A pressure washer is a handy device that allows you to easily wash your car and other household surfaces. due 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 in car washes and cost a lot of money. The Karcher pressure washer has deservedly gained popularity, but not everyone can buy it. Therefore, for home use, you can make a car wash yourself. - a great alternative to professional, which you can assemble yourself from improvised means.
To make a Karcher pressure washer, you need to find the right materials. You can use handy items or buy new ones in the store. So, to create a minisink you will need:
How the device works
Will work on the principle of conventional car washes. Water is supplied in it through a rubberized hose under high pressure. Air is pumped into a container with water by a car pump, which creates an excess pressure in the tank. Pressurized water is supplied outside and is supplied when the trigger of the spray gun is pulled. Thanks to the strong pressure of water, any surfaces can be cleaned with a car wash.
In this case, the pump is used exclusively to pump air into the tank. To replace the constant use of the pump, you can install a pump that allows you to manually raise the pressure. Plunger pumps are also an alternative to automobile pumps.
Plunger pumps are modern devices that belong to dosing type hydraulic devices. The plunger pump independently mixes water, detergents and delivers the mixture under high pressure in selected proportions. The disadvantage of installing such a pump is the excess final weight of the car wash.
How to assemble a car wash with your own hands
Initially, you need to prepare the water tank. To do this, using a sharp knife in the canister lid, it is necessary to cut a hole that will be narrower in diameter than the nipple. After that, a nipple is threaded through the inside of the cover.
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 the system for connecting the canister to the spray 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, apply sealant around the circumference. A union is also attached to the coupling.
After the sealant has dried, you can start preparing the sink for work. To do this, plugging the fitting with your finger, you need to pour water into the canister. You can also add any detergent to the tank (specialized detergents for cars or household chemicals). The nipple must be connected to a car pump and gradually inflate the canister with air. During this step, you need to ensure that the canister does not swell 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 should be attached.
Advice : You can check the correct assembly by pulling the trigger of the gun. If, as a result, the water supply with a strong pressure began from the gun, then the device is assembled correctly. If this does not happen, then the canister is leaking air and you need to check all the connections again and, if necessary, seal them with a sealant.
Car cleanliness is not only an aesthetic indicator, but also protects the product from negative environmental factors. After all, adhered and dried dirt can contain aggressive elements that damage the paintwork. Also, prolonged and regular contamination of the body can lead to irreversible damage to the metal, up to perforating corrosion on individual elements.
In this case, regular visits to the car wash or home water procedures save you. But in the second case, you need to buy a washing device or a car wash should be made with your own hands from available tools. Prices in stores generally start at 5,000 rubles. The upper threshold may not stop at 20 thousand. Therefore, we will do it ourselves.
Pump and electrical part
The main part of any water supply unit is a pump. For our product, it will need a powerful enough, capable of developing a pressure of at least 150 atmospheres. When choosing a ready-made pump, it is necessary to take into account the materials from which the working units are made.
Preference should be given to products with a high-strength metal or ceramic piston.
It is advisable to select the electric motor with a voltage of 220 V. Reliable start is provided by an additional capacitor unit. Higher rpm will provide more productivity.
You need to know that a pump that is too high-speed with a high speed can lose power at maximum operating speed and is subject to intense wear.
Consumers of 2-3 kW and rotation up to 2000 rpm are considered optimal.
Rotation transmission
A do-it-yourself high-pressure washer designed must have the necessary safety elements in the chain to preserve important components. This link is the coupling that connects the pump and the motor.
It is advisable to install a coupling that can compensate for small axial misalignments between the shafts.
It is also possible to install a belt drive with one stage. This gearbox balances the speed and load between the motor and the pump. The gear ratio is selected based on the required output parameters in terms of rotation frequency.
Tank and capacity regulator
The mini washer must be equipped with a sufficient water tank. A tank is suitable, which can be additionally powered from a constant source of water: a water tap, a deep-water well or a small water tower.
What to make a sink
It is advisable to install coarse and medium filters at the entrance to the tank. So, unnecessary debris will not get into the pump and will not interfere with the operation of the entire system.
Car shampoo or other approved car care products can be added to the main water tank. The process will be more efficient.
The capacity regulator is usually combined with an auto-unloading valve on the pump, which redirects the unused head back to the tank, reducing the load on the pump.
