Alright, let's talk about my little pressure washer water tank project. I've been meaning to do this for ages, and finally got around to it last weekend.

So, the deal is, I've got a decent pressure washer, but dragging the hose all over the yard to the spigot is a major pain. Plus, sometimes the water pressure from the tap isn't ideal. I figured, why not build a small water tank that I can fill up and then move around with the pressure washer? Makes sense, right?

First things first, sourcing the tank. I didn't want to spend a fortune, so I hit up my local hardware store. Ended up finding a heavy-duty plastic storage container – about 20 gallons, which I figured was plenty for what I needed. It was sturdy, rectangular, and had a lid that sealed reasonably well. Perfect.

Next up, the plumbing. I needed to get water out of the tank and into the pressure washer. Here's what I grabbed:

• A brass bulkhead fitting (to go through the side of the tank).
• A short length of PVC pipe.
• A female hose adapter (to connect the PVC to my pressure washer hose).
• Some Teflon tape (for sealing).
• A ball valve (to control the water flow).

The build itself was pretty straightforward. I marked where I wanted the bulkhead fitting to go on the tank (lower side, but not too low). Then, using a hole saw attachment on my drill, I carefully cut a hole just big enough for the fitting. Take your time with this! You don't want to crack the plastic.

I then installed the bulkhead fitting, making sure to use plenty of Teflon tape to create a watertight seal. I screwed the PVC pipe into the inside of the fitting and then attached the ball valve and hose adapter to the outside. Boom. Water outlet complete.

Now, for a little extra touch: I added a small float valve near the top of the tank. This is connected to a regular garden hose fitting. The idea is that I can leave the hose connected and the float valve will automatically shut off the water when the tank is full, preventing overflows. Found one cheap online, and it was easy enough to install with another bulkhead fitting.

Testing time! I filled the tank with water, hooked up the pressure washer, and… Success! No leaks from my fittings, and the pressure washer was sucking water from the tank like a champ. The ball valve allowed me to easily control the water flow, and the float valve worked perfectly, shutting off the water when the tank was full.

A couple of things I learned:

• Make sure you use good quality fittings. Cheap plastic ones will likely leak or break.
• Don't overtighten the fittings! You'll crack the plastic of the tank. Snug is good enough.
• Consider adding some wheels to the bottom of the tank. 20 gallons of water is heavy, and it can be a pain to move around. I'm planning on adding some casters next weekend.

All in all, I'm super happy with how this turned out. It's made pressure washing so much easier, and I didn't have to spend a ton of money. If you're looking for a simple DIY project to improve your pressure washing experience, I highly recommend giving this a try.

Now I can wash my truck in the back of the house, without dragging 100 feet of hose across the lawn! Next up, I might look into a small solar-powered pump to boost the water pressure even more... but that's a project for another day.