{"id":256,"date":"2021-09-29T21:53:59","date_gmt":"2021-09-29T21:53:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/turnupthepressure.com\/?p=256"},"modified":"2021-10-20T21:22:09","modified_gmt":"2021-10-20T21:22:09","slug":"how-to-fix-a-pressure-washer-leaking-gas-in-8-steps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/turnupthepressure.com\/how-to-fix-a-pressure-washer-leaking-gas-in-8-steps\/","title":{"rendered":"How to fix a pressure washer leaking gas (in 8 steps)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Owning your own home equipment can make your life a lot easier, so you aren’t always borrowing, renting, or hiring someone else to do work for you. It’s easier right up until your equipment starts leaking gas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pressure washers are great, they open a lot of doors for cleaning and home improvement, but they can and do leak gasoline. When that happens, this guide can help you to fix it yourself, rather than seeking out a professional. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Make sure it is gas<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This may sound like a total no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many people make this mistake. Gasoline and water are both transparent liquids, and the only easily observable difference between the two is smell, so it’s important to make sure it is gas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s also important to make sure that the leak is coming from your pressure washer, and not any other gas powered equipment. Store your pressure washer away from other equipment for a night, and see if the leak originates with it or something else. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, many people won’t need this reminder, but if you have an electric pressure washer, any leak coming from that product is not going to be gasoline. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Make sure you’re safe<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Gasoline is highly flammable, and can even explode given the right context, so make sure that you are safe. No matter the size of the leak, do not start the engine on your pressure washer, that can result in serious problems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clean up any leaked gasoline before the repair, and continue to clean up throughout the repair. Serious injury is always a possibility when working with engines like this, so be careful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remember that there is no shame in consulting a professional repairman, or even having them do the repair. They’re there for a reason, and if you aren’t comfortable with engines, that’s okay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Consult your owners manual <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When you purchased your pressure washer it should have come with an owners manual containing significant information about your pressure washer. If you are anything like me, you probably held onto it for a month thinking, then tossed it because “realistically there’s no way I’ll ever need this thing.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The advantage of living with internet access is that most owner’s manuals are available online now, so even if you’ve lost yours, you should be able to find it digitally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consulting the owners manual can help you understand what you’re looking for on your engine, and what you’ll need to address the issue. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the owner’s manual fails, or you just want more information, you can always contact the manufacturer for more information. They might be able to tell you if your model of pressure washer is prone to leaks, or if some part of the engine tends to fail first. This information could accelerate the repair process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Remove the Carburetor <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Carburetors are one of the primary causes for gas leaks in engines, particularly in smaller engines. Carburetors are responsible for mixing air into the gasoline in an engine to help them run at optimal function. When that doesn’t happen properly, the carburetor can be damaged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When gasoline isn’t changed often enough, the carburetor gets dirty and damaged over time as old gasoline leaves residue. Over time, this can cause a fuel leak in the engine. You can clean the carburetor to help address this problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In order to do this, you need to shut off the fuel and take off the spark plug cap. Then remove all covers from the carburetor, as well as the intake if you need to in order to reach the carburetor. Then you need to disconnect the fuel line–a clamp on the line will keep any fuel from spilling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once that is disconnected, you are ready to unscrew the carburetor, which is usually held in place by two bolts. After that, you can disconnect the throttle, and remove the carburetor from the engine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make sure that any O-rings in and on the carburetor are in tact, as that can also cause leakages. Anything torn or misshapen should be replaced, as if they aren’t the current cause of the leak, they may present a problem in the future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are more of a visual learner, it can be hard to figure out how to remove a carburetor from written instruction, so videos will be a great help. Because all engines are slightly different, it may be more beneficial to find a video on your specific pressure washer model, but I have linked a video of a Honda pressure washer carburetor removal and repair to give you a general idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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