How to go about sealing coolant leak from cooling lines on radiator?

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William

Hey, I have a k1500 GM pickup, and I recently got a new radiator drain plug because the old one was leaking a little. Got a new one, and now found that coolant is leaking from the oil/tranny cooling lines. Not oil, but coolant is leaking from behind them where the metal fittings meets the plastic. It's a plastic tank by the way.

I was thinking about stop-leak, but that would be a last resort for me. I heard that there are rubber gaskets on the inside of the tank that could be replaced, but i'm not sure.

I'd like to hold off on getting a new radiator, because this one is in pretty good shape(minus the leaks, lol), and I want to use this one until i get a new engine, then i'll get a new radiator for that. How should I go about doing this? Should I unscrew the metal fittings and buy new gaskets(if they even sell them)? Should I instead use RTV sealant? Or go with stop leak?

Answer
There are a few ways to fix this with the best being a new unit but out side of that as you stated you wish to avoid that right now I will list a few tricks I have used in just cases like this

1) Try tighting the fittings a little bit but be careful as they are in plastic!

2) wrap in Teflon tape at lest 3 to 4 wraps but no more then 6 as it may not fit back in with that many . Normally 3 to 4 will do it.

3 pull the lines( there your auto tranny cooling lines by the way) and use a tight fitting rubber washer on the out side next to the hole then wrap the threads with Teflon tape 3 to 4 times and tighten it up.

if none of this works buy a new radiator as using stop leak is never a good deal if it can be avoided at all as not only will it stop the leak (maybe) but because of how it works it can also plug or come close to it the small tubes in the radiator and or heater core besides coat the cooling passages in the motor lowering there efficiency. Now if you do replace the radiator do your self a big favor and do these things also

1) Flush the motor and heater core before you install the new radiator do this by removing the thermostat and then run a hose into the return radiator line from the motor tell you get clear water.

2) Replace thermostat with a new one

3) Replace all radiator hoses and heater hoses including any small by-pass hoses.

4) Replace the radiator cap with a new one that also is with in the OEM pressure rating.

Doing the above will stop any contamination from getting into the new radiator right off the bat. It will also stop you from blowing older hoses that may be weak from the possible higher pressure of the new radiator being it will not longer be leaking and can now build full pressure some thing it most likely has not done for some time. (Learned this one the hard way on the side of the road late at night as one hose after another blew!)

I have an sherwin williams power washer and I need to get a pressure release valve?

nickdillin

the model # is: SW3000011S and the S/N is 9301150. Its a really old power washer and ive tried to google the model # and i couldnt find anything. Any good websites you can find that has my part? And if you post an answer can you post the item number for that part.

Answer
You just need to get any similar release valve that has the same rating,maybe you might need a couple of fittings to adapt it.The rating should be stamped on it.

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I have a 55 gl. blue plastic drum that i want to use as a tank to supply my water to a electricpressure washer?

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Carlos

I have a blue plastic, 55 gallon, drum that I want to use to supply my electric pressure washer. I want to open a 3/4 hole and put a fitting where I'll be able to put a hose connecting it to the electric pressure washer thereby being able to use the pressure washer anywhere. What type of plastic glue or cement should I use?

Answer
Pressure washers are designed to receive input water at a pressure of 25 - 60 psi or more. They are not designed to "suck". Even with the drum full, the head will not create more than about 10 psi and as water is removed from the drum, pressure will drop to near 0 psi. My best estimate is that this arrangement will burn out your pressure washer very quickly.

But if you insist, many drums have one hole already threaded to take a 3/4" pipe fitting. Simply buy a threaded hose bib (faucet) and thread it in. If your drum is the kind with two larger lids, buy one or more reducing fittings in the plumbing department to sleeve the size down to a standard threaded hose-bib. As an alternative, bore a hole in one of the lids and install your hose-bib in the hole using a rubber washer on the outside with a stainless steel washer and nut on the inside.

Once you have your faucet installed, lay the drum on its side on a trailer or an improvised "stone boat" you can pull to your location. The faucet, of course, must be on the bottom.

If you're really willing to put your pressure washer at risk on this rig, you can reduce the risk by installing in the other lid a pipe nipple and tee. On one side of the tee install a snifter valve (like a tire valve) . On the other side of the tee, install a pressure guage. When you want to use the rig, fill the drum only 1/2 full of water and use an air compressor to jack the pressure in the drum up to about 80 psi. Then you can safely pressure wash 'til the pressure on the guage drops to about 25 psi.

If that doesn't give you enough wash time, plumb a second drum (or a pressure tank) in parallel with the water tank. Then you can fill your original drum with water and the second with air.

But wouldn't it be easier to just add an extra 50 feet or so of pressure line? Since you have an electric pressure pump you must be running power to it. Anything more than about 100 ft. of extension cord is likely to cause the pump motor to over heat.

Good luck,
Honey-Lee

Is there any way to fix a leak in a pressure washer hose?

