A Guide to Power Washers
By: The Working Man


Power or Pressure washers have been available to the public
for years now and the prices to buy your very own power
washer have dropped. Now, they are actually affordable for even
the home handyman.

There are a great number of things that would be better
cleaned using a power washer and using one can almost become
an addiction. Once you clean one part of your property the
rest of it looks like it could use a good spray down.

When looking for a power washer you want to pay close
attention to the specifications of the particular power
washer. There are many things that you should take into
consideration before buying one, such as:

See also our page on Pressure Washer Safety


Water Flow Rate

GPM = Gallons per minute. This is the flow rate of water
being sprayed from the power washer. The more GPM the faster
you will be able to spray an area. This is an important
selection criterion.


Output

PSI = Pounds per square inch. This lets you compare the
cleaning power of the selected machine against other power
washers. The water pressure is controlled more by your
selections on the machine and the nozzle or lance. The more
PSI the more cleaning pressure available.

BAR = another way of measuring pressure. (1 bar = 14.7 psi
(approx).)


Power

W or KW = Watts or kilowatts (1kilowatt = 1000 watts) - This
indicates the power of the electrical power washers. The
more PSI you have in general the more watts or kilowatts are
needed to power the machine.

HP = Horsepower. Non-electrical power washers run on gas and
the more PSI the more horsepower it takes to run the
machine. Make sure you chosen power washer has enough power
to do your hardest job well.


In Home and Business Use of the Power Washer

Do-It-Yourselfers have found that the Power Washer is very
handy for cleaning when it comes to walls, fences, cars,
decking, patios, bikes, boats, sun room roofs, gutters, and
etcetera.

There are many attachments that can be placed onto the end
of the hose of a power washer to makes cleaning jobs much
easier to perform. There are even soft car washing brushes
and detergent available to clean your car professionally at
home without having to go through a car wash.

The power washer can also be used to keep your drains clear,
saving a lot of money on the plumber. You can find most
power washers at your local hardware store chain. If you
don't find the model you want there you can always order
online or ask the hardware store to order it in for you.

You can also buy plenty of attachments for specific jobs
that you want to do with the power washer.

Power Washers for Commercial use

A commercial power washer performs many of the same jobs as
a domestic power washer. The use of a commercial power
washer tends to be more intense and prolonged and that is
why a more powerful, rugged machine is needed to compete
with the demands put upon it for commercial use.

The machines that allow for hot washing have more cleaning
power than cold water power washers and sanitize as well.
These machines are normally powered by gas or diesel as the
required higher PSI (pounds per square inch) requires more
power than an electrical unit can put out. The more PSI, the
more cleaning power the machine is capable of.

Power washers are handy machines to have around, especially
if you want to keep your property or business clean without
spending a lot of time doing it. The more you need to wash,
the more you should consider getting a more powerful
machine. This way you are getting more cleaning output and
probably a tougher machine that will last longer.


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