Loss of pressure with my new pressure washer hose

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CaveRacing

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So get this - In this thread, we discussed a longer hose for the SunJoe SPX3000. I gave my opinion of a hose I recently bought, the Simpson 50' 5/16" (inside) diameter hose. It's a great hose. It doesn't kink, it isn't heavy, and it got great reviews. Some others here have even purchased it on my recommendation.

Well... when I first connected it to my Greenworks 1500psi PW, I noticed that the motor would run for just a second or two longer when the machine was powered on or when releasing the trigger. Also, when I pulled the trigger, it would take juuuust a second or so longer for the spray to flow. What was different? Before, whenever I released the trigger, the motor would immediately stop. When I pulled the trigger, it would immediately spray. Oh, the old hose was a 1/4" diameter 30' thermoplastic Briggs & Stratton branded hose. I don't much care for the thermoplastic. It is hard, gets brittle, yada yada yada. It was just like the cheap hose that comes with all of these machines, only longer. Hence, the new hose.

Ok, so my PW was having some funky issues anyway, so I didn't think much about these changes when I installed and used the new hose. Today, however, I decided to connect the old hose to see what would happen. Yep, it made it a difference. The reaction of the motor when I pull/release the trigger is much quicker AND the pressure was drastically improved! My little Greenworks machine is back to normal!

I know that the length of the hose can make a difference in pressure, but the difference in 30' and 50' is minimal when it comes to pressure loss. I mean, we're talking about a few PSI... nothing to really notice. The difference, however, is in the diameter of the hose. Apparently, going from 1/4" to 5/16" inside diameter DOES make significant difference in the performance of the pressure washer. BAH!!

I read some postings where people suggested upping the inside diameter if you're going to extend the length. So that's what I did with this Simpson hose. NOOOOO! And today, as I was reverting back to the old hose, it dawned on me that pressure increases as the diameter decreases. So what I effectively did with the new hose was decrease pressure by enlarging the inside diameter AND by lengthening the hose (albeit a negligible difference, I'm sure). :bash:

Since I like the material of the Simpson 5/16" hose, I found a 1/4" version at Lowes. At least, it looks and feels exactly the same, has the same "Morflex technology," but is branded BlueHawk. That's for Lowes. So I'll likely get this one. There aren't many 50' 1/4" QUALITY hoses to choose from, so this is probably the best bet.

So for anyone that is using a similar pressure washer (electric, cold water, 1500-2000psi), I'd suggest sticking with a 1/4" hose to maintain optimum performance.

Anyone need a virtually new Simpson 50' 5/16" diameter pressure washer hose? :cool:

Thanks for reading!
 
I was under the impression that 5/16" is too large for domestic electric washers.
 
Most, if not all electrics have 1/4" hoses. The most common size of pressure washer hose, as you shop for 50' hoses, is 3/8". Gas pressure washers pretty much all use 3/8".

5/16" is only a 16th of an inch larger than the standard hose. I would never expect it to make this much of a difference, but it did.

I've seen countless reviews of people using even 3/8" hoses with their electrics. I'd bet they're missing out on a lot of performance!
 
CaveRacing said:
Most, if not all electrics have 1/4" hoses. The most common size of pressure washer hose, as you shop for 50' hoses, is 3/8". Gas pressure washers pretty much all use 3/8".

5/16" is only a 16th of an inch larger than the standard hose. I would never expect it to make this much of a difference, but it did.

I've seen countless reviews of people using even 3/8" hoses with their electrics. I'd bet they're missing out on a lot of performance!
Click to expand...

1/16" doesn't sound like a lot but you've gotta remember when looking at a cross section of the hose that that extra 1/16" in the diameter changes the area from .049" to .077", an increase of 57%!
 
The 50ft 1/4" will still give you a little delay in starting/stopping. I bought the FileZilla 50x1/4 and it has that delay.
 
My guess is it has more to do with the material of the hose than the diameter.

The is no stretch in thermoplastic. There is some in a reinforced rubber hose. The pressure back feed to the pump that trips it off takes longer as it can still apply a bit of pressure to expand the hose until it resists sufficiently to kick off the pump. The lower the GPM and pressure leaving the main body of the unit, the longer the build up takes.

If you've ever replaced rubber brake line hoses with stainless steel braided ones on a car, it's the same concept. The rubber hose swells as you apply the brakes and eats up some of the applied foot pressure, brakes feel softer. Stainless Steel braided lines don't swell, all the foot pressure goes straight to the pedal, brakes are very firm.

Length of hose should have nothing to do with it (well, moving a larger mass of water takes more effort, but we're not talking that much here) . Diameter of the hose should be negligible in the sizes listed here as well. The point of greatest constriction is still at the tip of the nozzle, flow is controlled at that point. The connecting hose could be an inch in diameter and no more water would get thru than what the tip can allow. It would just take longer to initially bleed out the air to fill the hose with water.
 
