Alright, let's talk about getting water to a pressure washer when you don't have a convenient hose spigot nearby. I ran into this exact problem when I wanted to clean the back fence and the patio, which are miles away from any tap on my house.

Figuring it Out

First thing, I scratched my head a bit. Running a super long hose wasn't practical, it'd lose pressure and be a pain to roll up. So, I started thinking about bringing the water to the washer. The obvious answer? A tank. I looked around online, saw some fancy setups, but decided to keep it simple, at least to start.

Getting the Gear

I ended up getting a basic, fairly large plastic barrel. Think maybe 50 gallons? Big enough to get a decent amount of washing done, but not so huge I couldn't move it when empty. I made sure it had a spigot or an outlet near the bottom – that's pretty important. Then, I needed a hose to go from the tank to the pressure washer. Not a garden hose for the outlet of the washer, but a short, sturdy hose for the inlet. My pressure washer manual said it could draw water (siphon), which was good news. I also grabbed some basic plumbing fittings, the kind you screw together, to make sure the hose connected snugly to the tank's spigot and the washer's input.

Putting it Together

This part was a bit of trial and error.

• First, I filled the tank. I just used my regular garden hose for this, took a while but straightforward. Did this near the house tap before moving the tank.
• Then, I wheeled the tank (carefully, it's heavy when full!) closer to where I needed to wash.
• Next, I attached one end of the short inlet hose to the tank's spigot. Made sure it was tight so no air could get sucked in. Air bubbles are bad for the washer pump.
• I ran the other end of the hose to the pressure washer's water inlet. Again, screwed it on tight.
• Crucial step: I had to get the air out of the inlet hose before starting the washer. I opened the tank spigot and let water run through the hose until it came out the end that connects to the washer. Then I quickly connected it to the washer. Some people just connect everything and then run the washer without the engine on (or motor running) while squeezing the trigger until water flows smoothly, but I preferred bleeding the hose first.

The First Wash

Okay, moment of truth. I turned the tank spigot fully open. Double-checked the connections. Started the pressure washer. It took a few seconds, maybe sputtered a tiny bit, but then boom! Water started spraying out the wand just like normal. I was honestly pretty chuffed it worked first try. The pressure felt maybe slightly less than directly from the tap, but barely noticeable for cleaning grime off the fence. I spent a good hour washing, and the tank still had plenty of water left.

What I Learned Along The Way

It worked well, but I noticed a few things. Having the tank slightly elevated, maybe just putting it on a couple of solid blocks, seemed to help the water flow a bit more consistently, especially as the water level got lower. It puts less strain on the washer's pump to suck the water up. Also, making sure the water going into the tank is clean is important. You don't want debris getting sucked into the pump. I sometimes put a simple mesh filter over the hose end when filling the tank now. Moving a full tank isn't fun, so planning where you need to wash and filling it nearby is key. If you need to move it often, getting a tank on wheels or a trolley is definitely the way to go.

So yeah, that's my journey with using a water tank. It's totally doable if you don't have a tap handy. Just need a tank, a short inlet hose, the right connectors, and a bit of patience setting it up the first time. Made cleaning remote spots way easier for me.