A pressure washer is a handy device that allows you to easily wash your car, as well as other surfaces in everyday life. thanks to the strong pressure of water, such devices are able to clean even heavily soiled surfaces without the use of detergents.

Such devices are usually installed at car washes and cost a lot of money. The Karcher pressure washer deservedly gained popularity, but not everyone can buy it. Therefore, for use at home, you can make a car wash with your own hands. - a great alternative to professional ones, which you can assemble yourself from improvised means.

To make a Karcher pressure washer, you need to find the right materials. You can use improvised items or purchase new ones in the store. So, to create a minisink you will need:

The principle of operation of the device

Will work on the principle of conventional car washes. The water in it is supplied through a rubberized hose under high pressure. Air is pumped into the water tank by a car pump, which creates excess pressure in the tank. Water under pressure is supplied to the outside and is supplied when the trigger of the watering gun is pressed. Thanks to the strong pressure of water, with the help of a car wash, you can clean any surface.

In this case, the pump is used exclusively for pumping air into the tank. Replace the constant use of the pump, you can install a pump that allows you to manually raise the pressure. Also, plunger pumps are an alternative to automobile pumps.

Plunger pumps are modern devices that belong to hydraulic dosing devices. The plunger pump independently mixes water and detergents in selected proportions and delivers the mixture under high pressure. The disadvantage of installing such a pump is the excessive final weight of the car wash.

How to assemble a car wash with your own hands

Initially, you need to prepare a water tank. To do this, using a sharp knife in the lid of the canister, it is necessary to cut a hole that will be narrower than the nipple in diameter. After that, a nipple is threaded through the inside of the lid.

Advice : If the hole is larger than required, the gaps must be additionally sealed.

Through the nipple in the lid, the pump will pump air into the tank, and water and detergents will also be filled.

Next, you need to prepare a system for connecting the canister to the watering gun. To do this, in the lower part of the canister, you need to cut a hole close in diameter to the coupling. The clutch is attached from the inside of the canister, you can start it with a piece of wire. After threading the hose connector, sealant must be applied around the circumference. A fitting is also attached to the coupling.

After the sealant has dried, you can begin to prepare the sink for work. To do this, plugging the fitting with your finger, you need to pour water into the canister. Also, any detergents (specialized detergents for cars or household chemicals) can be added to the tank. The nipple must be connected to a car pump and gradually pump up the canister with air. During this action, you need to ensure that the canister does not inflate too much. If it was decided to install a plunger pump or pump, then they are attached to the fitting using connecting hoses.

After completing these steps, a rubber hose is connected to the fitting, at the end of which a watering gun must be attached.

Advice : You can check the correct assembly by pressing the trigger of the gun. If, as a result, a strong pressure of water began to flow from the gun, then the device was assembled correctly. If this does not happen, then the canister is leaking air and you need to check all connections again and, if necessary, treat them with sealant.

Often there are situations when the car is very dirty as a result of driving through polluted areas, but there are no facilities nearby to wash it well. For example, you went to the forest for mushrooms or berries, to the lake. Running into a pond with a bucket to douse the car, simultaneously rubbing the dirt with an old rag, is not an option. For such purposes, you can make a small mini-sink from the simplest tools at hand. It will be very compact and will easily fit in the trunk of any car without eating up extra space.

To understand how to make such a device, watch this video:

Necessary materials for the manufacture of a mini-sink:
- foot pump;
- capacity;
- union;
- quick disconnect valve;
- lid;
- fungus from a tubeless wheel;
- hose;
- watering head;
- rubber gasket;
- glue;
- adapter sleeve;
- sealant.

To get started, we take a container prepared in advance. It can be an ordinary plastic canister with a volume of at least 10 liters. Ideally, you need to use a large capacity container made of thick plastic or metal.

A fungus from a tubeless wheel is built into the container lid, sealed with a rubber gasket on glue. The gasket can be omitted if the hole for the fungus is made very accurately, which allows it to hold tight and tight.

A hole is made at the bottom of the container, into which a fitting is attached using an adapter sleeve and silicone sealant.

