BUSTED PUMP --- WHY ???

WE HAVE 2 ELITE SUPER SKID,16 HP VANGUARD, CAT PUMP MODEL 55,WAS FLEET WASHING FOR 5 HRS TODAY ALL THE SUDDEN NO WATER COMING OUT OF GUN, CHECKED MACHINE AND NOTICED WATER POURING OUT OF SIDE OF PUMP,SHUT MACHINE DOWN,AND NOTICED LITTLE PIECES OF WHITE CERAMIC,THAT CAME OUT OF PUMP, TOOK PUMP APART AND THE LITTLE ROD WAS BENT AND BROKE OFF,AND PLASTIC PIECES FELL OUT,OTHER 2 PLUNGERS WERE OK, WHAT WOULD CAUSE THIS??? MACHINE IS 3 MONTHS OLD,AND HAS ONLY 108 HRS, HAS BEEN WELL TAKEN CARE OF AND HAD ITS FIRST SERVICE ABOUT 2 WEEKS AGO AT 65 HRS,TEMP HERE IS 42 DEGREES,AND KEPT ANTIFREEZE REGULARLY IN, WHAT DO YOU THINK.???????

------------------

???????

Good Question??

Did you run low on water? Severe pump pulsation would cause a plunger too crack and ultimately shatter.

Maybe their was a hairline crack in a plunger from unit freezing previously??

Frequently when I have torn in to a pump I can figure out what happened by the packing / seals..

Melted packing / seals indicate extended bypass or running very hot water in to pump.

Torn or packing with parts blown out usually indicated low water / inadequate water supply.

The pump is designed to pressurize / compress water, when you bring air in to the pump and the plungers are compressing air / water explosions occur inside the cylinder damaging seals, plungers etc.

There is always the possibility of a defective component in pump also.

A good pump detective / (pressure washer distributor / service technician, can probably tell you what took place.

The people you purchased from should be able to help you, if not give me a call.

Good Luck!

------------------
Call or e-mail me if I can be of assistance!

Mark McIntyre: AKA: Pressure Washer Zone Man.
PressureWasherZone.com EasyCleanSystems.com
Mark@easycleansystems.com

916 638-0828

THANKS MARK,SOUNDS LIKE YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR TALKING ABOUT,I'm thinking DEFECTIVE PUMP,WAS DUMB FOUNDED BY THIS, AND IT WOULD HAVE TO BE ON THE WEEK-END, NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH MY ELITE MACHINES LIKE THIS,OTHER THAN A BURNER GOING OUT ON MY OLD ONE,I HAVE 2 SO I GUESS ITS NOT TO BAD, JUST TAKES A LITTLE LONGER TO GET CAUGHT UP,AFTER ALL THE BAD WEATHER HERE,WELL THANKS AGAIN,WE WILL BE PAYING ATTENTION TO YOUR POST. ps. checked out your web page very nice.!!!

------------------


[This message has been edited by Jim&Shirley (edited January 14, 2001).]

Looks like mark said it all. Hit the nail on the head. Thanks Mark!

------------------
Hotwaterwizard@aol.com If You have a problem with your machine, just ask me for help. Check out the Machine Problem Board

THANKS MARK,WIZ
Took it back to my supplier first thing this morning,
when I explained what happend, first thing they said frozen Pump,OH-NO I said, you guys know me, and I keep the right amount Antifreeze in both of mine,They were just kidding, but at that moment I wasnt laughing,Ive spent over 6o.ooo in past 3yrs,especaily after our wreck,had to replace everything 32.000,these machines only have 108-and 118 hrs on the one the pump busted,they know me and shirley very well,and know we take very very good take care of these machine and equipment and maintain it,our other machine was almost 3yrs old and it looked near brand new,we clean,and polish and keep the apearance up on them, and our supplier and the people who work and service ours know this so they were trying to get a reaction, and they Did, Well the bottom line is there sending it back to
Manfacture for them to decide defect,it was under warranty only good thing about this, and they could"nt understand it either,other than M.F. Defect, Thanks again because this thing really got to me,I must admit, and just needed some asurrence that it could be a defect which I thought and was hopeing but wasnt sure
this happened sat and Thanks to you Guys and this board
I didnt have to stew all week-end.


JIM & SHIRLEY

------------------


[This message has been edited by Jim&Shirley (edited January 15, 2001).]

Mark,

your remark below sort of bothers me as I run mine in bypass 99% of the time and always HOT water too.

I have never had a problem, am I just lucky or is it going to happen to me sooner or later?


"Melted packing / seals indicate extended bypass or running very hot water in to pump."



------------------
Jon Fleischer
Oasis Pressure Cleaning
(909) 792-2247
Fax (909) 792-5633

Jon,
I am a little confused here, are you telling me for every 100 minutes your pressure washer is running the trigger is only pulled for 1 minute?

I would need more data to answer your question, feel free to call me at 1 800 292-3279


There are several ways to extend your bypass time on pressure washer pumps, if you bypass back to a 35 gallon or larger water tank you should never have a problem due to extended bypass.

------------------
Call or e-mail me if I can be of assistance!

Mark McIntyre: AKA: Pressure Washer Zone Man.
PressureWasherZone.com EasyCleanSystems.com
Mark@easycleansystems.com

916 638-0828