Maintenance procedure · Written to ASD-STE100 Issue 9 · Formatted to ANSI Z535

Clearing a Blocked Pressure Washer Nozzle and Inlet Screen

Electric and gas machines with a removable spray nozzle and a water inlet screen
ApplicabilityElectric and gas pressure washers with a removable spray nozzle and a water inlet screen or filter
Task time8 min to 10 min editorial estimate, not a measurement
PersonnelOne
Revisionv1 · 2026-08-04
BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Before you begin. This procedure is general reference information, not professional advice. Equipment varies by manufacturer, model, and year. Always follow the documentation supplied with your equipment — where it differs from this page, follow the manufacturer. Verify that you have the tools, the working conditions, and the ability to do this task safely. If anything is unclear, if the equipment is damaged, or if the task exceeds your experience, stop and use a qualified professional. You are responsible for your own safety and for the outcome. This site accepts no liability for any loss, damage, or injury arising from the use of this information.

Specifications marked unverified could not be traced to a manufacturer source. Do not rely on them — obtain the value from your equipment documentation.

Summary

Pressure that drops off, a spray that surges, or a pattern that sprays sideways usually comes from one of two cheap parts: the nozzle or the water inlet screen. Both are consumables the manufacturer expects an owner to remove, and neither holds water once the machine is off and the trigger has released the pressure. Briggs & Stratton's own troubleshooting guide lists a clog in the nozzle, the hose, the gun or the wand before it lists a pump fault. This page clears the nozzle hole and the inlet screen, and it puts both back before you test the machine.

Nozzle removal differs by design: some machines use a quick-connect collar and others use a threaded fitting, and this page does not force one method onto a machine built for the other. It also will not print the minimum water pressure and flow your specific model needs — that figure is in your own owner's manual, and our water supply page shows you how to test it. Nothing on the pump is opened here.

Necessary equipment

ItemNote
Cleaning tool for the nozzle holeThe tool must be the tool from your maintenance kit, or a tool of the same size.
Garden hose with running waterUse the garden hose to push water backward through the nozzle.

Prepare the machine

Estimated 2 min to 3 min

NOTERelease the water pressure before you remove any part.
Nozzle removal and installation method for your model
Unverified — do not rely on this value
CONSULT YOUR OWNER'S MANUAL FOR YOUR MODEL

No tier-1 source was found for this value. Take it from the documentation supplied with your equipment.

  1. Set the machine switch to off.
    <1m
  2. Close the water supply tap.
    <1m
WARNING

REMOVE THE PLUG FROM THE SOCKET BEFORE YOU WORK ON AN ELECTRIC MACHINE.
Sun Joe warns that electric shock can cause severe injury or death.

  1. If your machine is electric, remove the plug from the socket.
    <1m
  2. If your machine has an engine, make sure that the engine is off.
    <1m
WARNING

SQUEEZE THE TRIGGER ON THE TRIGGER GUN BEFORE YOU REMOVE THE NOZZLE.
Water under stored pressure in the wand can force a jet into your skin and cause a serious injury.

  1. Squeeze the trigger on the trigger gun until no more water comes out.
    <1m
  2. If your trigger gun has a safety lock, engage it.
    <1m
  3. Remove the nozzle from the spray wand.
    • A quick-connect nozzle releases when you pull the collar.
    • A threaded nozzle releases when you loosen it from the wand.
    <1m

Clear the nozzle

Estimated 2 min to 3 min

Cleaning tool for the nozzle hole
Unverified — do not rely on this value
USE THE TOOL FROM YOUR MAINTENANCE KIT, OR CONSULT THE MANUFACTURER FOR A REPLACEMENT

No tier-1 source was found for this value. Take it from the documentation supplied with your equipment.

  1. Examine the nozzle hole for dirt or debris.
    <1m
  2. Clear the nozzle hole with the tool from your maintenance kit.
    • Your maintenance kit stores this tool with the nozzles.
    <1m
  3. Hold a garden hose to the tip of the nozzle with the water running.
    • Water flows backward through the nozzle and pushes debris out.
    <1m

Clean the water inlet screen

Estimated 2 min

Replacement water inlet screen for your model
Unverified — do not rely on this value
CONSULT THE MANUFACTURER OR AN AUTHORIZED DEALER

No tier-1 source was found for this value. Take it from the documentation supplied with your equipment.

