When the fuse goes off when using a high-pressure washer, there is usually nothing wrong with either the fuse or the machine. Here we will go through the most common issues so that you can find the reason why this happens.
Please try these tips first:
- Try directly in a socket without an extension cord.
- Check that you have the right fuse
- Try at different times of the day, when circuit load may be lower
You have probably already checked that there is not a heating cable or oven running that uses electricity at the same time as your washer, as this may mean that you are exceeding the electricity consumption that a fuse/course allows in total.
You can then try to move the machine closer to the fuse box. A machine connected to a socket in the garage will typically consume more electricity than a machine connected closer to the fuse box.
If you use an extension cord, remember that it must be a maximum of 20 meters long and have a thickness of at least 2.5mm.
When a high-pressure washer blows fuses in the house, there is rarely anything wrong with the machine, based on experience.
High-pressure washers in general, along with any other power tools such an electric lawnmower, hedge trimmer or chainsaw have in common that they are driven by a powerful electric motor, and such motors use a lot of electricity.
You may also have realized that the model you have should go on a 10, 13, 15 or perhaps 16 ampere fused circuit.
For safety's sake, we reccomend the following:
AVA P30-P60 must have at least a 10 amp fuse
AVA P70 needs at least a 13 amp fuse
AVA P80 needs at least a 15 amp fuse
AVA P90 needs at least a 16 amp fuse
The majority of us only have 10 and 16A fuses, but the list describes minimum required number.
When products with an electric motor start up, they use much more power than what should be able to pass through the fuses mentioned above. Most houses have some fuses that are "fast". They trigger the moment more current flows through and therefore do not work when a high-pressure washer or lawnmower needs to be started. Such fuses are common and are used where lighting, heating cables and the like are intended to be used.
Then there are some fuses that are "slow". These are designed so that if a motor uses more power for a small moment, i.e. just at the start-up moment, the fuse continues works perfectly fine. Such fuses are typically used in laundry rooms where the washing machine is connected and in circuit that are designed for outdoor use, a garage or the like. So if you struggle with the fuse blowing, look in the fuse box to see if you have a slow fuse.
Tips; fuses are most often marked with the letters A - B - C or D. A and B are fast, while C and D are slow and suitable for motors. Certain fuses do not have such a marking, so they may be marked differently in different markets.
Another typical cause that should be checked before we start to suspect that there is actually something wrong with the pressure washer: extension cords cause even heavier starting, and make the fuse go even more easily.
We are currently working on translating and rewriting all of our articles into English from the original Norwegian. Whilst we are proud of the quality of our language skills here at AVA, we are aware that there may be some slightly odd syntax and wording present in the articles that have been translated. The approach we have taken to this translation process is in order to get as much information as possible out to our customers in a timely fashion. Thusly the ongoing revision and updating of these articles by our British-Norwegian team will include slight changes to how the text is put together in order to bring it more into line with correct British English.