Why is our water pressure suddenly much lower, and how can we fix it - inexpensively?

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nanashutte

Our house is 6 1/2 years old, and we have lived here the whole 6 1/2 years. It used to be, up until about 2 months ago, that 2 or 3 of us could all take showers at the same time (in separate showers, of course!), and we would have plenty of water pressure to go around. But now, all of sudden, if someone is using the shower, or the washer or dishwasher are running, we can't even get enough water out of a sink to wash my face! School starts again soon, and we have 6 people to get through showers, etc every morning! Help!!

Answer
Your water could be very hard (high in calcium and magnesium) and it's created a concrete scale in your pipes. Go to Home Depot, buy some hardness test strips and see how hard you water is. If it's over 15 GPG (grains per gallon) or 256.5 ppm (parts per million/mg/L) you will have a scale problem. Either invest in a water softener or a anti-scale device.

Second problem may be your pressure regulator. (This is only for municipal water, not well water)

If well water find out your well pump capacity in GPM (gallons per minute) You may have to upgrade.

My guess though would be a scale problem. We see this all the time.

Get it treated ASAP, otherwise you will have to replace your entire household plumbing.

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Where can we rent a pressure washer?

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Q. To clean the siding on the house we're buying. Would Lowes or Home Depot carry them? I live in central Virginia.

Answer
I don't like to clean houses with a pressure washer.

You need a bucket and a car washing brush.
You want to screw that brush to an extension pole.
You need some dish soap and some laundry bleach like Clorox.
Half a cup to 2 gallons of water.
Wear old clothes.
Put some soap in your bleach water.
Wet the house with a regular low pressure garden hose.
Wash an area six or eight feet wide just like you are washing a truck or camper. Scrub it all good and rinse.
Move to the next section of wall.

Pressure washers are okay for decks and driveways.
They blow water behind the siding and cause rot and mold or mildew.
It is not a good thing.
Siding is designed to keep rain out of your house.
It is not designed for a pressure washer.

Scrub brush on a pole works a lot better.
Use the garden hose for rinsing the soap off.
You don't want pressure.
You don't want to get water in the attic either.

I have these little black specks on the one side of my house. I tried power washing it off but won't come off?

DONNA W

Someone told me it is either spider or flies poop.How do I get this off?

Answer
Did you use bleach in the power washer? It does sound like fly poop but it might also be mildew and you will have to spray it down with bleach and water mix (1/2 & 1/2) and then take a scrub brush, even if you have to get one on an extension pole to reach it, scrub , then pressure wash. I have no doubt this will work. I am a house painter for 15 years and have dealt with this prob b4 Good Luck, it is alot of hard work

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will a pressure washer go through concrete or wood (a 3800 psi 3.8 gpm)?

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joe

Answer
depends on the tip you use, and how close you hold it. Thats a pretty strong pressure washer. I would say if you use a 0 degree tip (red) and hold close to concrete it may scratch the surface but removed stains pretty good. wood on the other hand will be damaged unless you hold back away a bit and use a yellow tip or (40 degree plus tip). maybe turn down the idle or pressure for the wood and test out an area. you can strip paint with a pressure washer,

what to do with all my tool's, i have a lot of tools and want to make some money using them ?

Fox F

I had an obsession with tools growing up and now i have like 30 k in tools and want to use them to make money, but don't know how to get started this is what i have.

6000-psi pressure washer
3800-watt generator
Tree chipper
Table saw with dado
Miter saw
Router with almost every tip out there
Router table
1000 set ratchet set
Wire feed welder
mig welder
Setaline torch
Plasma cuter
Pipe benders
3 drills
Handsaws
Drill press
Spray guns
Almost every hand tool out there like wire cutters and drivers
19 high power cords
8 hooligan lights
3 led tripod lights
80 gal air compressor
30 set air compressor tool kit
40 set power tool set
All of these tools are in my garage and I donât get to use them as much
As I want to, and I donât make money from them I also know how to use all of them and they are not brands that are cheep I have craftsmen to Makita, snap on and dwelt I'm broke and want to make some money
But donât really know were to get started, I have worked in carpentry, construction and automobile fields if that helps on any thing. Can any one give me an idea?

