# Pressure Washer Question?



## Okie294life (Jul 5, 2020)

I have a Troy Bilt pressure washer with the axial style pump. Just trash picked this and replaced the pump last year. It sprays fine but when recirculating the unloader will just randomly kick on and off. It doesn’t hurt anything but it’s real annoying and I’m curious if this is a sign of a bigger problem, or something I need to fix, since the pumps technically still under warranty.


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## tilenick (Jul 12, 2020)

It should be a thermostat that opens if the pump gets hot enough to cycle new water to cool it.


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## Okie294life (Jul 12, 2020)

tilenick said:


> It should be a thermostat that opens if the pump gets hot enough to cycle new water to cool it.


That’s interesting. I did pull the unloader and it does look fine. When I spray the water is warm sometimes even if the pump hasn’t had a lot of time to sit and idle. Maybe this little thermostat is shot or the pump is wearing generating heat? If the point of the thermostat is to add cool water, where does all the hot water go? I was always under the impression that the water just stayed in the return loop continuously heating up? Since it’s a relatively new pump I don’t want to tear into it if there’s warranty left.


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## mexicanyella (Jul 12, 2020)

On my pressure washer (CAT inline pump) when the unloader circuit water heats to a certain point, the thermostat opens a bleeder orifice and the hot water spooges out, presumably replaced by cooler water.

I have unloader sticking and improperly cycling issues too, and haven’t really turned to solving that issue yet.


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## Okie294life (Jul 13, 2020)

Mines not bleeding off I just checked it yesterday


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## Okie294life (Jul 13, 2020)

I called AR and they said the unloader spring was probably bad not holding enough tension to hold the valve closed, and to order a kit to fix it. They’re expensive, 40$ a new pump is 70$. Unless I can find just the spring will probably just roll with it.


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## medalist (Jul 14, 2020)

Try McMaster Carr for springs.
They have a good replacement selection but requires accurate identification.
...lots of times folks attach hose and turn on flow. Do the opposite and the foreign matter in hose won't complicate things.
I work on pumps for commercial users so I unfortunately end up replacing components as a unit.


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