The watering head is equipped with a quick-release valve that allows you to connect a hose. Also, such a valve connects the hose to the tank.

It is best to use a watering head equipped with five modes of operation: 3 rain and 2 simple jets. This will make its use more functional.

Principle of operation.
Using a foot pump, we pump air into the container so that the pressure is no more than 0.1-0.2 atmospheres, this will be more than enough. This creates excess pressure inside the plastic canister, the air presses on the water in the container. Now it will be enough to open the valve of the watering head for the water to flow out. Just do not overdo it with pressure so that your container does not burst.

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• Kinds
• Choice
• Mounting
• Finishing
• Repair
• Installation
• Device
• Cleaning

How to make a pressure washer

Over time, high-pressure washers, mainly used for cleaning cars, have become more widespread in domestic markets. Using a similar device, you can wash both the body part and the bottom and engine compartment. The undoubted advantage of this device is that a precisely directed jet is used to remove dirt from the surface of the car without the use of a powerful water pump. A very profitable idea is a do-it-yourself pressure washer, which allows you to significantly save money spent on periodic washing of the car. If we take into account domestic weather conditions, when at any time of the year there is dirt on the roads in any of the states of aggregation, then such a wash will pay off very quickly.

The easiest way to do your own washing is to use an air compressor.

Basic principles for creating a sink

The main functional element of the sink is a pump that meets a number of requirements. So, it should show high functional performance per unit of time and work in normal mode at a pressure of about 100-200 bar. Many electrically driven plunger pumps have these characteristics. When choosing a pump for your future sink, special attention should be paid to the material that has become the basis for its working part. The best option is if ceramic or durable metal is used for the pump pistons. The best option for the manufacture of the cylinder head is brass. Durable components are the key to a long service life.

The most profitable would be to purchase a pump with a working capacity of about fifteen liters per minute and a pressure of up to two hundred bar.

It turns out that such a pump in normal operation will operate at 80-90% of its maximum power.

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The choice of parts for washing

When choosing an electric motor, you should pay attention to models that have a power supply of about 220 or 308 volts. In the event that the pressure washer will be used at home, it is advisable to use a single-phase 220 volt connection, as it will not entail additional costs and meets all safety requirements. To ensure optimal starting of certain motors, it is desirable to use additional capacitor banks. So, the performance of the pump directly depends on the number of engine revolutions: the higher their frequency, the greater the performance.

But it should be borne in mind that working in this mode can negatively affect its resources. Do not give preference to too high-speed models. The maximum allowable rotational speed in this case is up to two thousand revolutions at a power of two or three kilowatts.

A high-pressure washer of a certain design makes it possible to provide the necessary pump performance when using a single-stage gearbox operating with a V-belt drive. Their gear ratio depends on the parameters of the pulleys (slave and driver). An equally important role in the activity of gearboxes is played by the characteristics of the distance between the axes of rotation.

A coupling is usually used to ensure the fixation of the pump and motor. The most suitable option is a soft coupling that can compensate for the minimum axial misalignment of the shafts and act as a safety element in case of a gearbox or pump jamming.

A very important structural element of any sink is a water storage tank. In order to ensure the maximum performance of the pump, it is necessary to use a certain volume of liquid. To do this, it is possible to use a special liquid tank capable of replenishing from the water supply network. Be sure to install a filter element at the outlet from the tank (it can be an ordinary small network), designed to clean the liquid from dirt particles and prevent blockages from entering the pump. To enhance the washing effect, a special or conventional detergent can be added to the liquid.

Do-it-yourself car wash should have a pump performance regulator in its design. Typically, this device is connected to an automatic unloader valve capable of redirecting the liquid back to the tank in an emergency so that no harmful load is placed on the pump.

In order to fix all the structural elements of the sink, a special frame is used. For its construction, you can use hollow curved pipes. To ensure the convenience of its use, you can fix a pair of small support wheels in its lower part and make an emphasis to give stability to the structure during use. One of the ends of the frame can be equipped with a special handle designed to transport the sink around the yard or garage.

The main structural element of a homemade sink is a water tank. In order to ensure maximum pump performance, a certain volume of liquid must be used.

