Pressure Actuated vs Flow Activated Unloaders
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Pressure Actuated vs Flow Activated Unloaders
You'll know if you have a Pressure Actuated unloader on your pressure washer as soon as you pull the trigger. You'll feel an abrupt pressure spike. Why? While in by-pass mode, the pressure actuated unloaders keep your high pressure line at or near full pressure and your hose rigid. As you might imagine, a pressure actuated unloader on your pressure washer will help you finish your jobs faster. On the other hand, with all that constant high pressure, the system wears out faster, so you'll need to replace the hose, swivel and O-ring more often. You won't get as big a kick out of a flow actuated unloader. This type of equipment for your power washer allows the pressure to build up over a few seconds, so there is less of a jolt when you pull the trigger. The line pressure on flow type unloaders drops to near zero when in by-pass mode leaving you with a more flexible hose. Even though he Flow type unloader is under less stress, relatively speaking, it tends to have a shorter life span than its Pressure Actuated cousin.
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