How to Protect a Pressure Washer from Frost?

[carbon]

I must admit I skim read you post, I'm pretty sure your HDS550C should be very similar to my HDS601

Karcher don’t seem very consistent on which models have a header tank in use. It may be in the moulding of the chassis but not connected to the pump on some models that share a similar overall design

 

[awemawson]

This vintage of 550C has the main water feed straight into the pump with no header tank. And the dosing input as far as I can tell sucks after the pump so no use for the antifreeze. The dosing input is just a nylon pipe that you dip into a container - nothing built in.

Spent a bit of time working out what I need to fit QD connectors to make it comatible with my Karker MPDS ex-military nuclear decontamination steam cleaner so that they can share hoses and lances - (basically M22 to 3/8" BSP in male to female and female to male)

Back to dosing with antifreeze perhaps one of these Amazon gizzmos in series with the water feed before packing it away for the day would do - what do yuo think?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/BAIRU-Pressure-Washer-Sprayer-Dispenser/dp/B0B8D1BMY8/ref=sr_1_14?crid=2IQQPUYR5JPDA&keywords=pump+saver+pressure+washer&qid=1669131988&sprefix=pump+saver%2Caps%2C179&sr=8-14

 

[carbon]

@awemawson As in your case the inlet is connected directly to the pump you should just be able to put some antifreeze in a bucket and connect a short length of hose to the inlet on the front of the machine and let the machine suck in into the pump. If that doesn’t work put some antifreeze in a watering can and connect the outlet to a short length of hose connected to the inlet on the machine and elevate the watering can until the antifreeze is drawn into the pump.

 

[awemawson]

With the cheap Chinese one I tried a short hose and pulling the engine over by hand quite a bit, then as that didn't work I tried a funnel into the hose which was then vertical - all I made was a spillage mess and none went in as far as I could tell

 

[carbon]

You may get better results with the engine running but some of these machines don’t suck water very well

 

[Farside]

My Karcher blows one of two gaskets (sometimes both) every year! My solution is to have spares on hand...

That said, I just bought a petrol washer and it will be going in the new shed. The instructions say to put antifreeze in the shampoo draw pipe and pull the starter cord four times to get it sucked into the system, so I'll be doing that.

Mine says something like that, but last winter I had it in the workshop with a heater and the heat from a few hours during the day kept the temp above freezing around the clock thanks to the insulation.
There's no heater running in the workshop this winter, so I'll be dosing it with anti-freeze.

 

[Turbo]

For cold washers I run the pump without inlet/oulet hoses for a few seconds* to blow most of the water out then wrap the pump in an old blanket & store in the workshop. Never had a pump freeze in 30 years.

*only run for a few seconds, any longer & the seals will get dry & get wrecked by the pistons.

For hot washers anti freeze is just about the only option. The only other choice is to make an adapter to connect your airline to the pump inlet & blow the water out though some will remain in the system.

Pumps with steel pistons and brass heads can usually take a freezing & be ok. On the other hand ceramic sleeved pistons & ally/plastic heads normally crack if they are frozen!

 

[sako243]

Bear in mind you don't need to get it all out. Water only expands about 10% when frozen so as long as you've got enough headroom in each "container" then shouldn't be an issue.