The routine takes five minutes and prevents the single most common failure in this niche.
1. Disconnect the water and run it briefly
With the supply off, run the machine for a couple of seconds and pull the trigger until it spits rather than flows. Do not run it dry for longer than that.
2. Release the pressure
Trigger squeezed, machine off. This relieves the hose, the gun and the pump.
3. Drain the accessories
Lances, surface cleaners, foam bottles, drain hoses. All hold water; all crack or corrode.
4. Store above freezing
Indoors, a heated utility room, or anywhere that reliably stays above zero. An unheated stone garage in January does not qualify.
Petrol machines, additionally
Either drain the fuel or add stabiliser. A carburettor left with old petrol over winter is the reason a machine that worked in October will not start in April.
The questions we hear
Is an unheated garage safe?
Only if it genuinely stays above freezing. A stone garage in a cold snap does not. If in doubt, bring the machine indoors — it is small, and the alternative is a cracked pump.
What about the hose and the gun?
Drain them too. A hose full of ice is not destroyed, but a gun with water in its valve can be. Disconnect everything, hang the hose, and store the gun somewhere warm.
Last reviewed 2026-08-15
