My New Giraffe Tools Pressure Washer Broke...And Then This Happened!

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[@giraffetools]

Thank you for sharing!! If you figure out the cause or procedure of the pressure washer failure afterwards, welcome you to share your experience in our community, and if the replacement machine has problems again, feel free to contact us!😊

[@corvetteposse7717]

Thanks for the support-it is greatly appreciated and love your products!

[@mrpsycho7708]

@@corvetteposse7717 MIne is doing the same thing ): ): ):

[@mikelemoine4267]

@@mrpsycho7708 They have a 2 year warranty, even it it's a bit over I'd reach out and ask to see if they can help. Based on my past experience in general with consumer electric pressure washers, most likely it's a pressure switch or the GFCI plug. The switches get gunked up (technical term lol) with calcium from the water, or just fail sometimes and stop sensing properly, so it doesn't know you're pressing the trigger. Warning symptoms sometimes include it cycling on/off a few times when you release the trigger as the switch starts to go, but sometimes they just stop working. Alternately, I assume it has a GFCI plug on it and those sometimes go bad as well. To test that, press the reset button on it and see if it clicks off. If it doesn't click off or click to reset, it's probably bad. If you are handy, take the GFCI box on the cord apart and check continuity with a meter, or check voltage at the pressure washer side of the GFCI unit. Only do this second test if you're sure it has no warranty (it won't once you take anything apart) and that you're comfortable working with live line voltage. Also, make sure it's plugged into a GFCI outlet that is tested and working before attempting (most outside/kitchen/bathroom/garages have GFCI, but older homes may not, and they do go bad sometimes). If it's just the GFCI unit on the cord, you can likely order a replacement from Amazon, ebay or an electronic parts house. I had a pressure washer that burst an internal water line that wasn't replaceable (weird proprietary fittings and a custom hose would cost more than the washer) so I tossed it, but cut off the GFCI cord and saved it. I ended up using it on my boat hoist when the one it had went bad, and it was identical. You might be able to find a cheap generic washer on Marketplace and just get it to steal the plug if that's all it is, they'll all be rated for the standard 120V and 15 amps (assuming you're in North America), so they will work fine. Good luck!

[@rudyteodosio]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/oparpmqeo9SLaKs

[@plmotorsports6076]

Literally just bought two of these and both are dead on arrival doing the same thing. GFCI plug lights up but won’t reset or test and when I turn the unit pump on nothing happens. Have one in my front garage for over a year and never an issue so not sure what’s going on but seems quality has gone downhill or they are using a different pump or plug now that has a very high failure rate You ever find out why you think this is happening?

[@mikelemoine4267]

GFCI plugs do fail, I saved one off a generic pressure washer that was leaking and ended up using it to fix a boat hoist that had one break. They were identical and interchanged easily. My guess is they are off-shelf items that multiple manufacturers buy for different products (all rated at the standard 110-120VAC 15 amps) and they got a bad batch. One review I saw showed that the Plus model pulled 16 amps peak when starting up with a smaller nozzle, so maybe they are overloading these a bit. Usually 1 amp over isn't enough to kill something like that, but then again they don't make em like they used to... Since they are new I'd just warranty them, but if they fail later just know the GFCI's are easily replaceable if it goes bad (buy a cheap generic washer or other outdoor electrical product just for the plug if you have to!). You could also technically bypass it if you are sure your plug is GFCI protected, but it's not advisable as if you forget and move it to another spot someday or loan just the unit to a friend, something bad could happen. It's just better to have double protection on something like this since you're getting wet while using it.

[@matthewowen5574]

Hi, this is exactly what happened with mine. It was working great and then it stops running after about 3 weeks of use. I don’t know how you have yours connected, but mine is connected to the cold water line of my water heater because that’s the only water source I have inside my garage. I don’t know if that has anything to do with why it’s losing pressure. It’s connected via pex piping and I also have it connected to the CR systems water deionizer. Any thoughts as to why I’m having the same issue for a 2nd time even after I was sent a replacement? Thanks!

[@corvetteposse7717]

My guess, and JUST a guess. I have the same deionizer and it dramatically reduces water pressure. And actually in my research I found where you can’t have the deionizer in front of a pressure washer. Wonder if there isn’t enough water pressure for the pressure washer? Again-just a guess!🤔

[@mikelemoine4267]

@@corvetteposse7717 If it's not flowing enough water it can overheat the pump and cause damage, or cause the pressure switch to fail. To solve the problem, you could add a small pressure tank between the ionizer and the washer. If you're not familiar with them, they are a metal or fiberlgass tank with an air bladder inside that compresses as the water pressure builds, and the small ones will hold a few gallons (they come in various sizes, even 60-80 gallons). These are designed for well pumps so the pump doesn't have to kick on every time you flush a toilet or get a drink of water. My house has two big tanks and if my well pump loses power I can still take a shower before it starts running low. In this application, it will just be to maintain pressure and flow to the pump at the rated flow rate (1.3 GPM on these, IIRC) for probably a minute or two of use at a time, and recharge in between blasts. You can use a pressure gauge in line before the washer to learn how much of a drop you're getting. Note, if you do go this route, I recommend putting another shut off valve between the tank and the washer as the bladder will maintain pressure to the hose when you shut off your current valves. If the washer springs a leak, it will dump however much water your tank holds into your garage. Not likely a big deal with that size tank, but can make a mess. Here is a link, be sure to get the required fittings, adapters to connect it in line. www.homedepot.com/p/Water-Worker-4-Gal-Pressurized-Well-Tank-HT4B/202846479. They also sell a 2.1 gallon version if space is a concern, but this 4 gallon one will give you more buffering and should not take up too much space. Hope this helps!

[@The72Z28]

Any other issues with it

[@corvetteposse7717]

It seems to be working great. When they sent the replacement they said it was an upgraded model. It is super convenient.

[@cboveda2963]

Only issue I have is the trolley is out of sync with the reel. No clue how to adjust it

[@dustinlastname1888]

Just installed mine. Worked for 5 seconds and dies

[@jessesauzameda6369]

I guess KZbinrs have special privileges, mine never worked from the beginning and customers service sucks, only by email and they take 3 days to answer back. I’m in my 3 week and still have I not heard nothing on what is going to happen on my pressure washer that has not worked. Someone has a away to get a hold of these people please let me know