George

I was using my pressure washer and managed to get the hose against the engine for about two seconds and it blew a hole in the hose. This is the second time this has happened. I really hate to buy another hose if there is a way this one can be fixed.

Does anyone know a way to fix this without replacing the hose?

Thanks,

Answer
Pressure Washers operate at HIGH PRESSURE and any leaks from the hose can therefore be DANGEROUS!!! A small hole in such, can act much like a scaple.

Depending on the pressure of the system it could even be LIFE THREATENINGLY DANGEROUS!!!

Have the hose repaired by an AUTHORIZED dealer for the specific brand of hose you have.
IF the hose can be repaired, they will be able to tell you how it can best be done to meet your needs.

The two possible options are a mender (a single fittings that permanently joins two hose ends, to achieve a single length of hose) and a new set of couplings (Mating couplings that effectively create TWO shorter lengths of hose).

*** No other forms of repair will be able to withstand the pressures involved. ***

If this is the SECOND time this has happened to you, it would seem prudent to place some sort of shield over the engine to keep the hose away from it without reducing the cooling effect of the exposure needed by the engine, or employ some sort of retaining device to keep the hose away from the engine.

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I have a 55 gl. blue plastic drum that i want to use as a tank to supply my water to a electricpressure washer?

pressure washer fittings image

Carlos

I have a blue plastic, 55 gallon, drum that I want to use to supply my electric pressure washer. I want to open a 3/4 hole and put a fitting where I'll be able to put a hose connecting it to the electric pressure washer thereby being able to use the pressure washer anywhere. What type of plastic glue or cement should I use?

Answer
Pressure washers are designed to receive input water at a pressure of 25 - 60 psi or more. They are not designed to "suck". Even with the drum full, the head will not create more than about 10 psi and as water is removed from the drum, pressure will drop to near 0 psi. My best estimate is that this arrangement will burn out your pressure washer very quickly.

But if you insist, many drums have one hole already threaded to take a 3/4" pipe fitting. Simply buy a threaded hose bib (faucet) and thread it in. If your drum is the kind with two larger lids, buy one or more reducing fittings in the plumbing department to sleeve the size down to a standard threaded hose-bib. As an alternative, bore a hole in one of the lids and install your hose-bib in the hole using a rubber washer on the outside with a stainless steel washer and nut on the inside.

Once you have your faucet installed, lay the drum on its side on a trailer or an improvised "stone boat" you can pull to your location. The faucet, of course, must be on the bottom.

If you're really willing to put your pressure washer at risk on this rig, you can reduce the risk by installing in the other lid a pipe nipple and tee. On one side of the tee install a snifter valve (like a tire valve) . On the other side of the tee, install a pressure guage. When you want to use the rig, fill the drum only 1/2 full of water and use an air compressor to jack the pressure in the drum up to about 80 psi. Then you can safely pressure wash 'til the pressure on the guage drops to about 25 psi.

If that doesn't give you enough wash time, plumb a second drum (or a pressure tank) in parallel with the water tank. Then you can fill your original drum with water and the second with air.

But wouldn't it be easier to just add an extra 50 feet or so of pressure line? Since you have an electric pressure pump you must be running power to it. Anything more than about 100 ft. of extension cord is likely to cause the pump motor to over heat.

Good luck,
Honey-Lee

Is there any way to fix a leak in a pressure washer hose?

George

I was using my pressure washer and managed to get the hose against the engine for about two seconds and it blew a hole in the hose. This is the second time this has happened. I really hate to buy another hose if there is a way this one can be fixed.

Does anyone know a way to fix this without replacing the hose?

Thanks,

Answer
Pressure Washers operate at HIGH PRESSURE and any leaks from the hose can therefore be DANGEROUS!!! A small hole in such, can act much like a scaple.

Depending on the pressure of the system it could even be LIFE THREATENINGLY DANGEROUS!!!

Have the hose repaired by an AUTHORIZED dealer for the specific brand of hose you have.
IF the hose can be repaired, they will be able to tell you how it can best be done to meet your needs.

The two possible options are a mender (a single fittings that permanently joins two hose ends, to achieve a single length of hose) and a new set of couplings (Mating couplings that effectively create TWO shorter lengths of hose).

*** No other forms of repair will be able to withstand the pressures involved. ***

If this is the SECOND time this has happened to you, it would seem prudent to place some sort of shield over the engine to keep the hose away from it without reducing the cooling effect of the exposure needed by the engine, or employ some sort of retaining device to keep the hose away from the engine.

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how do i increse water pressure in my home???

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wisconsinw

i recently bought a new hot water tank and every since then the water pressure has been extremly low?

Answer
Not to be wise, but nothing in a hot water heater should cause a drastic reduction in water pressure. There are only three things I can think of that would cause this:

1. a hand valve either got left partially closed or is restricted (cheap valves use rubber washers that sometime break and block flow through the valve.

2. Your installer accidentally left one of the plastic plugs in the tank fittings. It could explain the sudden loss. It would have melted when he sweat the pipes so it would pass some water but not full flow.