  1. Disconnect the garden hose from the water inlet on the machine.
    <1m
  2. Remove the screen from the water inlet fitting.
    • Some machines also have a separate cone-shaped pre-filter on the hose adapter.
    <1m
  3. Rinse the screen with clean water.
    <1m
  4. Examine the screen for tears or damage.
    <1m
  5. If the screen has damage, get a new screen of the same type.
    <1m
NOTICE

INSTALL THE SCREEN IN THE WATER INLET FITTING BEFORE YOU RECONNECT THE HOSE.
Dirt in the supply water can enter the pump and damage it.

  1. Install the screen in the water inlet fitting.
    <1m
  2. Reconnect the garden hose to the water inlet.
    <1m

Reassemble the machine and examine the spray

Estimated 2 min

  1. Install the nozzle on the spray wand.
    • A quick-connect nozzle clicks into place in the collar.
    <1m
  2. Open the water supply tap.
    <1m
  3. If your machine is electric, insert the plug in the socket.
    <1m
  4. If your machine has an engine, start the engine.
    <1m
  5. Set the machine switch to on.
    <1m
  6. Point the trigger gun at the ground.
    <1m
WARNING

MAKE SURE THAT THE NOZZLE LOCKS ON THE WAND BEFORE YOU SQUEEZE THE TRIGGER.
A loose nozzle can leave the wand at speed and injure you. CPSC recorded a recall for this fault.

  1. Squeeze the trigger on the trigger gun.
    <1m
  2. Examine the spray for a steady flow with no surging.
    <1m

Terminology

This page uses one term for each item and holds it throughout, as ASD-STE100 requires. Equipment sellers and other guides use the names below for the same parts.

pressure washer
Also called: power washer, power sprayer, jet washer, pressure sprayer, power jet washer
nozzle
Also called: spray tip, spray nozzle, nozzle tip, spray head, quick-connect nozzle
water inlet screen
Also called: inlet filter, water inlet filter, pump inlet screen, inlet strainer, pre-filter, water filter screen
trigger gun
Also called: spray gun, gun, trigger handle, wand handle
spray wand
Also called: wand, lance, spray lance, extension wand
cleaning tool
Also called: needle clean-out tool, wire tool, nozzle pin, clog remover pin, unclogging tool, nozzle cleaning needle

When to use a professional

Stop if the water jet touches your skin and breaks it. Do not wait for pain or swelling. Go to an emergency department immediately. Tell the medical staff that a pressure washer caused the wound. Sun Joe's own manual tells an operator to get medical aid immediately after skin penetration.

Stop if the pressure stays low after you clean the nozzle and the water inlet screen. Do not open the pump. Read our water supply page next. Speak to the maker of your machine or to a dealer.

Stop if the nozzle does not lock on the wand after you install it. Do not hold the nozzle on the wand with your hand. Do not use tape on the nozzle. Speak to the maker of your machine. CPSC recorded a recall for a nozzle that disconnected from a wand under pressure.

Stop if the high-pressure hose, the trigger gun, or the spray wand has damage. Do not repair a high-pressure hose. Speak to a service dealer for your machine.

Stop if the machine leaks water or oil from the pump. Do not open the pump. Speak to a service dealer for your machine.

This page gives no engine repair instruction. Speak to a service dealer for engine work.

Common questions

Why does my pressure washer suddenly have low or no pressure?

The nozzle or the water inlet screen is blocked more often than the pump has actually failed. Briggs & Stratton's own troubleshooting guide runs through the nozzle, the hose, the gun and the wand before it gets to a pump fault, and its own pump test is to remove the high-pressure hose and check whether the pump's own flow increases when the engine starts. If it does, the guide says the clog is in one of the attachments, not the pump. Clean the nozzle hole and the inlet screen first, before you spend money on a new pump.

My pressure washer sprays sideways, in an uneven pattern, or surges instead of a steady stream. What does that mean?

