If you are using your pressure washer by yourself and want to leave it running during cleaning time, an automatic shutdown is the best way to go. If you do not have one of these right now on your pressure washer and typically tend to leave your washer running, save yourself money in the long run and invest in one. It is not a good idea to let your pump run without pulling the trigger because water will stay inside the pump and cause pump cavitation.
There are several options for timers. You may decide to go with an auto shutdown, complete shutdown, or smart timer.
1. Auto Shutdown
A common timer used on stationary gas fired units with a remote shutoff is
the automatic shutdown. Beco Equipment uses the Omron timer. It can be activated by either a vacuum switch, pressure switch on the head of the pump, or a flow switch. When the switch is open, the timer will begin to count down. Time is usually set for 3 minutes. If the timer counts down completely before the switch closes, the machine will shut down and will not restart without opening the trigger gun. If the switch closes before the timer has counted down, this will reset the timer back to 3 minutes.