3. Your installer accidentally overheated the IN fitting causing the plastic dip tube to collapse thereby restricting flow.

Unfortunately, unless you discover a closed valve, I believe you are going to have to break the piping into and out of the water heater to find where you are losing you flow/pressure.

I have a Annovi Reverberi XTV 3G.16 pump on my pressure washer and i need a part that is broke?

Michael J

I have a Annovi Reverberi XTV 3G.16 pump that is on my pressure washer and i have a part that is broke on it and i am hoping to find some that sells parts for my pump

Answer
What part. Fittings and conectors are usually generic. Try Tractor Supply, Lowes Home depot or True value Hardware

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Why did my water pressure decrease when I changed out my hot water heater?

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nathan

I swapped out electric hot water heaters. They were the same size (50 gal) and I used all the same diameter fittings, but I feel that my hot water is not holding for as long and the hot water pressure in the shower is greatly reduced. It is not leaking, all valves are fully opened, and the thermostat is set to 120 just as it was on my old one. They were both GE energy star products. I cannot troubleshoot this one. Any suggestions?

Answer
A few questions - in rank order of likelihood:

a) Were the fittings you used threaded brass, sweat, shark or PEX? That is, I know the connections to the tank were threaded, but did you make any other changes?

b) Are your valves globe or ball type?

c) Did you turn off the Main at all?

d) Does your system have a PRV (pressure reducing valve) or backflow valve in it anywhere?

e) Are you on a pump or a municipal system?

A - if you made changes to any fittings, especially sweat-type, you may have used to much solder which has narrowed the diameter of the pipe somewhere. Or, you may have left some debris inside a pipe that is caught in a valve.

B - Older globe valves are notorious for 'throwing' their washer - the set-screw holding the washer corrodes and the washer floats free inside the valve. In that case, the washer will partially block the valve even when it appears open. I try to replace any critical globe valves with ball-valves (full-flow) whenever I am working on a system.

C - As above, with the added concern that main valves, especially globe-type , sometimes accumulate grit and corrosion products behind them which when disturbed can clog at the valve or further down the system.

D - PRV and Backflow devices are notorious for clogging even with little bits of debris in the system. Given how they operate, that is no surprise. Try to clear any that you have.

E - Some municipalities will lower pressure at times - that is a question for them.

In general, I hope you flushed the system for at least one full minute at full flow at a hose bib or a full-flow faucet such as laundry tub or a kitchen sink with the aerator removed, and preferably close to the work. So then, check your valves, clean the screens, and drain a gallon of water or so from the bottom of the water heater. If that does not do it, you may need to put a pressure gauge on your system and see where the big drop occurs when water is flowing. That will be the choke-point.

How to go about sealing coolant leak from cooling lines on radiator?

William

Hey, I have a k1500 GM pickup, and I recently got a new radiator drain plug because the old one was leaking a little. Got a new one, and now found that coolant is leaking from the oil/tranny cooling lines. Not oil, but coolant is leaking from behind them where the metal fittings meets the plastic. It's a plastic tank by the way.

I was thinking about stop-leak, but that would be a last resort for me. I heard that there are rubber gaskets on the inside of the tank that could be replaced, but i'm not sure.

I'd like to hold off on getting a new radiator, because this one is in pretty good shape(minus the leaks, lol), and I want to use this one until i get a new engine, then i'll get a new radiator for that. How should I go about doing this? Should I unscrew the metal fittings and buy new gaskets(if they even sell them)? Should I instead use RTV sealant? Or go with stop leak?

Answer
There are a few ways to fix this with the best being a new unit but out side of that as you stated you wish to avoid that right now I will list a few tricks I have used in just cases like this

1) Try tighting the fittings a little bit but be careful as they are in plastic!

2) wrap in Teflon tape at lest 3 to 4 wraps but no more then 6 as it may not fit back in with that many . Normally 3 to 4 will do it.

3 pull the lines( there your auto tranny cooling lines by the way) and use a tight fitting rubber washer on the out side next to the hole then wrap the threads with Teflon tape 3 to 4 times and tighten it up.

if none of this works buy a new radiator as using stop leak is never a good deal if it can be avoided at all as not only will it stop the leak (maybe) but because of how it works it can also plug or come close to it the small tubes in the radiator and or heater core besides coat the cooling passages in the motor lowering there efficiency. Now if you do replace the radiator do your self a big favor and do these things also

1) Flush the motor and heater core before you install the new radiator do this by removing the thermostat and then run a hose into the return radiator line from the motor tell you get clear water.

2) Replace thermostat with a new one

3) Replace all radiator hoses and heater hoses including any small by-pass hoses.

4) Replace the radiator cap with a new one that also is with in the OEM pressure rating.

Doing the above will stop any contamination from getting into the new radiator right off the bat. It will also stop you from blowing older hoses that may be weak from the possible higher pressure of the new radiator being it will not longer be leaking and can now build full pressure some thing it most likely has not done for some time. (Learned this one the hard way on the side of the road late at night as one hose after another blew!)

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