How To Select a Pressure Washer
High-pressure sprayers or pressure washers
are a useful tool for cleaning surfaces of dirt, mold, grime, stains
and even to strip loose paint and other adhered materials. Most pressure
washers work by connecting a garden hose to them. The pressure washer
increases water pressure to a high PSI (Pounds per Square Inch) and propels
a small, focused stream through a nozzle with enough force to break up
dirt and harder materials and wash them away. The nozzle is mounted
in a hand-held, trigger controlled wand allowing the operator to start
and stop the flow of water. Some models allow the addition of detergents
or other chemicals to be mixed into the stream to further aid
in the cleaning process. Some models also can heat the water as another
way to get a surface clean.
Choosing a High-Pressure Washer
Consumer pressure washers are available in electric and gasoline powered
models. Gas powered models generally produce higher PSI levels
than electric models. Electric models are best suited
for cleaning small areas. Using an electric model to clean a large driveway
or deck will take much more time than with a gasoline pressure washer.
Also, because they don't produce as much pressure, they may not be able
to clean all stains and all surfaces. If you will be cleaning things
like a B-B-Q grill, small walkway, isolated stains, washing a car (some
models) then an electric model may be ideal. If you will be cleaning
driveways, decks, siding, removing difficult stains, stripping loose
paint, then a gasoline model will be a better choice.
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Pros |
Cons |
Electric |
- Less Expensive
- More Compact
- Easier to maintain
- Quieter than gas
- No exhaust fumes
|
- Slow for large areas
- Not powerful enough for some stains
- Noisy
- May over-clean or etch
|
Gasoline |
- Very powerful
- Can clean many stains
- Can strip loose paint and other materials
- Faster than electric
- More nozzle choices for different applications
|
- Noisy
- Requires gas on hand
- Exhaust fumes
- Bulkier for storage
- Heavy
- Can over-clean leaving etching
- More chance to damage a surface
- More expensive
|
The higher the pressure, the more versatile the tool. Over the life
of the pressure washer, you may encounter a wide variety of stains and
materials to clean. Having enough pressure to remove rust, motor oil,
tar and similar stains is essential. If the unit is underpowered, you
may not be able to remove a stain or at the very least, you will spend
more time cleaning. Of course, if routine cleaning is likely not to require
very high-pressure, you can always rent a unit if the need arises.
Models may offer a variety of interchangeable nozzles for different
applications. For instance the model shown in this article comes with
five nozzles. More nozzles make a unit more versatile. A wide-angle lower
pressure nozzle is suitable for washing a car, while the narrowest-angle
nozzle can literally strip bark from a tree. Incidentally, pressure washers
can be very dangerous. Their high pressure is enough to cut quickly through
skin and muscle.
Prices vary widely. Electric models start as low around $100 and range
to about $300. Gasoline powered pressure washers start around $250 and
range to around $600 for consumer models and can go up to about $2,000
for a professional model.
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