April 19, 2023

DIY pressure washer repair

Your gas pressure washer gives you the power to blast away dirt, stains and grime from all kinds of surfaces. If your pressure washer isn't getting the job done—maybe the engine won't start or it's not spraying correctly—Sears Parts Direct has the troubleshooting advice to help you diagnose the problem. Check out the symptoms below, and once you figure out what's wrong, our step-by-step repair guides can show you how to replace the parts to get your gas pressure washer working again.

Find out how to prepare your pressure washer for storage, how to choose the correct spray nozzle and get answers to common questions on our articles and videos page. To find the owner’s manual or a complete list of replacement parts for your pressure washer, search for your model number.

Gas Pressure Washers

Symptoms for gas pressure washers

Choose a symptom to see related pressure washer repairs.

Things to do: tune up the engine, inject pump saver into the water pump when storing the pressure washer for the winter
Main causes: overfilling engine with oil, improper fuel/air mixture, choke system problems, dirty carburetor, engine needs tune up
Main causes: pump running for more than 5 minutes when the spray wand isn't being used, faulty pressure relief valve, bad unloader valve
Main causes: insufficient water supply, clogged water inlet screen, clogged pressure hose, faulty pump check valves, stuck unloader valve
Main causes: using a high-pressure spray tip when applying detergent, clogged siphon tube, chemical injection system failure
Main causes: damaged recoil starter, oil inside cylinder, locked up engine piston
Main causes: dirty air filter, stale fuel, clogged or dirty carburetor, bad unloader valve
Main causes: stale fuel, gummed up carburetor, engine needs tune up, throttle and choke controls need adjustment, bad recoil starter
Main causes: faulty unloader valve, bad pressure regulator
Main causes: broken recoil spring, damaged recoil starter

Repair guides for gas pressure washers

These step-by-step repair guides will help you safely fix what’s broken on your pressure washer.

How to install a pressure washer chemical injection kit

The chemical injection valve draws detergent into the pump. If it’s not drawing detergent, use a repair kit to replace the chemical injection valve.

Repair difficulty
Time required
 15 minutes or less
How to install a pressure washer O-ring kit

O-rings seal fittings on the pressure washer pump. Damaged seals allow water to leak from the pump. Follow these steps to replace the O-rings in a leaking pressure washer pump.

Repair difficulty
Time required
 45 minutes or less
How to replace a pressure washer pump

The pump can be damaged by air in the inlet water supply or by chemicals that remain in the pump body after using the chemical injection system. Follow these steps to replace a damaged pump.

Repair difficulty
Time required
 15 minutes or less
How to install a pressure washer check valve kit

Air in the inlet water supply can damage the check valves. If the pump won’t build up pressure due to damaged check valves, follow these steps to replace the check valves.

Repair difficulty
Time required
 120 minutes or less
How to replace a pressure washer unloader valve

The unloader valve recirculates water to protect the pump from damage. If the unloader valve is defective, replace it using the steps in this repair guide.

Repair difficulty
Time required
 15 minutes or less

Articles and videos for gas pressure washers

Use the advice and tips in these articles and videos to get the most out of your pressure washer.

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Getting the most from a pressure washer

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Choosing the correct spray tip for a pressure washer

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Pressure washer common questions

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See what you can learn from the questions that people most often ask our experts about their pressure washers.