Why does my pressure washer's engine die when I start spraying water?

Briggs and Straton - fairly heavy duty gas powered pressure washer. I haven't run it for a couple of years. Put gas in, finally got it started and engine sounds fine, but every time I press the trigger I can hear the engine power getting less and less. If I stop spraying the engine recovers, but if I keep the trigger pulled for 2-3 seconds the engine dies. Any help?

Most likely you have a problem on your machine's carburetor. It is probably clogged up with dirt and not being able to send enough gas into the engine in order to keep the machine running. You can try taking it apart and cleaning (or rebuilding if necessary). It should take care of your problem.