Interesting observation. I am using Sunjoe 2030 w/ a 50' 3/8 gas pw hose and notice no delay in trigger reaction. I am sure i lost some PSI but it doesn't bother me because it's more than enough PSI to wash my cars.
 
I tested the 50ft hose and my pressure was 1100 psi while another user tested at 1200 psi. Given differences in gauges and elevation the 50ft makes no real pressure difference. (both sunjoe 3000)
 
aim4squirrels said:
My guess is it has more to do with the material of the hose than the diameter.

The is no stretch in thermoplastic. There is some in a reinforced rubber hose. The pressure back feed to the pump that trips it off takes longer as it can still apply a bit of pressure to expand the hose until it resists sufficiently to kick off the pump. The lower the GPM and pressure leaving the main body of the unit, the longer the build up takes.

If you've ever replaced rubber brake line hoses with stainless steel braided ones on a car, it's the same concept. The rubber hose swells as you apply the brakes and eats up some of the applied foot pressure, brakes feel softer. Stainless Steel braided lines don't swell, all the foot pressure goes straight to the pedal, brakes are very firm.

Length of hose should have nothing to do with it (well, moving a larger mass of water takes more effort, but we're not talking that much here) . Diameter of the hose should be negligible in the sizes listed here as well. The point of greatest constriction is still at the tip of the nozzle, flow is controlled at that point. The connecting hose could be an inch in diameter and no more water would get thru than what the tip can allow. It would just take longer to initially bleed out the air to fill the hose with water.
Click to expand...

Now this is interesting. I get what you're saying as I have replaced rubber brake lines with braided ss ones. You're right - you get a much firmer pedal.

Ok, so my plan now is to buy the 30' 1/4" diameter hose that is the same material as the Simpson 50' I was using. This will allow me to compare my old 30' 1/4" thermoplastic to the same specs in a different material. We will know if just the material makes a noticeable difference in the performance of the machine.

More to come!
 
CaveRacing said:
Now this is interesting. I get what you're saying as I have replaced rubber brake lines with braided ss ones. You're right - you get a much firmer pedal.

Ok, so my plan now is to buy the 30' 1/4" diameter hose that is the same material as the Simpson 50' I was using. This will allow me to compare my old 30' 1/4" thermoplastic to the same specs in a different material. We will know if just the material makes a noticeable difference in the performance of the machine.

More to come!
Click to expand...

Lee, what hoses are you looking to buy? I may join you in the purchase as I too have the Simpson 50' 5/16" with the sunjoe. I want to stay with the 50' length to stretch around the car without having to move the washer. Thanks.
 
Just out of curiosity, was there anything wrong with the machine other than the annoyance factor with the Simpson hose?
 
spewking said:
Lee, what hoses are you looking to buy? I may join you in the purchase as I too have the Simpson 50' 5/16" with the sunjoe. I want to stay with the 50' length to stretch around the car without having to move the washer. Thanks.
Click to expand...

I will say that if you didn't know any difference and your machine is working well with the hose, then I'd stick with it. I probably would never have known had I used this hose from the very start. After all, I would not have had anything to compare it to.

I will likely get a 30' 1/4" from Lowes. Blue Hawk 30" 1/4" diameter. It looks and feels exactly the same as the Simpson 50' that you and I have.

If I were to buy a 50' 1/4", I know this one is available, as mentioned by another poster in the other thread. It has been said that this is the same as the Flexzilla. Apache 50' 1/4" diameter Engineered Hybrid Polymer

I'm not sure I really need 50'. Also, I don't really like the bend restrictors on the Apache as they look cheap. The bend restrictors on the Simpson and Blue Hawk look much nicer.

aim4squirrels said:
Just out of curiosity, was there anything wrong with the machine other than the annoyance factor with the Simpson hose?
Click to expand...

Nope. It used to have a funky cycling issue with the motor, but that went away. That could've been a water pressure issue. I'm still using the Greenworks 1500psi unit I purchased from Lowes over 2 years ago.
 
Damn, I just bought a 5/16 hose from Amazon for $33 and was going to use it this weekend. Now time for me to return it.
 
CaveRacing said:
So get this - In this thread, we discussed a longer hose for the SunJoe SPX3000. I gave my opinion of a hose I recently bought, the Simpson 50' 5/16" (inside) diameter hose. It's a great hose. It doesn't kink, it isn't heavy, and it got great reviews. Some others here have even purchased it on my recommendation.

Well... when I first connected it to my Greenworks 1500psi PW, I noticed that the motor would run for just a second or two longer when the machine was powered on or when releasing the trigger. Also, when I pulled the trigger, it would take juuuust a second or so longer for the spray to flow. What was different? Before, whenever I released the trigger, the motor would immediately stop. When I pulled the trigger, it would immediately spray. Oh, the old hose was a 1/4" diameter 30' thermoplastic Briggs & Stratton branded hose. I don't much care for the thermoplastic. It is hard, gets brittle, yada yada yada. It was just like the cheap hose that comes with all of these machines, only longer. Hence, the new hose.