Answer
It seems to me that you've spent a hell of a lot of money on this stuff. Presumably, it's taken at least a year or 2 to accumulate everything. So my guess is if you haven't had any "revelations" after all this time, your best bet would be to sell it to someone who can put it to good use and invest the money in the stock market. It'll be rebounding any day now and you' could make a fortune without leaving your computer desk.
If you're really determined to be self-employed and don't have a preference for what you do then choose something that requires the most expensive equipment, because you'll have less competition. The less competition you have, the easier it is to demand higher prices for what you do.Good luck.

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Can you use a pressure washer if you have low water pressure in your home?

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Lubyloo

I want to get a pressure washer to use in cleaning the front porch, driveway, and siding of my home, but my house has low water pressure. Would a pressure washer still work in this situation? I guess I don't know how a pressure washer works - I assume it's hooked up to a hose on the house??? Thanks.

Answer
It really depends on what you call low. If its too low the pressure washer will 'hunt' or surge up and down on the outlet pressure and will eventually damage the washer unit. Your guess is correct it is hooked up with a hose to the house and a very long hose of too small a size will have the same effect as low water pressure. Check with manufacturers instructions or seek advise from the supplier but I would hazard a guess you need about 18/22 psi minimum.

Why I have no pressure on my pressure washer?

Ken H

My pressure washer starts quickly, runs good, but my pressure stopped. Hoses not clogged, have water coming thru wand, but no pressure. How do I fix this?

Answer
If you've ever run the pump without water pressure being on it then you can suck the seals loose. Sometimes they will reseat, other times not.

When you last used it - if it was last year, before winter, and you didn't winterize it the seals may have dried out. Just about all hardware stores carry a seal conditioner for pressure pumps. It lubricates and conditions the seals while also removing water from the pump so if the weather freezes you don't crack the pump housing. I've bought many pressure washers that have experienced this problem. People in my area fail to winterize their pumps and end up with junk. They still have a good engine on them, but the pump must be replaced.

With your pump, check for leaks. If it's not leaking anywhere then that's a good sign. There is a pressure regulator on the outlet side that when there is sufficient pressure the high pressure water is diverted back to the inlet side. That's so the pump doesn't stall the engine or blow the hose.

CAUTION: IF YOU MESS WITH THAT SETTING YOU CAN DAMAGE THE PUMP OR EVEN DAMAGE YOURSELF. YES, YOU CAN GET HURT IF IT'S NOT DONE RIGHT. If you DO remove it, make sure you carefully count the number of turns to put it back exactly as it was before you took it off. There MIGHT be soap residue keeping the pump from building high pressure. The water can be going in circles.

There's a lot to pressure washers you wouldn't think of. These are just a few possibilities.

Best of luck with your project. AND BE CAREFUL.

'')

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What can I do to salvage a gas pressure washer that fell into my pool... running?

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Vdoman

Hello,
You probably won't believe this, but I was using my gas powered (Briggs & Straton) pressure washer to clean my pool deck this afternoon, and while my back was turned... the whole pressure washer fell into the pool! I quickly jumped in and fished it out of the pool, but it dove in running. Naturally it won't start when I pull the cord.

Any advice on what I can do to salvage this thing?

Answer
Both previous answers are good. You need to go through several steps to determine if you did any major damage to the internals as mentioned. Remove the spark plug, then pull the starter cord several times to get rid of most of the water in the cylinder. Once this is done, put your finger over the spark plug hole and pull the starter cord (you might need a second person). If you feel pressure on your finger, the piston and valves are working normally.

