cat 290 pump not holding pressure

[Darren Styles]

I'm having problems with my Cat pump keeping pressure. I can do a job and everything is fine and then when I get to the next job and turn on the pump it has no pressure. I can trigger the wand and eventually it comes back to pressure. What could the causes be? Any help appreciated!

 

[Darren Styles]

There is no clog or air getting into supply that I can see.

 

[Darren Styles]

There is no clog or air getting into supply that I can see.

 

[Scott Rogers]

I bet you are getting air in there somewhere, I just went through this on my 25/45 too. turned out it was the thermal relief valve sticking open. but it could be a worn or cracked fitting or hose off the water box or at the pump. possibly a small crack/leak in one of the swivels Duane uses on the pump. Or a cracked flow meter, bad hose to your chem tank.

 

[Doug Cox]

290's run forever without problems.

 

[Chads]

Its definetly getting air somewhere, the pump is losing its prime in between jobs, you can try to straight force feed it by bypassing the water box and plumb a water hose fitting straight to the pump just so you know that there is no air in between there.

 

[Darren Styles]

I capt off the thermal relief valve at the pump, capt off the chemical feed at the pump, and taped(there was no tape) the threads on both sides of the flow valve and it still pulsates like there is air getting in.

 

[renegade_cowboy]

Have you checked your pressure regulator?

 

[Darren Styles]

I have the pressure set at 500psi and when I hit the wand trigger it pulsates and the gage reads just above 300 and the gage needle is bouncing up and down

 

[joeynbgky]

If i set mine to 400 it goes down to 300 or so when the wand is keyed.. So do you set it after you key the wand or before? mine pulsates too, but works just fine. its a 290 as well

 

[Darren Styles]

It started out that the pressure would be fine for a whole job. At the next job there would be "0" pressure and then 5, 10, 15 minutes later the pressure would come back up. I brought it to Duane and he could not find anything wrong with it. I had him install a 55 gallon water tank Tuesday which is connected directly to the pump. Afterwards I ran it for 5 minutes and it lost pressure again and then pretty quickly got pressure back. I lost pressure again yesterday for a few minutes and then it came back. Today my first job went fine and then half way through the second job it started to pulsate and has not stopped since. I'm at a loss!

 

[Darren Styles]

What is BFE?

 

[joeynbgky]

Take it over to TCS. they are very formiller with the 290.. what brand machine do you have?

 

[Lee Stockwell]

It's the pressure regulator.

 

[joeynbgky]

But just in case it wasnt i asked, u never know

 

[Art Kelley]

The pump don’t work 'cause the vandals took the handles




Johnny’s in the basement
Mixing up the medicine
I’m on the pavement
Thinking about the government
The man in the trench coat
Badge out, laid off
Says he’s got a bad cough
Wants to get it paid off
Look out kid
It’s somethin’ you did
God knows when
But you’re doin’ it again
You better duck down the alley way
Lookin’ for a new friend
The man in the coon-skin cap
By the big pen
Wants eleven dollar bills
You only got ten

Maggie comes fleet foot
Face full of black soot
Talkin’ that the heat put
Plants in the bed but
The phone’s tapped anyway
Maggie says that many say
They must bust in early May
Orders from the D.A.
Look out kid
Don’t matter what you did
Walk on your tiptoes
Don’t try “No-Doz”
Better stay away from those
That carry around a fire hose
Keep a clean nose
Watch the plain clothes
You don’t need a weatherman
To know which way the wind blows

Get sick, get well
Hang around a ink well
Ring bell, hard to tell
If anything is goin’ to sell
Try hard, get barred
Get back, write braille
Get jailed, jump bail
Join the army, if you fail
Look out kid
You’re gonna get hit
But users, cheaters
Six-time losers
Hang around the theaters
Girl by the whirlpool
Lookin’ for a new fool
Don’t follow leaders
Watch the parkin’ meters

Ah get born, keep warm
Short pants, romance, learn to dance
Get dressed, get blessed
Try to be a success
Please her, please him, buy gifts
Don’t steal, don’t lift
Twenty years of schoolin’
And they put you on the day shift
Look out kid
They keep it all hid
Better jump down a manhole
Light yourself a candle
Don’t wear sandals
Try to avoid the scandals
Don’t wanna be a bum
You better chew gum

 

[Darren Styles]

BFE--Got it! It has pulsation at any level. If it's the pressure regulator, is this something in it that would be letting the air in or does it require buying a new one?

 

[joe harper]

scroll to the end of the page..."Troubleshooting section"


http://www.catpumps.com/select/pdfs/PstnSvc.pdf

 

[Darren Styles]

I already looked at that. I took the head of the pump off and checked (again) the seals and looked for any debris and everything looked fine.

 

[TimP]

I was thinking it might need a rebuild.

I have a 290 on my warrior. I need to rebuild it for sure, where is the best place to get the parts for a 290?

 

[Chads]

Did the pump pulsate before this, three psiton pumps shouldn't pulsate very much because of three pistons going always keeping a steady pressure but if you start to lose a piston for whatever reason it will start to pulsate and if you lose 2 pistons it will really pulsate. I had mine go all the way where it would build up pressure and then as soon as i would pull the trigger it would drop pressure to almost nothing and then slowly build pressure back up. turned out I pulled the check valves like 5 or 6 times and then finally pulled the head off and three broken piston rods and it made no noise and would still build a little pressure at that point the pump is toast. hope this helps. Pressure regulators by pass water back to the pump, with out one the pump would keep building pressure until something will give. essential to having a pump. so good luck and if you need to find a replacement pump windtrax is a cheap place to go online and order one.

 

[renegade_cowboy]

Check your pressure regulator before you rebuild your pump. I had the same issue and I had a bad pressure regulator.