[LewisHHC]

Hi All,

I have recently purchased the Kiam 3700p which comes with a 3m suction hose. I have used the pressure washer from the main tap and it seems to work fine. But when i swap over the connections and try to use the suction hose, i get nothing. I am currently using the wheelie bin as a bucket and putting the hose over the top and into the bottom to draw water. I have tried to fill the hose up with water before putting it in the bin so that there is a supply ready and no air in there but that doesn't work.

Any ideas or am i just best to use the mains supply only.
I only have a small van so a proper tank is not possible just yet as i am just starting out.

[Mike Halliday]

Put the tank higher than the pump, suck it until you get a constant flow of water then connect onto the machine.

Or get a tank fitting and fit it to the bottom of the wheely-bin, connecting your supply hose to the bottom of the tank will create a positive pressure pushing the water into the pump.

Something like This…. Then a tap connector screwed on. ( the threaded part project through the bottom of the bin)



Check you have no leaks on the supply fitting, pumps will pull air into hose more easily than water out of the tank so you don’t get any pressure out of the pump

[LewisHHC]

Amazing thanks for the reply.  Will look to get this done asap and try it out.

I gave the surface cleaner a go today aswell and it just didnt do much to a very dirty patio. was very disappointed but hopefully thats down to water flow and nothing else. Any ideas?

[Mike Halliday]

What size FSC ?  Small machines and big FSC tend to do a crap job unless you move it as a snail pace. I would get a turbo Lance and  use that

When using the FSC check your return  hose and see if any water is still bypassing back into the bin,  this will tell you if your jets are too small, (I doubt they will be too big)

[MarkSutcliffe]

Amazing thanks for the reply.  Will look to get this done asap and try it out.

I gave the surface cleaner a go today aswell and it just didnt do much to a very dirty patio. was very disappointed but hopefully thats down to water flow and nothing else. Any ideas?

fair few bundles being sold which feature a large fsc with a machine that really, isn't enough..

The guy near me said flatly to me that it's an inch for each litre per min. I've got 13LPM @ 185 bar so went for 14 inch BE whirlaway.. He had 16's in stock but said, despite being smaller it will be much easier..

I've since seen people using 20 inch ones on the same flow rate.

As for sucking, I had the same issue with my clarke pls195 that "went" a few years back. I did what Mikes suggested as it gives pressure alongside suction, and that worked great. I've got a job coming up that I'm going to need to use a tank for, so need to rig one up. I'm just going to use a small 100L tank.

[LewisHHC]

What size FSC ?  Small machines and big FSC tend to do a crap job unless you move it as a snail pace. I would get a turbo Lance and  use that

When using the FSC check your return  hose and see if any water is still bypassing back into the bin,  this will tell you if your jets are too small, (I doubt they will be too big)

I have the 16 inch FSC and my PW puts out 14lpm so should be roughly there or there abouts. but not getting the water supply is probably the main reason for lack of power.

I will test my water flow and see what i am getting. I have a very old cottage so probably very low (4-6lpm) water flow rate i would imagine.

[Mike Halliday]

It’s not the flow rate coming out of your tap that counts (unless you are connecting directly to the machine which at that flow rate would knacker your pump) the flow comes from the pump pulling the water out of your bin/tank

[LewisHHC]

It’s not the flow rate coming out of your tap that counts (unless you are connecting directly to the machine which at that flow rate would knacker your pump) the flow comes from the pump pulling the water out of your bin/tank

Yeah so when i tested the FSC i was directly connected to the tap and the wheelie bin tank isn't ready yet so need to sort that out before trying again.

[Matt.]

Hi All,

I have recently purchased the Kiam 3700p which comes with a 3m suction hose. I have used the pressure washer from the main tap and it seems to work fine. But when i swap over the connections and try to use the suction hose, i get nothing. I am currently using the wheelie bin as a bucket and putting the hose over the top and into the bottom to draw water. I have tried to fill the hose up with water before putting it in the bin so that there is a supply ready and no air in there but that doesn't work.

Any ideas or am i just best to use the mains supply only.
I only have a small van so a proper tank is not possible just yet as i am just starting out.

What is a small van got to do with anything !!

I have a set up in a partner van with 400L tank and use a 21lpm machine from it.

Ur pump is probably only set up for tap pressure and not to suck water from a barrel.

 

[MarkSutcliffe]

Hi All,

I have recently purchased the Kiam 3700p which comes with a 3m suction hose. I have used the pressure washer from the main tap and it seems to work fine. But when i swap over the connections and try to use the suction hose, i get nothing. I am currently using the wheelie bin as a bucket and putting the hose over the top and into the bottom to draw water. I have tried to fill the hose up with water before putting it in the bin so that there is a supply ready and no air in there but that doesn't work.

Any ideas or am i just best to use the mains supply only.
I only have a small van so a proper tank is not possible just yet as i am just starting out.

What is a small van got to do with anything !!

I have a set up in a partner van with 400L tank and use a 21lpm machine from it.

Ur pump is probably only set up for tap pressure and not to suck water from a barrel.

Kiam are set up for direct feed, but CAN suck from a barrel,.. however direct feed is the prefered way..

As said above, tap at the bottom, ( seriously they're like a fiver from B&Q, and the water pressure will be bob on for you..

[LewisHHC]

Please help!!!

I have made the wheelie bin into a water tank as per the image below. The water flows out nicely and along the clear hose into the pressure washer but there is no water coming out of the lance or the SC.

What am I doing wrong?

[Mike Halliday]

Is it coming out of the pump? Disconnect  the high pressure hose

[LewisHHC]

Is it coming out of the pump? Disconnect  the high pressure hose

No. So it goes in but not with a lot of pressure and doesn’t come out of the outlet if I take the hose off. Or squeeze the lance.

[Mike Halliday]

So… the bin is full of water (at least higher than the pump) but nothing comes out of the pump, it  looks like it’s fitted with a built in down loader so you can’t see it it’s bypassing the pressure….just to be sure you have turned up you adjustable pressure, (the big black numpty) so it’s not constantly bypassing the pressure

And the pump works if you force water into the pump with the tap pressure.




If this is the case you are knackered

[MarkSutcliffe]

Where abouts are you?

Also have you contacted kiam?

[Smudger]

When you are not pulling the trigger does the water recirculate in the pump or do you have a return to tank hose on the bypass?

Also on start up do you have a valve you open to help starting or a  easivalve ?

Darran