Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

I have an excell pressure washer with honda engine. winterized it each year (2) that I've owned it. Started her up yesterday and water is spraying out of the area where copper fitting is for the input hose. diagram below.  Notice two otlet openings on left. One of them(top left) is where a copper fitting goes. The copper fitting is a recepticle for the water feed(hose). The pump appears to be some sort of cast aluminium. There is a hairline crack from the opening  (where the copper fitting goes) that goes towards the center for about an inch or so. Once it is powered up and the pressure builds the water escapes from that crack and sprays out causing massive pressure loss.  I am thinking of getting a new pump.

 Now my question   since this appears to be some sort of cast aluminium, can the crack be welded? If not do I have to match it with same pump or can I get a better one?

 The model # is excell EXHA2425. It is made by Devilbiss. They show the the original pump has been rplced from a Tawainese made to American made company. The price is $199.00. Any ideas guys?? Thanks!

good candidate for tig welding though you may have to rethread the hole your fitting screws into

Wow! Fast reply. Thanks.

Unless you know someone who can weld it for nothing, figure on spending at LEAST $100 for welding services. Tough call here - $100 minimun to weld, a new pump at $200, or sell it as is & buy another one for around $300. Maybe look for a good, used pump instead? Best of luck...

Marty

Cost over 400 new.  Honda 5 hp ohv.  Cost at least that to replace, no?

From what I have found...the pump must have been crap, since anyone selling replacement pump makes a point to indicate the replacement pump is new and improved over the original.  I have learned if I do buy another it will be a brass pump. That won't crack like this alloy junk.

You may be better off to spring for an extra $100.00 to $150.00 & buy a new pressure washer of the same model. You can use the old one for parts. I wouldn't put $200.00+ in this machine, as any additional expense would come close to exceeding the cost of a new machine.

Please don't take this as an insult, since it appears that you have been around these forums for quite some time and probably know what you're doing.  But, did you winterize the pump as well, and with what?

I did mention in my post that yes it was winterized. I winterized it with A product sold along side this unit at HD. Not sure off hand, but I do believe it was labeled with the EXCELL name on the can. Seems like a hairline crack from overtight brass fitting input to the alloy pump. Over time it worked its way back beyond the brass fitting (hose input). No leak till then due to good tape and washer. Once this crack went beyond fitting, it started spraying. I will bring it to a local welding place. Right now I don't have any round to its. BUT when I do get  a "round to it", I will let all know how it worked.

A hairline crack on the intake should not effect the output pressure (unless it leaks so bad
it is starving the pump).
A hairline crack that first appears in the spring suggests that maybe water froze in the pump.
If freezing water caused the crack then likely the pump is shot.
You might try JB weld. It should hold up to typical input pressures. Cost you $5 to try.
If the input hairline crack is the ONLY problem with the pump it is worth
getting an estimate for welding (welding cast alum is tricky).
Does the leak get worse when you start the unit? If so then the pump is
trying to pressurize the input and is probably shot. The cheap pumps used
in these units are not worth rebuilding, time to buy a new one.
I suspect you are looking at getting either a new pump, or, a new machine.
Depending on how heavily used your engine is it might be worth getting a new
pump. Likely that unit has one of the cheaper Honda engines, and if you used
the unit alot it might be getting tired as well. The HD, $500 and under units
are fine for home use, but will not stand up to comercial use. If you use
this unit almost daily then it might be a good time to cut your losses and
get a professional quality unit.

Hey Marshall - are you still here?

Something to be aware of with the "winterizing" products. They are all esssentially anitfreeze that is rated to be good to a certain, specified temperature. I.E. -40C (  -40F). If you happen to store the unit somewhere where the temperature goes below the rating then you have a frozen pump which is not a good thing. If you add into the mix that dilution of the antfreeze solution with regular water degrades its performance, you could have a problem at even warmer temperatures if you don't purge the pump properly.

The best solution is to pack up the pressure washer and take it to Australia with you for the entire winter :-).