If the engine passes the compression test, you need to remove the gas tank or completely drain it. If the unit has a bowl type carburetor, it also has to be drained. You also have to drain the oil. It wouldn't hurt to put alcohol into the gas tank but it isn't absolutely necessary.

Leave the spark plug out and let the unit dry in the sun for a day. Refill the oil, fill the gas take with fresh gasoline and change the air filter. Replace the spark plug and you are ready to go!

Why is my pressure washer cutting off?

Keith

I just bought a used Sears Craftsman 6.5 pressure washer and after 45 minutes of use it is losing power and acting like is wants to turn off. If I stop using the wand during this it stays on but when I continue it does the same thing?

Answer
Me too but a different brand. I blame it on the water supply (country) not keeping up with the pump in the sprayer. Also debris clogging the tip of the nozzle since the hose I connect it to has no filter or screen. Good luck. Its aggravating when you want to get a job done!

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Is a gas pressure washer more powerful than an electric one?

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vern532@sb

I am interested in purchasing the riight pressure washer and need to know if a gas one is more powerful then an electric one. I realize water pressure is a factor but is gas vs. electric a factor as well?

Answer
i don't get it , is There a washing machine that gets it's power from gas engine (Internal Combustion ) Engine ..... i didn't hear of this before.

would u post a link for that set u r talking about , thanks in advance

What's are the key things to know about pressure washers?

Kristen

If you wanted to run a cleaning business for cars, patios, boats, utility trailers etc? Would an electric pressure washer cut it, or would gas powered be best? Does the water temperature matter?

Answer
one key point applies to u.k. we call leisure vehicles that you tow behind your car - caravans. I think you call them fifth wheelers. you must not use a pressure washer on these as it washes out the mastic sealant, result- scrap vehicle. for an electric one you would also need a petrol (gas) run a a/c generator, as you would not always have access to electric and could hardly expect to use your customer's power. mostly you would only need cold water, you get special soap suds for low temp use

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Is a water/steam pressure washer better than a regular pressure washer?

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dogg

I recently started to wash trailers for truckers and i been using a regular pressure washer but its really difficult to take away the dirt from the trailer, is a water/steam pressure better than a regular pressure washer? would it help me remove the dirt faster? thank you

Answer
A steam cleaner is great for grease removal and will also take the paint off the trailer bodies. Most truckers will have a problem with that. If your having a problem with your regular pressure washer, try using a different detergent or a long handled, soft bristle brush. Do a good job and they'll keep coming back and recommend you. Do shoddy work and you won't work very long.

How do you clean a metal roof?

kmisa

I have an industrial size pressure washer (the kind that has to be hauled on a trailer). We have only had the metal roof for about 1 1/2 year and I am afraid of damaging it with the pressure washer. What chemicals should I use and is there anything natural that can be used?

Answer
Hire a professional to avoid chemical and water damage to your home. The money spent for a professional will outweigh what you could end up with in repairs!

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Starting a landscaping Buisness?which John Deere mower?

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Nick

Hi,
Ok I'm 16 and loving small Buisness and am the small entrepreneur. Got ebay Buisness and wanna do this now.

Let's cut to the chase! We moved to an area that has 1-3 acer lots. I wanna start a small landscaping/mowing Buisness. I just spent $400 on a Troy bilt 3000 psi pressure washer because I clean houses and concrete/deck floors and patios. Now am doing landscaping.

1) which mower should I get. The John Deere D130 or D140. I would get a leaf bagger and cart to pull. Or should I get the cheapest zero turn that goes 9mp which makes up for the 42" cutting deck. A few trees here and there from property but mainly flat and some declined tht arendt horrible like maybes 10 - 20 degrees. Dot wanna spend a ton of money but something that my 55 yr old dad can use when I go to college for our property.

2) the d130-d140 are $1,700 - $2,000. They only go 5.5 mp but hve a 48" cutting deck. Do u think I should go for zero turn or tractor. Would get bagger for leaves for the zero turn or tractor. The ztr don't have headlights? Am I correct? What do you guys think I should get. I also wanna get a jet ski and money for my Chevy avalanche . So for everything I want we are talking around $20,000.

