Quick verdict
A 16 ounce bottle of pump antifreeze and lubricant that screws onto the pressure washer inlet and pushes through the pump, displacing water so it cannot freeze and crack the manifold, coating pistons, seals and valves against corrosion and mineral build-up through storage. A pump that froze over winter is scrap; a pump stored dry with the seals unprotected starts the season leaking. One bottle does several winterisations and the job takes two minutes.
Strengths
- Protects the pump from freezing to minus 25 F
- Lubricates pistons, seals and valves in storage
- Prevents mineral build-up and seal drying
- Screws onto the inlet; no tools
- One bottle covers several winterisings
Weaknesses
- Must be done before the first freeze, not after
- Flush it through before the first use in spring
- Not a cure for a pump already damaged
The overall YardToolLab Score is out of 100. Section scores are out of 10.
The Pump That Did Not Survive Winter
Every spring, pressure washers are rolled out and found leaking from a cracked pump manifold, because water left in the pump froze. Draining does not get it all out and leaves the seals dry. Pump saver does both jobs: it displaces the water and coats everything inside with a lubricant. JB Industries’ Pump Guard is a 16 ounce bottle with an inlet fitting, rated to protect to minus 25 F.
This review is based on the maker’s specifications and on how pump antifreeze products are used in pressure washer storage generally. We have not used this product ourselves.
Using It
At the end of the season, disconnect the water hose, high-pressure hose and gun. Screw the bottle onto the garden hose inlet and squeeze, or pull the starter cord once on a gas washer, until the fluid appears at the high-pressure outlet. That means the pump is full. Leave it in through storage. In spring, connect water, hold the gun open and run for a minute to flush the fluid onto the lawn. Done.
What It Prevents
Freeze cracking of the manifold, which is the end of the pump. Seals drying and shrinking over months, which is the leak in spring. Mineral scale setting in the valves, which is the loss of pressure. Corrosion of the pistons. One bottle, two minutes, and the pump starts the season as it finished the last.
Coverage
A small pump takes a few ounces, so a 16 ounce bottle does several winterisations or several washers. Store the bottle upright with the cap on.
Timing
Before the first freeze. A pump that has already frozen is beyond help, and the product is prevention. Many owners winterise on the last warm weekend of autumn as part of putting the washer away.
Who Should Buy It
- Every pressure washer owner in a climate that freezes.
- Anyone storing a washer in an unheated garage or shed.
- Owners of several washers or sprayers.
Common Owner Complaints
Forgetting to flush it in spring. Run the gun open for a minute.
Full Winterising
Pump saver protects the pump. The rest of the machine wants attention too: drain the hose and gun, add fuel stabiliser to a gas washer and run it a minute, or drain the tank, and store the whole unit off a cold concrete floor. A washer put away this way starts first pull in spring.
Alternatives to Consider
Briggs and Stratton and Simpson make equivalent pump savers. RV antifreeze pumped through works in a pinch without the lubricant. Storing the washer in a heated space avoids the freeze but not the dry seals.
Verdict
For a few dollars and two minutes, this bottle prevents the most common pressure washer death. Push it through before the first frost, flush it in spring and the pump keeps working.
Full specifications
JB Industries Pump Guard 16 oz Pressure Washer Pump Antifreeze and Lubricant FAQs
Disconnect the hoses and gun, screw the bottle onto the garden hose inlet, and squeeze or pump it through until the fluid shows at the high-pressure outlet. Leave it in over winter.
Draining leaves water in the valves and the manifold passages where it freezes anyway, and leaves the seals dry to crack. Pump saver displaces the water and coats the seals.
Connect water, run the washer for a minute with the gun open to flush the fluid out onto the lawn, and go.
Yes. The pump is the same vulnerability, and electrics are often stored in unheated garages.