One of the most important elements that make up a do-it-yourself sink is high pressure hoses. A standard not too thick reinforced rubber or plastic hose can act as a sleeve. It should be borne in mind that all structural connections of hoses must be made in compliance with the conditions of tightness, on the one hand, and not be afraid of corrosion and easy to disassemble, on the other. To equip the fasteners, you can use fittings or threaded bushings made of hard aluminum alloys or brass. For this purpose, it is possible to install bayonets.

When building a sink with your own hands, you must also pick up a gun equipped with a nozzle. Thanks to its shape, an imitation of the shape of the working jet is obtained. Actually, in appearance it resembles a pistol used at gas stations. In order to start the water supply from the nozzle, press the handle. This is a definite plus, as it allows you to save a large amount of water: the liquid is supplied only when it is needed, when you press the pistol grip. It is rather problematic to make a shut-off valve with your own hands; the simplest and most reliable option would be to purchase a ready-made tip.

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The high pressure pump from a car washer is perfect as a compressor for a car wash.

When performing high pressure, care must be taken to create grounding. For this purpose, a three-core flexible wire equipped with double insulation is often used, and a plug supplemented with a ground terminal. It should be borne in mind that the power outlet also needs reliable grounding using a circuit.

Periodically, it is necessary to inspect all connections and fasteners and tighten them if necessary. Regularly clean the filter element of the tank from accumulating debris.

It is undesirable to use a jet of water with high pressure too often - this causes an excessive load on the charge pump and damages the car's paintwork. It is recommended to apply pressure that can contactlessly remove the main layer of dirt on the surface to be treated, and already with the help of a brush to manually get rid of the remaining dirt.

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The principle of operation of a pressure washer

Thanks to the devices operating at high pressure in the range of 120-150 bar, dirt can be removed from almost any surface. It is worth being prepared for the fact that a small layer of plaque will still remain after such processing.

Any sink must have a device that regulates the nozzle. By adjusting the position of the nozzle, you can change the pressure or shape of the jet. The nozzle can be equipped with foam generators and additional mud cutters.

If you wish, you can design a sink with your own hands that can be fed not only directly from the water supply, but also from a special reservoir - for example, barrels of water. To improve the pressure in the sink, you can put the barrel on a slight elevation.

In case of a power outage or use of a sink away from outlets, you can equip the device not only with a water tank, but also with a powerful battery.

The undoubted advantage of sinks of this kind is the great water savings, in contrast to manual washing.

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Washing device

Inside the high-pressure washer, there should be an engine that provokes the rotation and opening of the remaining parts - the valve, washer or sprayer. The result of its work is the untwisting of the washer and the movement of water along the atomizer according to the forward-return trajectory, as a result of which water enters the atomizer valve. The result of the action of many mechanisms is the formation of a powerful pressure and water supply.

It is advisable to choose a housing for washing from impact-resistant plastic. The same requirements apply to the hose connected to the sprayer, as it will have to interact with a strong water pressure.

No matter how durable the sink materials are, it is highly recommended not to use it for more than two consecutive hours. Too long a cycle of operation can lead to rapid wear of the component parts and shorten the life of the device several times.

If you equip the sink with additional nozzles, it will be able to perform the functions of household appliances. When using additional nozzles, the sink can be used both for washing a car and for cleaning roofs, facades and floors.

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The main parts of a pressure washer

A do-it-yourself sink consists of the following elements:

• durable wear-resistant housing;
• engine running on gasoline or electricity;
• pump operating at high pressure;
• containers for water and detergents;
• additional nozzles;
• water filters;
• hoses.

The principle of operation of a homemade sink is extremely simple. From the water supply or a special container, after connection, water enters the sink container and is pumped using a pump. In the maximum load mode, the washer operates at a pressure of about 160 bar. For comparison, a stream of water from a conventional tap is supplied at a pressure of five bar.

The next step is to supply water through a hose to a gun with a nozzle. It is advisable to equip the gun with a special nozzle that allows you to change the nature of the water flow - from a concentrated jet to spray. The nature of the water supply should be determined based on how the surface will be cleaned. For example, to cover a large area (veranda area or car body), a fan jet would be the best option. In order to remove fragments of stubborn dirt, it is advisable to use a point version of the water supply.