Truck is a Chevy avalanche $15,000 used and tractor and trailer is around $5000 in total right??.

3) should I get open or closed trailer.

- I am very clean with all my stuff for example I wash my dads and mom cars 2 times a month and my bike 1 a week. And take good care so for mower I would wash after every day or once a week. What do you think?

- but really I would like a trailer to protect my gear away front he elements like snow rain hail, and protect it so it can't get stolen.BUTTTT NOTTT SOMETHING THAT IS TOO LONG CUZ IM A NEW DRIVER ONT HE ROAD AND AM VERY CAREFUL AND WANT NOT DENTS OR SCEATES AND RESPECT ALL LAWS SO IM NOT A STUPID TEEN TYPICAL DRIVER. But what you think open or closed? And prices for stuff too would be great. Thanks

Answer
Get the zero turn. The Deere has problems going up the ramp and can tip backwards. Goes much faster and is made for commercial use. It's easier to maintain. I just saw a used one for $1,700.
Get an enclosed trailer. Place giant signs with phone numbers on both sides and the back. Get the metal round lock enclosure to keep anyone from cutting the lock and stealing your equipment.

For twenty grand you can get a very nice used truck and enclosed trailer. Get the truck from a dealer, for the warranty.

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Water Hose to pressure washer quick attachment?

pressure washer mi-t-m image

Richard

I'm looking for the quick attachment that goes from the pressure washer to the water hose. My Pressure washer is the (Briggs & Stratton "chore master" > Model CV-2100-OMBC). I'm not sure if I'm looking at the wrong parts or what but everything I find doesn't work for my hose. Please help.

Answer
Although the engine is a Briggs & Stratton the pressure washer was manufactured by a different company. We would recommend contacting the manufacturer of the pressure washer; Mi-T-M. They will have the information on what size fitting the pressure hose is.

Best Pressure Washer Setup for Less Than $300?

I'm looking for a pressure washer that I can use for cement driveways, decks, etc. I also am looking to get a flat surface cleaner. I have tried looking on the Costco since I heard they sold some website but I couldn't find them. I also don't want a junk piece of plastic. Thanks for the help.

Answer
You won't find a commercial grade pressure washer for less then $900. Anything with a pump that mounts underneath the motor is considered a home owner use pressure washer and won't hold up to consistent use. Plus when they do breakdown, they are more expensive to fix than what you paid for them.

Grainger sells Mi-T-M, which is a quality pressure washer. Home Depot's sells a high end Dewalt pressure washer with a Cat Pump.

Do research and talk to your local pressure washer distributor to make sure you get a quality machine.

Ben
Great Lakes Cleaning Systems

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Using a power washer to unclog a roof drain?

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sean94110

We got our first storm of the season and I noticed today that the roof drain is slow draining/clogged. It's a flat roof that slopes into a 3" cast iron drain pipe. I put a snake down and it stops about 6 feet down where the pipe has a slight bend (maybe 60 degrees).

The pipe has a cleanout further down in the garage but these pipes are probably as old as the house (1926)and I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to get them off without hurting myself in the process.

So my question is - would it be wrong to try blasting water from my 1500psi power washer down the drain to see if I could clear the blockage? Any other ideas?

Answer
A sewer jetter is a machine designed to clean out pipes and lines, and it is really just a pressure washer with a pulsing valve and special hose/nozzles. You can even buy a jetter valve for your pressure washer to turn it into a sewer jetter. I will include a link in my sources to an article on hose size vs. pipe size. I also explained sewer jetter's in a recent Yahoo Answers question, so I'll link it as well. Bottom line, it is worth a shot, and if it doesn't work, you may be able to clear it out by getting some sewer jetter hose and nozzles that are designed for this kind of think.

