Pressure washers as air compressors

[iisthemuffin]

Well i was sitting on my couch when this thought popped into my head. Im not entirely certain how pressure washes work but if you were to turn it on with no water source wouldnt air come out of the hose? Im just wondering because this could be used to fill things much higher than a conventional compressor and COULD be a good alternative to fridge compressors. I may be completely off with this idea but i thought it was worth asking. Heres a link to one that can put out 2500 psi. Looks alot better to me than the average 150.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Excell-2500-PSI-Pre ... 286.c0.m14

[Spuddin]

srry but it wont work because its a water pump , not a air pump. i have a 2200 psi pressure washer and nothing happens when u pull the trigger until u turn on the water.
btw the pressure actually builds up to that huge amount at the tip of the nozzle not the pump itself.

[trollhameran]

Im not entirely sure but i think it would seize up as the water is used to lubricate all the parts inside...dont hold me to this information though because im not entirely sure its true, maybe it could work if you could keep it from seizing up

[iisthemuffin]

Spuddin - That is pretty much the entire reason i asked. I wasnt sure if it put any air out or not. Well i just thought i would ask.

EDIT - Off topic. You said that all of the pressure builds up insde of the nossle correct? Well then isnt the gun part of that basically a pneumatic in itself? If you were to find the correct fittings and connect your compressor hose to the end of the gun instead of the water line and charge your compressor and then fill the gun wouldnt all of the air rush out of the tip of the gun when the trigger is pulled?

[Sticky_Tape]

Hmmmmmmmmm probly not.

[iisthemuffin]

Sticky_Tape - I dont know if your Hmmmmmmmmming at my ideas in a demeaning way if your pondering the possibilities as well. But seeing as how i dont have a pressure washer gun and odds are you do, if you build this and it works i want credits.

[Spuddin]

interesting question, i would say it would increase the pressure somewhat but nothing like if it was forcing a liquid through the nozzle.
if i can remember to try this i will because i happen to have another pressure washer gun laying beside my air compressor, imagine that.

[iisthemuffin]

Im not sure you follwo what im saying Spuddin. Im talking about using the gun as a cannon. This is completely abandoning anything about the pressure washer now.

Well isnt that convenient. When you do get a chance to try it out please tell me how it works.

[Spuddin]

oh i see what your saying, my opinion is that it would not allow enough of a burst of high pressure air into the barrel to build much velocity. although we could use some more input here, just my guess.

[iisthemuffin]

I feel kinda of the same as you do. But im very up and down about it. I am not familiar with pressure washer guns but i do believe this isnt something that can be judged until it is tested.

But if it does work just think of the possibilities. It is an already built cannon that can hold VERY high pressures. And if it doesnt work i am more than confident that it can be modded to function the way i would like it to. Man i wish i had one of these guns. I would deffinetely be doing some testing on this.

[trollhameran]

When you pull the trigger will the air be forced into the pressure washer gun from the compressor before it is fired or will the air be stored in the Gun itself ready to be fired out the second the trigger is pulled, if it is the first of these two things wont that create alot of dead space?

[Spuddin]

this type of gun works great in a bb machinegun for sure but we do need to test it in a cannon with a small barrel.

when you pull the trigger the air flows through the handle, down to the nozzle. it does not build up anywhere. so the air is being squeezed through the tiny nozzle in turn creating the pressure.

[trollhameran]

ah so there would be alot of dead space but the increased pressure due to the nozzle would make up for that

[iisthemuffin]

Ah Spuddin you just crsuhed my soul. You said the the water would build up in the tip of the nozzle. Thats where i got my idea from. There will be no burst if there is no build up. Hmmm you threw me off now.

[Spuddin]

srry about that. i confuse my wife alot too, thats how i get away with so much.