The role of additions can be a nozzle with a rotary nozzle, a rotating brush and much more. The main advantage of using nozzles is non-contact cleaning of the surface, which significantly reduces the risk of damage to the paintwork of the car body or the decorative surface of the facade tile.

When choosing parts for washing, you should not chase after achieving maximum power. A sink used at home can function normally at an operating pressure of 100 bar. Moreover, for a person who has not previously encountered such a technique, it will be problematic to manage a high-pressure washer.

The cleanliness of the car must be monitored so that the accumulated dirt containing aggressive chemical compounds does not destroy the paintwork and metal parts of the car. In order not to waste time and money on visiting a car wash, you can design a pressure washer yourself.

1 How a pressure washer works - construction and other details

The advantage of high-pressure washing is that the car body, engine compartment and bottom can be washed from dirt with a directed water jet. Such devices are installed on professional car washes and cost a lot of money. Great alternative device Karcher can become a homemade sink. The principle of operation of a pressure washer is the same as that of a conventional car wash.

First, air is pumped into the tank in which the water is located using a pump or pump. This creates excess pressure in the water tank. Water is supplied to the outside through a rubberized hose when the trigger of the watering gun is pressed. The pump is needed to pump air into the tank. You can use a car or plunger pump. The convenience of the plunger is that it belongs to the hydraulic devices of the metered type. According to the selected proportions, the plunger unit mixes water and detergents, and then delivers the mixture under high pressure.

A homemade pressure washer has several advantages:

• the parts necessary for assembly can be purchased in stores or adapted from improvised materials;
• assembled quickly and easily;
• easy to use at home;
• it is possible to increase functionality by installing additional equipment;
• the main plus is low cost compared to professional counterparts.

2 Selection of electrical components - motor, pump and gearbox

The main element of the sink is the engine, which will supply a jet of water. You will need a powerful pump that could create pressure up to 150 atmospheres with a capacity of 15 liters per minute. In normal operation, it should use 80-90% of its rated power. It is desirable to select a pump with a power supply of 220 or 380 V. It can be made from an automobile compressor or a compressor from a refrigerator. It will cost less, but the performance will be lower.

When choosing a unit that supplies water, you need to pay attention to the materials from which it is made. It should have a high strength ceramic or metal piston. To make the design more durable, the head should be made of brass or bronze alloys. For a home-made sink, a low-power engine is suitable - 200-200 watts. It is better to choose a single-phase motor: it is safer to connect it, and it is more economical.

The design of the car wash can include a gearbox and a condenser. The capacitor bank increases the number of revolutions, which will increase performance. Installing a gearbox in the form of a belt drive with one stage will make it possible to balance the load and speed between the pump and the motor. To connect the motor and pump, you must purchase a coupling that will ensure the safety of these components. It is better to buy a soft coupling, with which it will be possible to compensate for small deviations between the shafts.

3 Additional materials for homemade washing

A necessary element is a container for holding water, which will be used for washing. It should be from 5 to 30 liters in volume so that you do not have to fill it often. As a container, you can use a plastic canister or bottle. It should be noted that there are no seams on its bottom. A fine mesh filter can be installed at the inlet or outlet of the tank, which will protect the pump from debris.

Hoses should be selected plastic or rubber with reinforcement, about 5 meters long and with an average diameter. Connections must be securely sealed. This is ensured with the help of clamps and sealant, which is applied at the joints. It is desirable that the design be collapsible and maintainable, so threaded connections should be used whenever possible.

Water is supplied through the gun by pressing the start key. When choosing a pistol, pay attention that the key works smoothly, without jerks. To facilitate the washing process and create a jet of water of a certain shape, you need to purchase various nozzles: rollers, brushes of different hardness, sprayers. All parts of the installation are mounted on a frame made of round and shaped pipes. Wheels can be attached to the down tubes for easy transport. You should also provide stops for fixing the installation and handles for moving.