Ok, so my PW was having some funky issues anyway, so I didn't think much about these changes when I installed and used the new hose. Today, however, I decided to connect the old hose to see what would happen. Yep, it made it a difference. The reaction of the motor when I pull/release the trigger is much quicker AND the pressure was drastically improved! My little Greenworks machine is back to normal!

I know that the length of the hose can make a difference in pressure, but the difference in 30' and 50' is minimal when it comes to pressure loss. I mean, we're talking about a few PSI... nothing to really notice. The difference, however, is in the diameter of the hose. Apparently, going from 1/4" to 5/16" inside diameter DOES make significant difference in the performance of the pressure washer. BAH!!

I read some postings where people suggested upping the inside diameter if you're going to extend the length. So that's what I did with this Simpson hose. NOOOOO! And today, as I was reverting back to the old hose, it dawned on me that pressure increases as the diameter decreases. So what I effectively did with the new hose was decrease pressure by enlarging the inside diameter AND by lengthening the hose (albeit a negligible difference, I'm sure). :bash:

Since I like the material of the Simpson 5/16" hose, I found a 1/4" version at Lowes. At least, it looks and feels exactly the same, has the same "Morflex technology," but is branded BlueHawk. That's for Lowes. So I'll likely get this one. There aren't many 50' 1/4" QUALITY hoses to choose from, so this is probably the best bet.

So for anyone that is using a similar pressure washer (electric, cold water, 1500-2000psi), I'd suggest sticking with a 1/4" hose to maintain optimum performance.

Anyone need a virtually new Simpson 50' 5/16" diameter pressure washer hose? :cool:

Thanks for reading!
Click to expand...
I also noticed you said that you connected it to your Greenworks and you had issues. What about the Sun Joe?
 
iazybandit said:
I also noticed you said that you connected it to your Greenworks and you had issues. What about the Sun Joe?
Click to expand...

The SunJoe gave me issues, so I took it back. Even with using the proper metal adapter, it still leaked. I tried Teflon tape, pipe dope, and both together. Leaked. I didn't feel like messing with it. I never had to screw around with the Greenworks or the Ryobi, so back to the store it went.
 
So I got to use the Sun Joe...and I'm loving it! Washed 3 cars. I got a quick connect for the garden hose to the washer. At first, it was gushing like a mofo with the teflon. I guess because it wasn't fully on, water was coming out. Removed the teflon and tightened the quick connect and no more leaks.

I purchased the Apache 50' 1/4 diameter - http://amzn.to/1HVieWa

It was scheduled for Sunday delivery and was hoping it would arrive and on time. Just when I was about to hook up the SJ 20', mailman came through and delivered the new hose. Hooked it up and it worked without a problem. The Home Depot quick connects fit perfectly, no leaks and offered enough pressure to wash cars.
 
Awesome!!

I picked up a new Greenworks 1600psi for $70. I getting the 30' blue hawk 1/4" hose tomorrow.

1/4" is the way to go!

How do you like the Apache hose?
 
CaveRacing said:
Awesome!!

I picked up a new Greenworks 1600psi for $70. I getting the 30' blue hawk 1/4" hose tomorrow.

1/4" is the way to go!

How do you like the Apache hose?
Click to expand...
Not as thick as the one that came with the washer. But 50' is long enough for what I need to do...maybe a little too long.

What made you decide to go with blue hawk?

I may give the 30' blue hawk a try. They don't have at any of the local Lowes store so I have to get it shipped. If I end liking the blue hawk, I'll return the Amazon one. Gotta love free returns.
 
iazybandit said:
Not as thick as the one that came with the washer. But 50' is long enough for what I need to do...maybe a little too long.

What made you decide to go with blue hawk?

I may give the 30' blue hawk a try. They don't have at any of the local Lowes store so I have to get it shipped. If I end liking the blue hawk, I'll return the Amazon one. Gotta love free returns.
Click to expand...
Ended up ordering the 30' Blue Hawk for pick up at Lowes. They did have the 30' but picture are different, price and info is the same except for the PSI (2700 vs 3100)

This is the one listed with 1/4 - Shop Blue Hawk 1/4-in x 30-ft Pressure Washer Hose at Lowes.com

This is the one I ordered - Shop Blue Hawk 30-ft Pressure Washer Hose at Lowes.com
 
Oh wow. Frankly, I didn't even realize there were two different ones. My local Lowes had the 3100psi in stock. I bought online and just picked it up, actually.

I like the blue hawk because it looks and feels exactly like the Simpson, only with the proper specifications. While it is only 30', I really don't think I have a need for 50'. I'd be willing to bet it is made by Simpson (or by whoever makes the Simpson. It has a nice feel, is light, and also has quality bend restrictors. Overall, it should be quality hose.
 
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