Today, any car owner is puzzled by the question of its cleanliness. Moreover, we are talking not only about driving into a car wash and washing the car, but also about how to keep it clean on your own every day. In this case, you can count on a high pressure car wash, which will help you easily keep your car clean.
Principle of operation
If we talk about the principle of work, then any sink or mini-sink has two main elements around which the work is built - a pump and an electric motor. The power and performance of these components will determine the impact force of the water jet , which is used for hydrodynamic cleaning of various surfaces. Note that excessive load on the engine can cause the sink to fail or overheat. To prevent this, a forced-type cooling mechanism is usually installed.
As a rule, we are talking about a pair of fans. The first one blows the motor stator, and the second is mounted on the shaft and releases hot air from the housing. If the temperature rises above the critical mark, then the device is turned off due to the temperature sensor. A pump with a cylinder block and a group of pistons is also responsible for the force of the water jet.
That is, to put it simply, the liquid is transported with the help of tubes to the internal circuit, where, under the action of the pump, its speed and pressure increase. After that, the water leaves the device through a special valve, which is called a pistol because of its shape. The pressure in this type of sink is about 100 atmospheres, although everything will depend on the specific device.
Device
Now it will be superfluous to consider the washing device and understand what constituent elements it consists of. The design of any pressure washer will consist of 5 main and a lot of auxiliary elements. If we talk about the main ones, then we are talking about:
- motor;
- pump;
- pump;
- fuse;
- filters.
Now let's say a little more about them. The motor forms the basis of the entire structure. It is thanks to its presence that the pump operation can be achieved, which can be called stable. The electric option will be the most common, although stand-alone solutions exist. If we talk about autonomous options, then either diesel or gasoline will be fuel for them. If we talk about a pumping unit, then its main purpose will be to pump water from a special tank or a centralized network. If we are talking about a centralized version, then the sink must be equipped with special hoses.
The pump is directly responsible for the increase in pressure. Wear resistance is an important criterion for this part. It should be said here that this parameter will depend on the material from which it is made. Most often these days it is made of plastic. This option is not very high quality, since if you use the device for more than 20 minutes, then its failure is almost guaranteed. There are brass solutions that will be more reliable. It should be said that the models on the market, as a rule, are equipped with plastic options. For this reason, a self-made model can be significantly more reliable.
The motor fuse is responsible for monitoring the operation of the entire pump. As soon as the water level reaches a critical level, the rotation of the engine becomes impossible. This is usually the case when the liquid enters in, but does not come out due to the fact that the hose is blocked, and the sink of the type in question continues to work. The filter is the main protection element that protects the sink from mechanical problems due to the ingress of sand or other foreign particles of considerable size through the nozzle.
Selection of the required materials
Now you should start selecting the necessary materials to make the type of sink in question with your own hands. You will first need to select and purchase a number of parts. The purchase of the pump will take most of the cost for the purchase of the components. But this element can be called, perhaps, the most important in this device. The emphasis should be on models that have high performance. Specifically for pressure washers, the best solutions will be those that can develop pressure up to 110-190 bar. Durable solutions such as ceramic should be used to create pistons. For block heads - brass. And a large bearing area should fall on the special liners of the crank-connecting rod type.
The next point is the selection of an electric motor. It is better to take a single-phase option if the operation of the sink will be carried out in a domestic environment. Connecting to the mains will improve the efficiency of such equipment. You will also need to have on hand capacitors and a single-stage type gearbox. This is not to say that a homemade car wash cannot do without these components, but if you want to extend its service life, then these details will definitely not be superfluous.
You will also need an element such as a coupling. Its main purpose will be to connect the motor to the pump. It should be soft because it should compensate for various kinds of discrepancies. In addition, it can be used instead of a fuse, if suddenly there are any problems with the gearbox or pumping equipment. Another necessary element, without which neither a sink, which is made of a compressor, nor a solution from a high-pressure fuel pump, is a water tank. A certain water volume will ensure the operation of the pumping equipment in a uniform mode.
The capacity can be represented by a tank or a canister, which in this case will not be so important. The main thing is that it is connected to the water supply network. In addition, it must be equipped with a strainer, which must provide purification of the water that enters the tank. In addition, if you add some detergent active substances to the tank, this will significantly increase the efficiency of the equipment.
Another rather important detail is the regulator, the main function of which is to regulate the performance of pumping equipment. Often, such a part is equipped with an automatic unloading valve that directs water along the return path when some unfavorable factors arise during the operation of the pump. In addition, we need a base for the pressure washer. You can use a regular frame or a plastic bucket for this purpose. A gun with a nozzle, which will be fixed on the hose, as well as sleeves that are designed to work with high pressure, will not be superfluous.
You will also need to have some tools on hand:
- pliers;
- screwdriver;
- soldering iron;
- drill with a cone-type drill;
- office knife.
Procedure
Now let's proceed directly to the assembly of the type of sink in question. First, it will not be superfluous to check the performance of the pumping equipment. To do this, we attach two hoses to it. The first will serve to obtain water, and the second will supply it to the gun. We unscrew the special clamp, then put it on the hose. After that, screw everything up and check the tightness of the connections. We take a blow gun, which is also connected with a hose to the structure and secured with a clamp.
It often happens that the blow gun has nozzles in the kit that are a little unsuitable for connecting to a structure. To solve this problem, you can unscrew the nozzle and screw in the carburetor jet, which will fit perfectly in the thread. Many people use a jet from a carburetor from a Zhiguli car. This solution is necessary to reduce the hole in the gun, which allows you to create a more powerful compact jet.
Now we should deal with the electrical part. First, connect the activation / deactivation toggle switch to the wire. This solution can be purchased at any store that sells electrical parts. If suddenly, for some reason, you want to make such a device mobile, then we take a screwdriver battery and solder the wiring to it along with the contacts so that the solder does not interfere with the charging connection in any way, and the battery can be recharged if desired. Now we fix the wires with electrical tape. Now we attach the wires themselves to the pump. At the same time, we connect the circuit using contacts.
If you want, you can also make an extension cord with wires of various lengths. Such a device will not be superfluous if you want to use the car wash by connecting it to the car battery. Now the assembly of the device parts starts in a housing made of a plastic bucket. To do this, we punch 4 holes in its wall using the drill mentioned above. We attach the pump to the side of the bucket and tighten it with 4 screws and nuts.
At the bottom of the bucket, you can make a mount to secure the screwdriver battery. We also make a mount for the extension cord. It will be located under the cover. Now we drill a few more holes in the container for the gasket and for connecting the hoses. Everything can be neatly placed in this plastic bucket. True, the container will need to be worn separately, but you can somehow come to terms with this drawback.
In general, it should be said that there is nothing difficult in assembling a mini-sink with your own hands from improvised items. The main thing that is required is the necessary components, basic technical knowledge in the field of electronics, the specified tools and the desire to make a mini-sink no worse than the one sold in specialized stores at a fabulous price.
To learn how to make a mini high pressure washer with your own hands, see the next video.