If you need to wash the car at a low temperature, you can make a foam generator with your own hands. Using such a device, you can evenly apply fine-grained foam from the washing solution to the car, which allows you to qualitatively wash the surface from dust and adhering dirt.

To obtain foam, water mixed with detergents is sprayed with an air stream that passes through the installed channels, and then mixed with a foaming tablet in a special unit. The flow is regulated by means of special plates.

4 Features of manufacturing and operation - assembly in 4 steps

Having prepared all the necessary components of the mini-sink, we combine them into a single design:

1. First, we prepare a tank to connect the pump and fill in the washing liquid. In the lid of the prepared container, we make a hole for the nipple through which the pump will pump air and water with detergents will be poured. If there are gaps, they must be treated with sealant.
2. Next, at the bottom of the tank, we prepare a hole for connecting a watering hose with a gun. We fasten the coupling from the inside and perform a thorough sealing.
3. When the tank is ready, we fix the main installation to it with the help of soft connections. We seal all connections using a special sealant.
4. From below we carry out a watering hose with a gun and check the performance of the car wash.

For safety reasons, the system must be grounded. To check, turn on the installation in the mains. In this case, you need to ensure that water does not get on the wires. If the assembly is done correctly, then after pressing the trigger from the gun, a powerful jet of water will begin to beat. If there is no pressure, then the seal is broken, you need to check all connections.

In order for the installation to serve you for a long time, you need to follow a number of rules during its operation:

• Before each use of the car wash, check the tightness of the connections.
• You should not use very often a strong pressure of water, as this puts a large load on the pump and leads to rapid wear.
• For efficient operation of the mini-sink, it is desirable to use various nozzles.
• If filters are installed at the outlet of the tank, they must be cleaned of accumulated dirt and debris after using the unit.
• To protect against power surges, the installation should be equipped with a battery.

Attachment to the compressor allows you to wash parts under high pressure. Let's consider it in more detail. This washing gun consists of the main element - it is an air blow gun. Its cost was within 200 rubles. All plumbing fittings also cost 200 rubles. For clarity, the gun is divided into two parts: the plumbing part and the gun itself. We put aside the plumbing part of the car wash in order to take a closer look at the second node.

Gun car wash

Consider the gun itself. There is a euro-entry under the air. On the reverse side, a nozzle was screwed in, which blew air. After it was unscrewed, it became clear that the thread here is a dozen. The pitch of one turn is one.

Plumbing part

The plumbing part is a little more complicated. Used two Christmas trees. The first with an internal diameter of 1/2 inch. The second with the same parameters of the outer diameter. Nozzle with an internal diameter of about 6 millimeters.

The mechanism of the washing gun

Water enters through the quick-release and plastic tap. It rests against the tee and exits through the nozzle. It is advisable to use a longer nozzle. In this case, its length is 20 millimeters. It is desirable to make a length of 50 millimeters. You should not make it too narrow, as the throughput will be reduced.
The air that passes through the gun increases the force with which the water hits. The adjustment is done with a lever on the handle.

Advantages and disadvantages

The positive thing about this device is its low price. The total cost with all the details was 400 rubles. That is, within this amount, you can assemble your reliable gun for washing parts. The second positive point is the ease of manufacture. It is very easy to make it with your own hands.

There is another plus. If you have a compressor that is idle, you can make such a washing gun and wash various parts.
minuses. The first and most important disadvantage is that in addition to water, air is also supplied to the nozzle, which reduces its performance.
In standard devices, only high-pressure water is supplied in the nozzles. And here the air reduces the impact force and the effect is not the one we would like to have. The second minus is the compressor performance. It will be easier for professionals to buy a Karcher than to be smart with a compressor. Although the compressor is more versatile. It can be used as a purge from this attack to flush parts. Its other function is the spray gun. For beginners, an ordinary household compressor is more common, which have low performance. In connection with this, the power of the gun is reduced, since the household compressor has a low capacity, about 200 - 300 liters per minute. This power is not enough to fully work without interruptions. Therefore, this is also a significant drawback of a device that can be made by hand.

Here, at the beginning of the video, the master showed how he washes a mini tractor using his homemade device.