump_zpsfb90667c.jpg

[BDCS]

It does look like brass - the correct steel part would be about £3. That would best be replaced with a 3/8" male-female nut and get rid of the socket. You'll also need a bonded washer. Then you also will have a spare. If I remember corectly that would have just been a m-f swivel so you must have a different unloader on it

[chris scott]

Looks like a knackered unloader as Carl said that elbow should be steel ...it would pulse if it was cracked there before it fell off. That pump does not have gearbox .It would be advisable to make sure your new one does .

[Kenny83]

Petrol Yanmar? Didnt think they did one mate?

[Richy L]

Apparently so. The new piece that was fitted was a steel one and that broke the same way.
They guy I go to knows his stuff mind. That old/first piece had been on there for years with no problem. He said the, and bare with my lack of technical knowledge,out of the four screws that held the pump to the engine three of them had snapped off. so it was only holding on with one and there would have been vibrations which may have damaged something.

[chris scott]

Makes sense .An unloader/ hp pipe thrashing around on something only connected by one bolt....the weakest link is the elbow.

[Richy L]

Yeah. But even after the three extra screws were added it still broke the new steel piece?!
As the pump was pulsing could the pump have been over working and the pressure blew the new elbow? Seems weird that an old piece that had been fine for years broke and then a brand new piece, even after the screws were added broke.

[BDCS]

Its so hard to tell from other peoples descriptions of whats happening. Surely the bloke who fixed it would be able to look at the bigger picture and say what would be needed to sort the machine and hence give you a price to fix it, These machines are not in any way complicated and I can never understand why people just fix the problem as presented and ignor the rest. Do it nice or do it twice ! Richy I'll be at Neath August bank holiday - is that near you ? I did my trauma training at Bristol and I've also inspected a machine at Riverwood packers - fish pools ?

[Richy L]

When he replaced the screws and elbow yesterday we tested it and it was working fine. It was today it blew again. That's why I am buying new now. I don't want to throw more money repairing something that is too old to be worth it.

Neath is over an hour away from me. I live in Chepstow now right on the border across the river Severn from Bristol. Not sure where Riverwood packers - fish pools is.

[BDCS]

Richy, given that the same problem has happened twice in two days to a machine that has seen 12 years of service would indicate that something has happened and has maybe been overlooked. The fact that the unloader is fitted on an elbow and the hose is horizontal maybe stressing the fitting or the like. I'd get it fixed properly just to have the piece of mind of having a good spare machine when you have an issue with the new machine

[Frankybadboy]

Riverwood packers - fish pools ?

you stay off my patch