Installing unloader valves Safely

 

Installing unloader valves is a simple process that should be understood by everyone.
The nature of an unloader valve is such that they wear out, some quicker than others.

Because of this they often have to be changed out in the field to keep a job going.

Keeping simple tools on hand along with teflon pipe thread tape is always a neccessity.

While many consider this as a "no brainer" repair let me recount an experience I once had.

In my tool rental store I once had a mechanic (you guessed it... a real know it all) who had to install a new unloader valve on a 4000 psi washer. He used pipe thread tape as he should have.

When it was time to turn on the water and crank up the engine he was kneeling next to the machine. I was observing this as there was a loud instantaneous POP and BANG...

HE HAD INSTALLED THE VALVE ON BACKWARDS!

The valve shot off the machine like a bullet over his shoulder right past his head and put a significant dent in a commercial dumpster over 15 feet away!

This was obviously a real screw up that could have killed him or others.

I am not suggesting you don't install your own valve I am only urging you not to be careless and to pay careful attention when working with a pressure device as powerful as a pressure washer. Never take it for granted.

Unloader valves are marked on the outside of the valve body with the words In and Out
or with directional arrows and sometimes both.

If made of brass the soft metal can wear away leaving these markings unintelligible. If this is the case- get help or get a new valve

As a final note: never install any old unloader valve just because it's an unloader valve. Make sure that you know the valves capabilities and that it is a good match for your system.

 

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