What Finally Pushed Me to Deal with the Reservoir Thing

Alright, so yesterday I fired up my pressure washer to clean the deck. Started it, pulled the trigger... and barely anything came out, just some weak spurts. Worse, water was leaking from underneath the tank area. Total "ugh" moment. Figured it was time to actually look into that reservoir thing everyone says you gotta maintain.

Finding the Darn Reservoir Access

First thing was figuring out where the reservoir even was. Mine's got this plastic housing near the pump. Felt around, found a panel. Undid the two little screws holding it shut – almost dropped one in the grass, classic move. Pulled the panel off. There it was, a plastic tank, looking kinda grimy inside. Couldn't really see past the opening, but I could smell stale soap.

The Big Reveal (Spoiler: It Was Gross)

Reached my fingers in – felt a weird plastic piece inside, sorta flimsy. Tugged gently... and pulled out this baffle thing. Honestly didn't know that came out! And man, underneath it? Total mess. Found flakes of dried blue detergent, gritty sand bits probably from my water source, and just… gunky sludge. Looked like a mini science project gone wrong. No wonder stuff wasn't flowing right!

The Deep Clean

Grabbed my garden hose and shoved the nozzle right into the reservoir opening. Hit it full blast. Brownish gunk started flushing out the little overflow holes near the top. Kept hosing for a good 5 minutes, swirling the water around inside as best I could. Emptied it a few times by just tipping the whole machine. Finally, the water ran clear. Relief!

For extra peace of mind, I mixed some white vinegar with warm water in a bucket, maybe 50/50. Used a big sponge to wipe down all the surfaces I could reach inside the reservoir. Also soaked that baffle thing in the vinegar mix while I cleaned the opening. Seemed to cut through any leftover soap scum.

Putting Humpty Dumpty Back Together

Rinsed everything super well with plain hose water again. Double-checked the baffle was totally clean and rinsed. Gently pushed it back into place inside the reservoir – heard a little click as it settled. Made sure it was sitting flush. Then just screwed the access panel back on, finger-tight plus maybe a quarter turn with the screwdriver. Didn't wanna strip those cheap plastic threads!

The Moment of Truth & My Big Lesson

Fired up the washer. Let it run for a minute without pulling the trigger. NO LEAKS. Sweet victory! Pulled the trigger, and bam – full, strong stream, just like new. Should've done this ages ago. That little reservoir tank catches all the crud from the soap and water, and if you never clean it (like me for way too long), it plugs things up and causes leaks or weak spray. Took me maybe 20 minutes total, but saved what could've been an expensive repair down the road. Easy win. Seriously, don't ignore that reservoir!