It is essential that you fully understand how the fuel system works in your hot water pressure washer or steam cleaner. If you mess it up, it could catch fire, and if you’re not there to put it out, you could lose your machine. This type of equipment has been known to explode and Hydrotek of California has a CD Rom video of a machine exploding when a fuel leak is ignited just to show operators what could happen. We recommend Hydrotek hot water pressure washers. Some people prefer Landa, but we’ve tried them all.
If your hot water pressure washers run on diesel, you should replace these diesel filters. All hot water pressure washers have a burner that uses: diesel fuel, kerosene, or natural gas to heat the water. If you use diesel fuel or kerosene, make sure the fuel is clean. A clogged filter will cause a blockage and shut down the burner due to lack of fuel flow. You should clean the dirt out of your filter every couple of months.
There is a fuel pressure adjustment on the burner. To adjust the fuel pressure on your burner (which we do not recommend), turn the adjustment screw counterclockwise to decrease fuel flow; clockwise to increase fuel flow. Warning: Never exceed 145 lbs. fuel pressure; Doing so will create a giant flame on top of your steam cleaner. It will also burn the insulation around the coil. I’ve even set the coil on fire. I turned off the heat but the fuel was still burning because I had soaked the insulation with diesel fuel. It also melted the paint on the coil cover, burned the transformer, and worse, we ran out of water in the tank trying to put out the fire. So we drove down the street engulfed in flames and smoke, we found a water faucet and a hose at someone’s house at one in the morning, we turned on the hose and put out the fire. All the neighbors woke up. Someone called the fire department, and of course two police cars showed up. This is all because the water wouldn’t stay hot while we were cleaning the sidewalks in the middle of the night and thought we’d adjust the fuel pressure screw. This wouldn’t have helped anyway as we had a water flow issue that shut off the water before it reached the correct temperature. Please don’t touch that screw! – Call the dealer. As you see, you can really learn from our twenty years of experience. That happened fifteen years ago, but we at headquarters will never forget it.
fuel control system
Our units use a fuel solenoid valve located on the fuel pump to control the flow of fuel to the combustion chamber. This solenoid, which is normally closed, is activated by a flow switch when water flows through it. When you release the shutoff gun trigger, the flow of water through the flow switch stops shutting off power to the fuel solenoid. This closes the solenoid, cutting off the fuel supply to the combustion chamber.
By controlling the flow of fuel in this way, our machines are unique in that they create instantaneous burn or no burn situations. The solenoid allows us to maintain safety by eliminating high and low water temperatures. Temperatures that are too low will not clean well, and temperatures that are too high can cause an explosion, fire, or meltdown of machine components. We have also almost completely eliminated the combustion smoke associated with our units by incorporating this latch gun. It also saves fuel and extends the life of the insulation. Not to mention, it doubles the time between regular descaling maintenance for program 80 coils.
I recommend a periodic inspection to ensure that the fuel solenoid valve is working properly. To do this, simply stand next to the coils exhaust and pull the trigger on your weapon. When it makes a low thud, you know everything is working great. With this proprietary solenoid installed in the machine, we believe it is a much safer piece of equipment.
ignition circuit
You should periodically inspect the cables, spring contacts, and electrodes for condition, security, and proper clearance. To perform a transformer test, use a (defective) screwdriver with an insulated handle. Be sure to keep your fingers away from the metal parts of the screwdriver. Position the blade over one contact and within 1/2 inch of the other contact. The transformer should arc with a small lightning bolt over the distance of 1/2 inch. Be careful not to touch this because it’s something like 10,000 volts.
burner nozzles
Keep the tip of the nozzle free of surface deposits. Use a clean cloth saturated with solvent. Be careful not to cover or enlarge the nozzle when cleaning. For maximum efficiency, replace the nozzle at tune-up every two to two and a half years.
air settings
Steam cleaners are typically factory set to operate at seventy-five feet above sea level. If your unit is operating five hundred feet or more above sea level, you may need to do a one-time correction because the higher you are above sea level, the thinner the air will be. This fix will improve efficiency, performance, economy, and extend the life of your machines. If you notice smoke coming from your machine or burning your eyes, it probably needs to be adjusted. But first, make sure you’re burning clean fuel. Number one home heating fuel is best, but kerosene is fine. Diesel fuel can also be used.
A fire with oily smoke indicates a lack of air and the air band should be turned to allow air to flow through the burner. Heavy, eye-scorching smoke indicates too much air is flowing through the combustion chamber and unburned fuel is escaping, so turn the air band counterclockwise.
The flow of fuel to your steam cleaner is by far the most serious part of your machine, it can cause the most damage if left unchecked or malfunctioning. If you have a trailer unit, jolts and speed bumps can cause problems with the system and you could find yourself trying to put out the fire in your machine. It might even explode in your face and injure you or possibly, if you’re unlucky, kill you. Play it safe, inspect it regularly and don’t get hurt or get caught up in a lawsuit. Think about it.
