Karcher KB2020 not working properly?

If water is poring out of a joint this is why there is no pressure from the lance. as the pump needs to build up pressure, it will then switch off, press the trigger this will start the pump again. The leak is proberly a missing o ring on the pressure hose. The noise is called surging, because the machine ca'nt pressurize due to the leak.

Colin Whiteley uk
June 2012

Sounds sadly familiar. This is the second Karcher washer that went dead on me during normal operation. The first after a kink in the hose for a moment caused it to constantly reset, (grrr-unk noise), but never work again. This time, a K3.68M, and a slight tug on the hose end as I dragged it behind the washer unit to reposition it, caused a leak I would also describe as pouring. It's barely used and I'm hoping it's an O ring, but feel I'm wasting my time taking it apart any more than I already have.

My thought is that they are really made pretty crappy, as I saw a third some time ago out in someone's trash and salvaged the attachments. It's also notable, Lowe's home improvement no longer includes Karcher in their online catalog.

ATF
August 2011

ours was just the lance had broken nothing to do with machine

caron
February 2011

It will be the pump housing has cracked, or something else damaged with the pressure. I have a KB5050 bought second hand with a similar leak. I stripped it down and the pump housing had a crack. I coult not work out how it could break.
I spoke to Karcher and they said the most common damage is owner use. It is either frost, or, the most important thing with a pressure washer is to use a hose of at least 7.5 mtrs, and it MUST NOT have a "non return" connector on the hose. ( Most hozelocks have one at the "nozzle/appliance end")
The hose must work with no "nozzle" attached. This is because the pressure in the washer at times has to be able to release back into the hose. If it has a non return, the pressure builds up in the machine and cannot get out of the machine because the valve at the inlet blocks it, causing a crack in the casing or somewhere else.
I have purchased a new housing and am waiting to fit it. It cost £30.
Check you hose is long enough, and does not have a "non return" valve.

Dave
January 2011