Karcher steam cleaner HDS 601 C ice damage

hi there

Mine recently froze up. I replaced the interior high pressure hose which had burst. The 240V pump seems good.

I have to hold down the float in the float chamber to fill it up before it builds up enough pressure to jet water out of the lance. The burner kicks in and smoke comes out the exhaust but the water's cold even on max temp. Water sometimes jets out of the junction of the cylinder head and the pump on the left hand side, by the high presure hose outlet. I have to retighten the cylinder head to stop it. This suggests to me some sort of blockage from the head out the lance. The pressure guage on the head is permanently stuck at 100Bar, machine on or off.

I can't seem to get hold of a service manual, only an operations manual. Replacing each part by a process of elimination will be too expensive so I'm looking for some sort of checklist. I assume that the service manuals are available only to dealers? Any help appreciated.

Ta Dude

Reply to
nic
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I worked for Karcher UK for 8 years, so I might be able to assist :-)

Not familiar with that model, its after my time, but they all work on a similar princople.

First question, when it was working OK, what happened when you were using it & shut the trigger gun? Did the whole machine stop, or did the pump continue to run & the heater stopped?

Do you mean the hp hose that goes from the pump to the heater?

OK, we need to sort the pump side first. Forget the burner for the moment.

Is there enough water coming in to keep the tank full? The pump won't work properly without enough water.

Right, take the main pressure hose off the machine & run it on cold. Do you get a steady stream of water? If so, re connect the hose & take the gun off etc so we can find where the blockage (?) is. Process of elimination.

Bear in mind the gauge could have been buggered by the frost. The nozzle on the end of the lance is the most likely place for a blockage.

Let me know & we will work through it.

Reply to
The Medway Handyman

hi Dave

Thanks for your reply. I'll have a look tomorrow when there's more light.

As far as I recall if you switch it on it's lowest temperature without pressing the lance trigger, the pump stops after about 10 seconds. If you wind up the temperature the pump runs forever. I suppose this means it never attains its full operating pressure or it does and the pressure cut-off sensor is buggered. However this theory is contradicted by the burner igniting, which can apparently only come on when the "water shortage safeguard" device senses adequate flow. The high pressure sensor being knackered would explain the water escape from the cyilinder head. Perhaps I'd better stop running it otherwise I may screw the pump.

I would like to know how it works. For example what are the two electronic devices on the lhs of the cylinder head? I presume one is a pressure switch to shut off the pump at a certain pressure. What's the other one? Also the "water shortage safeguard" device has what appears to be a thermistor attached to it. Is that to track temperature of water flow back from the coil to the pump? Why are there apparently two overflows, a skinny transparent pipe from the top of the cylinder head and a thick black pipe from the top rhs of it?

My understanding is hampered by the strange translation of the operations manual from German to English. Eg:

While reducing the water supply at the pump head or with the Servopress - regulation the overflow valve opens and part of the water flows back to the pump suck side.

Oo-er Mrs!

Dude

Reply to
nic

Look, forget the heater entirely for the moment. Unless the pressure problem is sorted we can't even start on the heater.

Basic theory of hot water HPC's. The pump provides pressure & sends high pressure water through the heat exchanger.

This usually has a pressure switch to stop/start the pump. Sometimes it will use a bypass valve & flow switch.

The heat exchanger/burner/coil/whatever has a number of safety cut outs, commonly;

1) A flow switch - unless water flows into the heat exchanger it won't ignite. 2) A thermostat - which will cut the HE off if it gets over temperature.

3) A backflow heat sensor - if the HE overheats and very hot water starts to get back to the pump, it will shut off the HE. These are usually not re setable. If they trip once they are buggered.

4) A flame failure device - no flame after a certain time, it will shut off the fuel, usually a photo cell.

As I said, and I can't stress this enough, forget the HE for the moment - it will just confuse matters. That can't be sorted until the HP system functions properly.

I can sort this for you, just need some more info.

Reply to
The Medway Handyman

hi there

ok, I've taken off the lance altogether, where it screws into the unit.

Switch on and the pump runs endlessly and very low flow rate dribbles out of the lance socket. There's a lot of air swirling around the pump casing. I don't know if that's usual, perhaps to cool it down? Or whether the casing's cracked and there's some sort of air leak?

Water is constantly spitting out of the skinny transparent overflow hose out of the top of the cylinder head. Other than that, not much happening.

Dude

Reply to
nic

Sounds like either insufficient water supply or air getting into the pump. Check the small hose going from the chemical valve to the pump inlet, make sure the valve is closed & that all joints are tight.

Even a small air leak on the inlet side will cause those symptoms

That machine has an air cooled motor, so its probably that. The back of the motor drives the blower for thr burner, usually through a flexible collar - check that its tight or you burner will play up.

AFAIK there isn't an overflow on the cylinder head. Are you sure that isn't the chemical inlet pipe (see above)? Position 38/39 here

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Reply to
The Medway Handyman

replying to The Medway Handyman, Karl1972 wrote: Hello you say you worked for marcher for 8 years .need help I have a marcher 601 and came to use it the other night for the first time and it turned on but no water came out the gun . It also had no fuel in and was told no water would come out in till it had full in ? But why I was trying to get water through the anti surge charge fuse blown . Put enougher fuss in and that went as well so I think I've broken something do you have any idea what it could be so I can fix it myself Thanks karl

Reply to
Karl1972

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