External elements
All units are mounted on a frame made of shaped or round bent pipes. Often a pair of wheels is attached to the lower pipes to help transport the unit. Also, stops for fixing and a handle are installed so that the entire structure can be moved.
The appearance of a do-it-yourself car wash
For the high pressure hose, you can use a plastic or rubberized reinforced hose. It is imperative to ensure the tightness of the joints using high-quality clamps or hydraulic sealing.
The structure must be collapsible and maintainable. Therefore, it is advisable to use threaded connections where possible.
Also, in places of contact with water (fittings, valves), low-corrosion alloys must be used: brass and bronze.
Car wash scheme
Direct water supply is carried out through a gun with a nozzle installed in it. It bears a visual resemblance to a pistol at a gas station. A jet of water is formed only after pressing the button. This method helps to save the prepared working fluid with consumable additives. The gun can simply be bought at any hardware store.
Do-it-yourself sink operation
Sink assembly parts
When operating, you must follow a few tips:
- periodically it is necessary to inspect the connecting nodes and tighten the threaded connections with a wrench;
- filters installed in the device need to be inspected before each connection so that the throughput does not decrease;
- the electrical part must be grounded to avoid accidents during operation, for this a cable with three copper conductors is used, and the plug must have a grounding terminal;
- during the washing process, it is not necessary to fix the jet at one point on the machine body for a long time, so as not to damage the paintwork with a strong pressure.
Foam generators for car wash
A device for high-quality contactless washing is called a foam generator. With its help, you can completely envelop the machine with small bubbles of washing suspension and carry out a high-quality cleaning of the surface from dust, dirt and adhering small particles.
Foaming process with a home foam generator
A DIY foam generator can be made even in the garage. You need to be patient and prepare all the nodes and elements.
The principle of operation of the foam generator
The device performs two main functions during the car wash process:
- formation of fine-cell foam from prepared reagents;
- uniform application of foam to the desired surface of the vehicle.
Homemade foam generator
To perform this process, a stream of water mixed with autocosmetics (shampoo or other specialized preparations) is sprayed with an air stream passing through the installed channels, and together they form a coarse foam.
The mixture is then passed through a foaming tablet block. Now this mass can be applied to the surface.
The flow control plates provide a fine spray jet to distribute the working foam to all the unevenness of the outer body.
The difference between homemade equipment and professional
The quality of professional cleaning with a foam generator can be higher than when using a device made by yourself. For this, there are several criteria that determine the final result.
The main parameter is the size of the formed foam. An important characteristic is the homogeneous structure and the minimum bubble diameter.
When using professional washes, specialized industrial shampoos are used.
Also, professional equipment allows you to pump significantly more fluid pressure than that which can be achieved in a garage. This reduces the consumption of cleaning materials.
But with all these factors, the result of self-cleaning is quite worthy, especially since the final price for one session speaks in favor of a home-made device.
Self-made foam generator
The manufacture of a foam generator will require the creators to stock up on a set of keys, a grinder, a pre-purchased repair kit with spare parts for a professional installation, consisting of a nozzle, a pistol, a compressor, and a flushing hose.
How a car wash works
In addition to the listed elements, it is necessary to take an inch pipe about 70 cm long. You will need to make a filter from it. To do this, fill the cavity with pieces of fishing line. It is advisable to use it of different diameters, so the foam will form more efficiently.
After packing, you will need to install metal filters on both sides to avoid pieces of fishing line getting into the container with shampoo.
The principle of operation of the foam generator
Further, threaded plugs are placed on both ends of the pipe. Now a T-shaped transition is screwed to one of the plugs. A compressor is screwed to such a transition, and a hose from a liquid reservoir is screwed onto the second thread. The free end of the line will be the foam outlet. A hose for spraying ready-made foam is attached to it through a fitting.
You need to know that the quality of the foam formed depends on the quality of the stuffing in the tube with the fishing line.
You can achieve the desired result by changing the packing in the tube with line. It is also allowed to empirically select the required length of such a pipe and the texture of the fishing line.
Today, you no longer need strength and time to deal with dried-on dirt and dust clogged up in secluded corners, because new models appear on the market every year. pressure washers... These devices are used to clean windows, cars, walls and doors of houses, barbecues and other items that are difficult to clean with a rag or brush. A strong pressure of water copes with this task much more efficiently and saves money spent on washing a car in a service, while water consumption is also minimal. Therefore, having such a sink in your arsenal is useful for everyone.