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How do you clean mildew and mold off of cement? It's on a cement retaining wall outside.?

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Joe

Part of the wall is in the shade all day and it has turned green and black from not getting thoroughly dried out all day. I tried a pressure washer with detergent, but it is still green and shades of brown.

Answer
I've just cleaned a wall using brick acid (From the builder centre) and a pressure washer.

Looks as good as new now, it removed all of the paint, slime and grime that has built up over 20 years

How do I fix the hose tail on a Craftsman Pressure washer?

Mike R

I have a Craftsman 2550 PSI pressure washer. I need to replace the "hose tail kit". This is the part that you attach the suction hose to for the detergent. My problem is upon receiving the replacement part I have found that I don't know what order to assemble the parts. There is a new "valve" but it came with a small spring, metal ball, and a washer. Does anyone know in what order these parts go?

Answer
You should be able to download a diagram from craftsman.com and see for sure how to assemble.

If I have to guess it sounds like you should the valve should go on the outside followed by the washer, ball, and spring. It is essentially creating a check valve inline so that it can only suck up the detergent and it won't put water back into that bucket.

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Is it okay to use bleach in a pressure washer?

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mmiller751

I'm going to pressure wash my house before painting it. Someone told me not to run bleach through my pressure washer. I'm thinking of using a deck sprayer to spray on the bleach/water mixture to clean the exterior of the house if it's not a good idea to run the bleach through the pressure washer. What say you?

Answer
I am a 37 year experienced painter and pressure wash every exterior I do.. I also repair airless sprayers,pressure washers,compressors etcetera...A pressure washer has a solvent tube on it for mixing/applying your cleaning agents or they simply have the black tip to attach that is a solvent tip..or the cheaper ones have a twisting adjusting nozzle on them that when in the fullest open mode applies the solvents...I have ALWAYS used bleach in my pressure washers for over 25 years and it does no harm at all..if the washer has the soolvent tube on it simply put it in the bottle of bleach and when you attach the black tip on the wand it will dispense it accordingly...when you change the tip after bleaching to a washing tip..it will stop dispensing it..I actually use the 12%m chlorine I buy from a swimming pool place in mine and not the 5% in common stores...This is over twice the strength of common bleach, and it has not harmed a pressure washer as of yet...The important part is flushing the washer out and dispensing tube of the bleach after using..IT WILL NOT HARM THE PRESSURE WASHER...

What can I do with my pressure washer?

souldoubt

I rented a 4000 psi pressure washer to strip all of the old peeling paint on my deck. Is this too much pressure to clean my aluminum siding as well? I'd assume windows will be out of the question?
Also, does anyone have any good tips since it came with no manual?
I have enough common sense not to spray anybody with it! :)
Thanks for your help!!

Answer
Pressure washers usually have like 3-4 different heads with different spray patterns. if you do not have different heads just change your distance to the object to change the pressure hitting the object. Windows are ok but might leak a little while doing it, siding is ok, make shure when you do your deck you do not start to eat into the wood

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new paint job on my car ,what soap i wash it with???

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xoxlilhots

Answer
if it's less than 2 weeks old, try not to wash it. Give the paint plenty of time to cure. After that, use any kind of car wash detergent. Try to avoid a pressure washer for a month-again..the paint is fresh, and you don't want to blow the new paint onto the floor. A soft rag, and with no 'scrubber' on it...You can loosen up pretty much anything with a lot of good warm water and a rag, and some mild detergent. If you've got a lot of bugs- soak the bug goo for a little bit with a lot of water from a garden hose, and they'll come right off.

information on silkscreening?

