Okay guys, so last Wednesday I looked at my filthy patio furniture and moldy driveway and just thought, "Enough is enough!" Buying a good pressure washer felt stupid expensive, so I figured hey, why not build one? Saw some build guides online and decided to jump in, camera ready for fails, of course.

The Big Parts Hunt

First stop was figuring out what the heck I actually needed. Trawled forums and watched a million videos. The core bits seemed obvious:

• A decent electric motor. Didn't wanna mess with gas fumes indoors. Found an old 2HP washing machine motor in my shed – score!
• A pump. This was the tricky bit. Got a cheap axial cam pump unit designed for pressure washers online. Figured I could make it work.
• A trigger gun, a wand, and nozzles. Snagged a kit meant for replacing bits on cheap washers.
• Hoses, fittings, random pipe bits. Planned to Frankenstein this together with PVC pipe and a bunch of brass connectors from the hardware store.

Turning the Motor into Something Usable

The washing machine motor was useless on its own. Needed a way to mount it securely and hook it up. Built a simple wooden frame with heavy brackets to hold it really tight, less vibration the better. Wired it into a regular plug socket with a proper heavy-duty cord and switch box for safety. Tested it… and it spun! Small win.

Getting the Pump to Play Nice

Now, the pump needed mounting and connecting to the motor. This is where the real headaches started. The motor shaft was slightly too big for the pump coupling. Spent half a day filing it down gently, checking every few minutes. Eventually, it fit. Used heavy-duty bolts through the pump base into the wooden frame. Lined it up dead straight with the motor shaft – super important so nothing wobbles itself to death.

Plumbing: The Leaky Nightmare

Time for pipes. Had this grand PVC plan. Cut pipes to length, glued joints… connected inlet hose from a big bucket of water. Turned it on. Sounded promising… then PSHHH. Water spraying everywhere! Leak city. Realized – wait, PVC? Big mistake. Water pressure is no joke. Swapped out the PVC for proper brass pipe connectors and fittings meant for pressure washers, way stronger. Lost a couple days but finally got no drips.

Connected the pump outlet to the high-pressure hose using a reinforced braided hose and brass quick-connects. Fed the inlet side with a standard garden hose. Tried the trigger gun for the outlet. Nothing crazy.

The Moment of Truth… And Initial Panic

Heart racing moment. Bucket of water hooked up. Inlet hose submerged. Plugged in the motor. Took a deep breath… flipped the switch. Motor whirred! Grabbed the trigger gun, pointed it safely into a big plastic trash can… pulled the trigger.

Holy smokes! A pathetic dribble came out. Seriously? All this work for a sad squirt? Panic set in. Thought maybe I broke the pump. Turns out, genius here forgot to prime the pump! Airlock. Disconnected the outlet hose at the pump, poured some water in to fill the pump chamber, reconnected. Tried again.

Victory Spray (Mostly!)

Flipped the switch again… BRRRRRRRRR. Pulled the trigger… WHOOOOSH! A massive, powerful jet of water shot out, slamming into the trash can so hard it almost knocked it over! YES! Felt like a mad scientist. Swapped nozzles, different spray patterns worked! Took it straight out to the patio, blasted years of grime off my old chairs in seconds.

Not perfect – it’s noisy, the wand gets hot after a few minutes, and it vibrates more than a fancy store-bought one. But it WORKS! Total cost was way less than buying new. So stoked it actually came together, leaks and airlocks and all. Thinking about adding wheels next. Grab a beer, enjoy the clean concrete!