The leading companies in the production of pressure washers are the German firms Bosch, Karcher (hence the second name of the sink - Karcher) and Elitech. The average price of these sinks on the market starts at 10,000 rubles. Inexpensive car washes cannot be used on more than one car per day, and the most expensive models are limited to seven cars.
Washing device
The main component of the sink (or karcher) is the engine, which creates the necessary water pressure. A pump or motor will do (it is not necessary to buy a new one, take one that works from an old car), the motor is built into the sink body and must be connected to a power source. For the sink body (body), choose a durable material, thick plastic or metal. Even if you purchase a hard-wearing case, it is best not to use the sink for more than three hours in a row. This will disable the sink soon.
There are nozzles for hoses to facilitate the cleaning process - brushes of various hardness, soft rollers, standard sprayers. If you purchase a pair of attachments, you can expand the functions of your sink, using it as an automatic mop or a steam cleaner (you need to equip the sink with a heater).
Internal pressure
The higher the pressure inside the case, the stronger the stream of water from the hose, which means that dirt lags behind more easily. Set the pressure carefully, because water can simply break a fragile part of a car or glass, leave dents. Manufacturers set the pressure at 150-170 bar, but 100 bar is enough to clean the car.
If the contamination cannot be cleaned with a jet of water, purchase a special nozzle for a hose, a turbo cutter. It will help to wash tires, discs, remove dirt accumulated in the cracks. You can use a mini-sink both outside and inside the cabin. If you are using a turbo cutter, you will need 160 bar pressure.
Electric pump pump
Before purchasing and using a pump for designing a sink, read how to choose the right device.
The material of the pump determines the durability. An unsuccessful option is a plastic pump, this will soon fail if you use it for more than 20 minutes at a time. Expensive but reliable pumps are made of brass, as it does not corrode. These pumps are rarely found in commercial car washes.
How to use the mini sink
To wash worked properly, follow these guidelines.
- Be sure to check the functionality of the sink before using it, this will save your time and health.
- The filter installed in the car wash should be cleaned and replaced after each use.
- If the sink uses electricity in operation and the source is unstable, supply it with a battery.
- Do not let children use the sink.
- If repairs are needed, do not hesitate to carry them out. Replace faulty components of the sink.
- Update the gaskets of the device.
- Protect your sink from temperature extremes.
How to make a Karcher yourself
Although car washes have achieved widespread use, their cost is high. So, if you want to do the sink yourself, you will need:
- canister;
- irrigation hose with a gun;
- pump;
- fitting;
- canister cover;
- tubeless wheel fungus;
- rubber gasket;
- coupling.
These are the components of the future car wash. Materials that come in handyin the manufacturing process:
- drill;
- sealant.
First step. Selection of ingredients.
The required volume of the canister depends on you and the purposes for which you use the car wash: a five-liter canister is enough for a car. Drivers carry the car wash in their luggage, and therefore choose the body both in terms of volume and dimensions.
The irrigation hose must be strong and flexible and must not be twisted or broken. Nylon-braided hoses are considered to be durable. A hose consisting of several layers is more reliable. Don't skimp on this component. There is only one requirement for the gun: it must hold tightly to the hose.
The pump can be foot-operated or automatic. The high power of this pump will not be useful to us, so do not buy expensive. Using an automatic pump is much more convenient than using a foot pump, since you do not have to constantly drag the pump from place to place and do unnecessary foot work. However, the decisive role is played by the cost of the pump, the automatic one is three times more expensive.
Choose the fitting and the coupling at your discretion, the main thing is that they are in close contact with each other. It is preferable to purchase both the fitting and the coupling made of the same material (plastic or metal).
Second phase. Preparing the canister.
Drill a hole in the canister to fit your sleeve. Insert a coupling with a screwed union into this hole. Secure the structure with a sealant so that the coupling does not jump out during operation, and the required pressure remains in the canister.
Stage three. Cap collection.
The lid needs to be strong, solid and suitable for the canister. To prevent air from escaping from the canister, attach a rubber gasket to the bottom of the lid. Then punch a hole in it and insert the tubeless mushroom into it.
Stage four. Collection of construction. Additional functions.
