What to check before you buy a used machine
This is the list our own bench runs on every trade-in. Use it on anything you are considering, from us or anyone else.
Buying used is often the right call
Especially for a second machine or a backup that only runs when the primary is down. The industry is a little precious about this — a well-maintained used machine from a shop that inspected it is a better buy than a cheap new machine nobody stands behind.
Run it under load, not at idle
This is the one people skip and the one that matters most. A machine will start and idle beautifully with a failing unloader, a scaled coil, and worn packings. Put it under load with a gun open and watch what it actually does for several minutes.
Measure, do not trust the plate
Check actual PSI and GPM against the rating on the plate. A machine that has drifted well below its rating is telling you about the pump.
On hot water units, look at the coil
Scale inside the coil is expensive and it is not visible from outside. Ask when it was last descaled, and be skeptical of a confident answer with no records behind it.
Weeping is information
Water under the manifold means packings. That is not a dealbreaker — it is a rebuild kit and an afternoon — but it should come off the price.