A partly blocked nozzle hole is the most common cause: water finds the open part of the hole and the stream comes out uneven or pulses instead of running steady. Karcher's own FAQ lists a dirty nozzle insert as the first thing to check when a machine "goes off or sputters." Trapped air after you reconnect a hose can also cause a few seconds of surging, which clears on its own once the air is out.

What is the water inlet screen, and why does it matter?

It is a small mesh screen where the garden hose connects to the pump, and its only job is to stop grit from your water supply reaching the pump. Simpson's own FAQ puts it plainly: the screen "stops foreign matter from entering the pump that may cause serious damage to the pump." A blocked screen starves the pump of water and can look exactly like a blocked nozzle from the outside.

What tool do I use to clear a clogged nozzle?

The tool that came with your machine. Sun Joe ships a needle clean-out tool with its electric machines, and Briggs & Stratton calls its own part the wire tool from the maintenance kit. Neither company publishes a size for a substitute, so if you have lost the tool, contact the manufacturer for a replacement rather than improvising with a different piece of wire or metal.

Is it safe to look into the nozzle or clean it while the machine is plugged in?

No. Sun Joe's own operator's manual instructs an owner to shut off the power and relieve the pressure before servicing, cleaning, or removing any parts, and separately warns that the equipment can cause a serious injury if the spray penetrates the skin. Unplug an electric machine, and confirm a gas engine is off, before you touch the nozzle or the inlet fitting.

I cleaned the nozzle and the inlet screen and the pressure is still low. What now?

Check the water supply itself next. Our water supply adequacy page walks through measuring your tap's flow rate and pressure against the minimum your specific model needs, which is a figure only your own owner's manual can give you. If the supply tests fine and the pressure is still low, that points toward the pump, and that is a job for the manufacturer or a service dealer, not this page.

Sources

Every specification on this page is traced to one of these sources. Tier 1 is a manufacturer document, a published standard, or a government safety authority. See Standards for the full tiering rule.

  1. Tier 1Why is my pressure washer producing low or no pressure?Briggs & Stratton Corporation · accessed 2026-08-03 · re-verification due 2027-01-30
  2. Tier 1Sun Joe SPX3000 Electric Pressure Washer Operator's Manual (MR15, 06272023)Snow Joe, LLC (Sun Joe) · accessed 2026-07-29 · re-verification due 2027-01-25
  3. Tier 1STIHL Recalls Pressure Washers Due to Injury Hazard (Recall 20-057)U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission · accessed 2026-07-29 · re-verification due 2027-01-25
  4. Tier 1Kärcher FAQs — Frequently Asked Questions & AnswersKärcher North America, Inc. · accessed 2026-08-04 · re-verification due 2027-01-31
  5. Tier 1Frequently Asked QuestionsSIMPSON (FNA Group, Inc.) · accessed 2026-08-04 · re-verification due 2027-01-31

Revision history

Current version 1 · updated 2026-08-04 · next review due 2027-08-04

  1. v1 · 2026-08-04First draft. The pressure-release sequence and the injection-injury language are from Sun Joe's SPX3000 operator's manual (page 3 and page 10). The nozzle-hole and inlet-screen cleaning steps are drawn from Briggs & Stratton's low-pressure FAQ and Sun Joe's manual maintenance section (page 13), written independently in Simplified Technical English rather than carried across from either document. The inlet-screen hazard is from Simpson (FNA Group). The nozzle-lock hazard is from the CPSC STIHL recall already in the registry. Nozzle removal method and the cleaning tool both publish as consult-the-manufacturer because the two machines documented here use different, non-interchangeable designs.

Corrections to this page are listed in the public corrections log. Reports that are credible and not yet verified are listed in the public errata register, and an open one renders above the step it concerns.

Comments and corrections

Found an error? A correction with a manufacturer source is applied and logged publicly. You can also write to corrections@fixchecklist.com.

Every step above carries its own report control, which tags the report with that step so a correction reaches the right place. For anything about the procedure as a whole — the order of the sections, a step that is missing, something that did not match your equipment — use this: report something about this whole procedure.

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