More efficient and much more powerful than a garden hose, a pressure washer shoots a strong jet of water to plow through dirt and grime, leaving surfaces clean. Pressure washers — also called power washers — tend to get used heavily during the spring but not as much during autumn or winter.

Protect your investment through cold weather by storing your pressure washer properly. Watch our 2 minute video on how to winterize and store your Briggs & Stratton pressure washer or read on for an overview of this procedure.

Properly winterize your pressure washer by taking good care of your Briggs & Stratton engine.

Gasoline goes stale in about 30 days, and stale gas can lead to component failures and costly repairs. Additionally, 90% of all fuel sold in the U.S. is an ethanol blend. Ethanol-blends deteriorate almost the moment they are pumped, and can break down in the fuel tank causing rust, corrosion, and gun/varnish build-up. Add fuel stabilizer before storing your pressure washer for the winter to protect your engine. Run the engine for 2 minutes to circulate the fuel stabilizer throughout the system. Then, turn off your pressure washer.

When putting your pressure washer in storage, it is important that no water remains in the pump.

To start, place the injection tube into a pail of clean water and run the pressure washer on the low pressure setting for 2 minutes. Dependent upon your climate and the make of your pressure washer, you may want to do an anti-freeze flush too. Then, turn off the engine and the main water supply.

Turn the spary gun in a safe direction and squeeze the trigger to release trapped pressure. Then, engage the trigger lock on your spray gun.
Once the unit cools down, disconnect any attached high pressure or garden hoses. Then, drain the water from the hose, spray gun, and nozzle extension. Use a rag to wipe off the hose. Store all accessories pull the recoil handle about 6 times to empty the pump of all liquids

Once you have removed all liquids from the pressure washer pump system, move to a clean, dry place. Lay down a tarp and make sure you are wearing eye protection. Now, fill your pressure washer with a pump saver oil by connecting a short garden hose (about a yard) to the inlet adapter. This will help prevent rust, freeze damage and keep pistons and seals from drying out.

Finally, pull the recoil handle twice to complete the process.

Store your pressure washer in a cool, dry place, cleaned of dirt, grime, and moisture.

Want to learn more about Briggs & Stratton pressure washers? Check our Pressure Washers 101.