C

I have a friend who owns a t shirt business and is interested in getting started with silkscreening. I went to school for graphics like 8 yrs ago and did some silkscreening but it was complicated. I was wondering if there is any equiptment out there for a small business that would be affordable and easy to do. Or is there any special paper you can buy for the printer to make a screen? We're only looking to do one color printing. Any info would be great! thanks

Answer
When I did screen printing, we didn't use paper stencils, instead it was a photo-sensitive emulsion. It's probably a little more expensive, but the results are drastically better. Unfortuantely, it also requires a sort-of dark room and a light table. What you have is an emulsion that is squeegeied onto the screen in a thin even layer (applied to both sides). It is light-sensitive, so as soon as it has been applied (it can be out in the light safely for 5-10 minutes while it is applied), let it dry (or blow dry) in a light-free room (about 45 mins to an hour air dried).

Design your print pattern any way you wish, but the final product needs to be black print on white paper or transparency. The black print should be the art you want printed, not the negative.

This is where the light tray comes in(i would suggest finding some professional consult on it's construction), probably the most expensive thing. Put your artwork down first, then the emulisfied screen over it (screen side down). Inside the frame, lay something down that will both cover the backside of the screen, and weigh it down (or both separately). expose it to the light for about 1/2 hour if the art is on paper, 15 mins if on transparency.

After that 1/2 hour is up, spray the screen with a garden hose or pressure washer (on LOW). The emulsion behind your black artwork should flush out, leaving you with a perfect stencil.

(to wash the screen completely, you'll need to buy emulsion remover as well, and will most likely need to be scrubbed out, and pressure washed).

Pro printers use these kinds of screens over paper stencils. Also, if you're printing t-shirts, or other washables, make sure you specifically buy inks made for cloth.


so yeah, costs besides paper and tshirts will be:

Screens (10 to 60 dollars)
emulsion: about 18 dollars, good for 3 to 4 screens. only efffective a month after opening.
Emulsion remover: about 15
Scrubbers (the same ones you'd use for floor washing)

The Pressure washer, and accompanying facility (or maybe outdoors) for washing, as well as the light table, and making a room lightproof will be your biggest costs to start.

Hope this helps...

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How do I fix the hose tail on a Craftsman Pressure washer?

pressure washer valve image

Mike R

I have a Craftsman 2550 PSI pressure washer. I need to replace the "hose tail kit". This is the part that you attach the suction hose to for the detergent. My problem is upon receiving the replacement part I have found that I don't know what order to assemble the parts. There is a new "valve" but it came with a small spring, metal ball, and a washer. Does anyone know in what order these parts go?

Answer
You should be able to download a diagram from craftsman.com and see for sure how to assemble.

If I have to guess it sounds like you should the valve should go on the outside followed by the washer, ball, and spring. It is essentially creating a check valve inline so that it can only suck up the detergent and it won't put water back into that bucket.

Which pressure washer can receive hot water at 120 degrees?

d_awood

I just installed a new water heater and installed a spigot so that I could connect a pressure washer after it so I would have hot water that is soft to wash my car and for general use.

I don't want to have to purchase a pressure washer that heats the water. which pressure washers can receive hot water for the intake?

Answer
doesn't sound hot enough to be a problem for the washer if it has a brass pump, but that is hot enough to scald someone - a mixer valve were you could temper the water would be safer

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Can anyone suggest a brand for a good power washer. I was looking for 2600 to 3000 psi. (siding and concrete)?

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ivette s

I'm hoping for something in the $150 to $300 range

Answer
Karacher makes a wide variety of washers. I have one of the smaller electric power models. that I use for the patio, steps, and porch. It is easy to use, works well and is fairly cheap.

Most home improvement centers have them.

http://www.cpopressurewashers.com/categories/electric_pressure_washers/1400_1550_psi.html

There are others on the website.

how do build my own pressure washer with gas motor?

thecoorsgo

Answer
The dangers of making your own pressure washer could result in serious injury. You would need to create a sealed compression chamber for your air that would have to create 1400+ PSI and hold 1-5 gallons of air for personal use, and 20-50 gallons of air for commercial use. you would then need a water source, hose or tank. by the time you go through all of this trouble you will have spent more than you would to buy one.

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