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V1 100 Gallon Slim Vertical Water Tank — Buffer & Chemical Tank
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V2 50 Gallon Slim Vertical Pressure & Soft Washing Tank
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V2 100 Gallon Slim Buffer Tank — Internally Supported, No Bulge
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60 Gallon Mobile Detailing Water Tank — Low-Profile Rectangular Poly Tank
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200 Gallon Mobile Detailing Water Tank — Rectangular Poly Tank for Trucks & Trailers
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90 Gallon Mobile Detailing Water Tank — Compact Rectangular Poly Tank
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About Us
Situated just 10 minutes south of Portland in Oregon City, Expert Power Wash specializes in crafting premium, high-quality custom pressure washing skids and soft wash equipment.
As a local, family-owned business, we place our trust in God and uphold values of hard work, morals, and integrity. We firmly believe that by consistently adhering to these principles, we deliver the finest equipment to enhance your business.
With over 10 years of hands-on experience operating various pressure washing setups, including trailers, box trucks, flatbeds, vans, and skids, we gained invaluable insights into equipment functionality. Faced with breakdowns and failures, the commitment to resolving issues and continual improvement became paramount. Years of field experience have instilled confidence that Expert Power Wash produces the ultimate in pressure washing equipment—no flashy stickers or hype, just unwavering quality.
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Buffer tanks and chemical tanks
Two different jobs, often confused. A buffer tank sits between the customer's water supply and your pump, so the machine draws from the tank instead of fighting a slow spigot. A chemical tank holds sodium hypochlorite, surfactant or another solution for a downstream or soft wash system.
Do you need a buffer tank?
Once you are past roughly 5 GPM, usually yes. Most residential hose bibs will not reliably supply an 8 GPM machine, and starving a pump is one of the fastest ways to destroy it. A buffer tank with a float valve absorbs the difference between what the property supplies and what the machine draws.
| Machine | Typical need |
|---|---|
| 4 to 4.2 GPM | Often fine direct from the spigot |
| 5.5 GPM | Buffer tank recommended |
| 8 GPM and up | Buffer tank required, often two tanks dual-fed |
How we plumb them
- Two tanks tied together rather than one large one where space allows. Beyond the capacity, two tanks baffle the water against each other and noticeably reduce sloshing on the road.
- A Hudson float valve so the fill shuts off by itself when the tank is full.
- A slotted PVC bleach-resistant filter on the pickup, held near the bottom by a length of PVC so it cannot float up and pull air.
- No metal inside the tank. Liquid breaks metal filters down, and bleach does it quickly.
- Heavy-duty straps and mounting plates. Tanks working loose under the weight of liquid is one of the biggest long-term failure points in this industry.
On our own builds we run the hose straight through the tank wall on a seal rather than through a bulkhead, because a bulkhead gives you a cracking point top and bottom that bleach will eventually find.
Further reading
- How to install a bulkhead fitting in a water tank
- How to plumb an IBC tote to a pressure washer
- How a soft wash mixing system actually works
Common questions
What size buffer tank do I need?
Enough that the tank can cover the gap between what the property supplies and what your machine draws for the length of a job. For an 8 GPM machine on typical residential water, 100 to 200 gallons is the common range, and many rigs run two tanks tied together.
Can I use the same tank for water and chemical?
No. Sodium hypochlorite residue in a buffer tank ends up in your pump and on surfaces you did not intend to treat. Keep water and chemical in separate tanks with separate pickups.
Why does my pump pull air from a full tank?
Almost always a pickup filter that has floated up off the bottom. Hold it down with a length of PVC. Also check the fill level relative to the pickup and any leak on the suction side, which draws air without leaking water.
Do I need a float valve?
If you fill from a customer's spigot while you work, yes. A Hudson float valve shuts the fill off when the tank is full so you are not watching a tank instead of working.