Tighten the canister with the lid, connect the cord from the pump to the fungus, attach the free edge of the hose to the hole made in the canister using a fitting. The homemade sink is ready. The principle of operation of such a sink is simple: using a pump, air is pumped into the canister with water (while the canister is not filled with water to the brim). Build up the pressure to 0.3 bar or higher if your canister can withstand. Under the influence of pressure, the water jets out of the pistol in a stream when the handle is pressed.
If you will be using the sink during the cold season, equip your sink with a special burner to heat the water. For these purposes, you will need a more voluminous canister, it will lose mobility, but with the help of hot water, the car is cleared of strongly dried dirt.
Provide a power source for the sink. If the car wash runs on fuel (gasoline or diesel fuel), then there will be no problems with moving. When planning an electric car wash, take care of a working and affordable source of electricity. In this case, you are unlikely to be able to freely transport the sink from place to place, but you do not have to spend money on expensive fuel.
Decide in advance for what purpose you are using the sink. If you are cleaning the windows of a house or the wheels of a car, then a compact, mobile washer with wheels and a long hose will suit you. When using a sink on an industrial scale, its ability to move is not useful, so it is better to design a stationary sink. It connects directly to the water supply. If necessary, set up the automatic water supply in order to save.
If you can save on water consumption, then you can't buy washing components. To prevent the item from becoming dirty after washing, purchase special filters. You don't need an expensive filter that purifies water to a drinking state. A filter is needed to purify water at least from litter, which will disable the sink.
You can even make money on the construction of a pressure washer if you open a car wash. The main thing is that the sink you made works. Using the car wash, you can clean bicycles, mopeds, cars, trucks and their components.
How to make a cigarette lighter karcher
This sink design is cost-free. Here's how to create a more complex model:
Us you will need:
- windshield washer motor;
- irrigation hose with a gun;
- cigarette lighter (motor power supply), cigarette lighter plug;
- two hoses 3 meters long, one hose must fit freely into the other;
- corrugated hose with a diameter of 25-30 millimeters;
- switch;
- m8 bolt, washer and nut;
- two plastic canisters (volume 10 liters);
- 6 self-tapping screws;
- two-core electric wire 5-7 meters long;
- plastic sleeve;
- power cord;
- brush for washing the car.
Additional materials:
- sealant;
- drill.
First step. Hose creation.
We make a small hole in the bottom of one of the canisters. A thinner hose (up to 6 mm) and a two-wire wire are placed inside a thick hose (10 millimeters in diameter or larger). Then the hoses we fastened are inserted into the canister hole. A plastic sleeve is inserted into the free end of the hose. Further, a thin hose is attached to the washer motor, the wires are also attached to the motor.
Second phase. Creation of a double bottom canister.
The second canister is cut approximately in the middle to subsequently make a second bottom out of it with a shuttle. The motor is fixed on the second bottom of the canister; for this purpose, a homemade clamp is used, which can be made from the remains of a cut canister. For this we need an M8 bolt and some sealant.
The wires are also fixed with self-tapping screws and sealant. Then they connect, again using self-tapping screws, the body of the structure: a second bottom and a hinged cover.
Stage three. Completion.
Using a power cord, the wires are connected to the cigarette lighter. A hole for the button is made in the brush, the switch is fixed. The brush itself is pushed onto the edge of a hose with a plastic sleeve. Use the attached diagrams in your work to better understand the text.
DIY high pressure washer41 photos:
Washing the car with a rag and a bucket is fine, but it is a somewhat outdated method. Have you seen at least once that a car was cleaned in such an old-fashioned way at car washes? If so, don't go back there anymore. They obviously save on quality and neglect their employees. So, in this article we will talk about how to do a car wash with your own hands. The thing is very interesting and useful.
Features of high pressure car wash
We can say that such equipment is not a luxury. Today it is already a necessity. The fact is that this is the only way to qualitatively wash the engine compartment, the bottom and the body of the car. But most importantly, this requires little or no effort. All that is required of you is 20 minutes of attention.
The main components of a car wash
Although we will assemble the equipment ourselves, that is, in our workshop, we will need purchased parts, which, unfortunately, are often not possible to find in our garage. The first thing we need is a high performance pump. It must generate a pressure between 100 and 200 bar. Such equipment will be quite efficient and will be perfect for realizing our goals. At the stage of choosing a pump, you need to pay attention to what material it is made of. For example, the piston group is metal or a ceramic alloy, and the block heads are brass. Of course, you can go the alternative way and use a compressor instead of a high pressure pump. It will be cheaper, but the system will be less productive.
