pressure washer water tank

wkasr1 · Mar 26, 2005

Does anyone know if a pressure washer can be operated if the water supply is from a non-pressurized tank? I have some cleaning to do and there is no water supply anywhere close. Will the force of gravity in the tank be enough to supply the washer's need ? I don't want to ruin my pressure washer but if this water tank will work it sure will save a lot of work.
Thanks in advance, Billy

bobodu · Mar 26, 2005

Buddy of mine built a trailer with two 55 gal. drums...never asked him how it worked out though...sorry.
I just did a quick Google search for "pressure washer water tank"..I ran across more sources saying you can than can't.Just be mindful that the pump will have to have a certain amount of gpm available.

notamustang · Mar 26, 2005

I would think as long as there is water in the tank you should be able to use it. Look at all the mobile detailers that have the trailer mounted tank and pressure washer next to each other on the trailer. I would think that as long as the water level is above the pump it should work.

frank_f15 · Mar 26, 2005

most pressure washers require a certain gpm , if your tank is big enough, and high enough you should be ok, is there anyway you could SAFELY add some air pressure to your tank

ronjhall · Mar 27, 2005

I had a Builders Square Puma power washer. It came with a suction screen that could be attached to a hose and dropped into the lake to power wash my boats bottom, when I pulled it in the fall. Worked great.
I have one from Home Depot now. When winterizing it with pink antifreeze I stick a short hose from the inlet line. It will suck the bucket dry in a short time. If your washer will do this, then you should be able to use it for washing. Make sure you do not run it out of water. These pumps do not like running dry.

crb478 · Mar 27, 2005

The short answer is yes it will work, just make sure the hose supplying is water is big enough. Numerous car detailers around here use water tanks with gravity feed to supply water to their pressure washers. Vent the cap and you should be fine.

PineRidge · Mar 27, 2005

Some years back a neighbor who owned City Window Cleaning Company next to our heating business picked up a contract to pressure wash phone booths. Hey does anyone remember those puppies?

Anyway he wanted to know if I could help. So we took one of his empty vans and proceeded to install several large poly-water-tanks inside it that would feed his gasoline power washer so he could do his mobile cleaning thing. It worked so well for him that he started adding more trucks and more equipment for expansion.

Needless to say he wasn't real happy when the phone companies phased the phone booth out of existence altogether.

But feeding a pressure washer with a gravity feed water tank can work successfully.

wkasr1 · Mar 27, 2005

Thanks to all who replied. Looks like the "yes" have it. My local farm store sell plastic tanks around $1.00 a gal size. Maybe a vertical tank would work best? I think I'll find out. Thanks again.

Highbeam · Mar 28, 2005

I use two 55 gallon barrels, old pickle barrels, to provide water to my pressure washer to clean the bulldozer. I bought fittings to allow a hose bib to be attached to the top of the barrel and mounted a tire style valve stem with the core removed to allow ventilation during both filling and emptying. The barrels lay on their side in the truck bed between the wheel wells and don't move once filled. I use a cheap garden hose to connect one barrel at a time to a gas 2.5 gpm pressure washer. I park the truck up on a hill and feed the pressure washer near the dozer but really only about 8 feet of fall. I must remove the inlet screen from the pressure washer to allow enough flow or the pump loses prime. I also must prime the pump without the engine running and let water fill the system. Once it is going, it works just as though you have a pressurized supply.

The barrels are cheap in most places, the plumbing parts cost more than the barrels. I recommend you use barrels like this. A 2.5 gpm suck on a 55 gallon barrel lasts a pretty long time.

It is tough to move the barrels when they are even partially full so plan on emptying them while in the truck. You don't want to drive around with a partially full tank either since the sloshing may have effects on the vehicle.