It has been well publicised that the dry winters have left reservoirs, aquifers and rivers below normal levels. This has caused several areas of the UK to introduce water restrictions. So far it has been mainly areas in southern and eastern England that have been affected, with water companies resorting to the introduction of hosepipe bans to combat the drought.

Using Your Pressure Washer During the Drought

Although these drought sanctions are necessary to protect water supplies, they can be a source of frustration if you were hoping to spruce up your outside space or wash the car. The hosepipe ban means that you won’t be able to do it the easy way using your pressure washer – unless you have a pond or Water Butt in your garden that is!

A Karcher Pressure Washer Doesn’t Need Mains Water

Unlike other brands of pressure washer, Karcher pressure washers can be operated using a pond or water butt as the water supply. This means that you can take advantage of all the water you’ve collected to tackle a dirty patio, clean up a tired deck or simply blast dirt and grime off the car.

Connecting Your Karcher to a Water Butt

Before you try to connect your Karcher pressure washer to a water butt there is one extra bit of kit you will need, the Karcher Suction Hose and Filter

How it works:

• Connect the suction hose to the machine’s water intake fitting.
• Immerse the other end of the hose in the water butt.
• Connect the high-pressure hose to the machine.
• Before switching on the machine, remove the spray lance from the trigger gun.
• Squeeze the trigger to open the gun and then switch on the machine. This allows any air that is in the machine to be expelled.
• The pressure washer then begins to pick up water from the water butt.

What If You Don’t Live in an Area With Water Restrictions?

The Environment Agency has warned that the drought could spread further and affect areas as far north as East Yorkshire and west towards the Hampshire-Wiltshire border, if the dry spell continues throughout the Spring – so if you have a water butt and a Karcher pressure washer it may well be worth acquiring a Karcher suction hose and filter kit just in case.

Tags: Karcher Pressure Washer, Pressure Washer Spare Parts