Motor selection
We cannot do without a good engine. It makes sense to dwell on a low-power single-phase motor. By the way, you can find it in your garage or remove it from an old washing machine or similar equipment. In general, a power of 200-300 watts is quite enough. A single-phase motor is an order of magnitude safer than a three-phase motor in terms of connection and somewhat more economical, so we will focus on it. But whether there will be a capacitor and a gearbox in your car wash is up to you. Such equipment can extend the life of the system, but will significantly complicate the design. In addition, these elements are not required at all, everything will work fine without them. In any case, a do-it-yourself car wash is not so difficult. Let's get to the practical part.
DIY high pressure car wash
Before proceeding directly to the assembly, you need to acquire additional elements. We need a coupling to connect the pump and the electric motor together. It is best to take a so-called soft coupling, which will compensate for the slight deviation of the shafts from alignment.
Another important element is a water tank. In this case, a plastic tank is the ideal solution. It is easier to carry than metal, and in terms of durability, it is not inferior to the latter. It must be connected to the water supply network so that there is always water in our tank. At the outlet from the tank, we install a fine mesh that acts as a filter. It will protect the pump from damage by foreign bodies. Well, now let's see how a do-it-yourself high-pressure car wash is going.
Assembling the structure
In general, there is nothing complicated here. By the way, it is advisable to install a performance regulator. This element is optional. The fact is that an automatic unloading valve is supplied with it, which in case of something relieves pressure and relieves the load from the pump. The regulator is needed in order to change the pressure in the system. Therefore, you can set it to maximum - and the jet will be very powerful - and to minimum - in a weak mode of operation.
A metal frame is used as a single base for all assembled parts and assemblies. An electric motor, a pump and a gun with a nozzle are fixed on it. All this is interconnected by means of high pressure hoses. Pay attention to the quality of the connections, as they will be subjected to serious stress during operation. After the structure is assembled, the mini car wash is ready to go. Check it out. If everything is in order, then you can use. In case of insufficient pressure, we check the tightness of the connections and the operation of the pump.
Homemade car wash and its features
We have already figured out that it will be much cheaper to buy all the parts and assemble them on our own and get ready-made equipment. But I would like to note that a homemade car wash has a number of features. Firstly, its repair is greatly simplified. In particular, we are talking about replacing failed units. Secondly, you can use any attachment. If you need to get a concentrated jet, one type will do, if a diffused one, another.
Many make mistakes at the stage of connecting the sink to the central water supply. The point is that the length of the hose should not exceed 7 meters. This will eliminate possible pressure surges. If you neglect this requirement, then nothing good will happen. In the case when a mini-car wash is powered by a tank, you need to carefully select its volume. It is advisable to take a container of at least 30 liters and equip it with a check valve so that during operation it is possible to build up pressure. If you frequently wash a heavily soiled car at low temperatures, you will need a homemade car wash foam generator. The price of purchased equipment is about 5-9 thousand rubles. Agree, the amount is rather big. It can be made from a conventional plastic sprayer, which is then connected to the sink.
To take into account
In general, we figured out how to make a car wash. There is nothing complicated, as you can see. But there are a few simple rules that will help extend the life of such equipment. It is periodically necessary to check the reliability of connections, including threaded ones. If they are loose, do not forget to tighten. Since the tank has a filter element in the form of a mesh, it will gradually clog. If it is not cleaned, it will eventually reduce the flow of water to the pump. Remember to periodically inspect the filter, replace or clean if necessary. Well, when assembling the structure, use the popular drawings of car washes, one of which you can find in this article. They will help you navigate what's what, and carry out the installation correctly.
Conclusion
Do-it-yourself car wash is not difficult. For much longer you can sit and think: "Shouldn't I make a sink myself?" If in the end we take it and start, then the assembly work will end in a few hours. In any case, it makes sense to remember that your car's paintwork is not permanent and must be carefully monitored. By the way, many car enthusiasts do not recommend using a car wash with a pump that generates a pressure of more than 200 bar. If such equipment is used at full capacity, then there is a possibility of damage to the paintwork of the car. And the load on the engine and working parts of the units increases significantly. Even if it becomes necessary to create a high head, use it in short-term modes. In principle, this is all there is to say about how to build a car wash.