The Workings of a Pressure Washer

Annually, homeowners receive a heavy load of dirt, mud, foliage, as well as supplementary rubbish above their home’s pavements and driveways. Also, their automobiles are covered with road salt, mud, and grease. The most basic pressure washer will quickly transform an ordinary garden hose into a fiend which blasts away mud, grease, along with debris.

A simple pressure washer can put up to 20 times more force onto a plane in comparison to a garden hosepipe. While you look for a good pressure washer, you may wish to consider water pressure. A light pressure model will be more efficient than a garden hosepipe, however, you shouldn’t expect it to perform heavy jobs properly. A typical garden hosepipe will emit 40 pounds of water pressure per square inch, on the other hand, light duty pressure washers rate at approximately 1300 to 2000 pounds per square inch. To wash an automobile, an awning, and some deck furniture, you can use a light duty pressure washer. Pressure washers rated at 2000 – 2600 pounds per square inch are great for concrete cleaning, including mild spots, grease, and grime on bigger surfaces. Heavy duty pressure washers rate at 2700 – 4000 pounds per square inch and work effectively on obstinate grease or stains on concrete, or if you wish to clean flakes, dirt, and debris on top of surfaces in preparation for painting or sealing.

Electric Pressure Washers

Electric pressure washers are manufactured in all three levels of pounds per square inch— heavy, medium, and light duty. Ratings by one of the most well-known online vendors of pressure washer pumps, parts, and equipment do not show any preference between a gas pressure washer and an electric pressure washer. The ratings make a distinction between best, better, and good within size groups. An archetypal homemaker will get roughly all household chores done with electric pressure washers. The only problem of the electric pressure washer is that you have to find handy electrical sockets.

Gas Pressure Washers

Gas pressure washers are quite transportable, but they are also more noisy and may emit more noxious fumes whilst being used. There is also the inconvenience of storing gas while the gadget is used. These pressure washers are available in light duty, medium duty, and heavy duty models, along with a still heavier and more powerful contractors’ model. Honda pressure washers rate above average in gas pressure washers, with better and best ratings for both mid-sized and large sized capacity washers. Honda pressure washers captured all three categories in the contractor’s model. A Ryobi pressure washer is another favorite of home users. Its heavy duty range (3000 pounds per square inch) is pretty affordable plus it will do most jobs with a vengeance. A pressure washer from Ryobi is available at Home Depot shops, and this is another plus factor in its favor.

Hot Water Pressure Washer

Another great novelty in pressure washers is the new hot water pressure washer. You should utilize this tool for stubborn grime. Heated pressure washers are more difficult to find, however, Honda makes portable high capacity oil-fired hot water pressure washers. Mi-T-M makes high capacity electrically heated hot water pressure washers.

Whichever type of residential pressure system you select, you must be sure that the vendor also carries a full range of pressure washer pumps and parts. It will be really annoying to be right in the midst of fall or spring cleaning and be forced to wait\ stop for the replacement of a part or a pump.

Samantha Clark is the head of consumer reviews at http://www.dealsdepot.com.au. Amongst the Internet’s most popular Online Shopping sites for pressure washers.

Pressure washers are becoming increasingly popular as homeowners find all kinds of uses for them, and others start thriving business’s offering services from cleaning to stripping paint and unclogging drains.

The biggest choice is whether to power the washer with an electric or gas motor. For light duty, cleaning patio furniture, cars, etc., the typical homeowner is often better off with the electric type as they are quieter, lighter, and cheaper to operate. They also are cleaner than gas pressure washers. However, if you have larger projects in mind, or are going commercial, you will need the power of a gas pressure washer.

The unit used in determining power of pressure washers is cleaning units (CU). This is calculated by multiplying the pressure per square inch (PSI) by the water flow rate in gallons per minute (GPM). Most home faucets deliver 5-8 gallons of water a minute. This equals 10 pounds of pressure per square inch (PSI). When you add a spray nozzle to a garden hose, you increase the pressure about 4 times giving you 40 PSI. A gas pressure washer can boost this pressure exponentially to anywhere between 1,000 – 4,000 PSI. No longer are you simply pushing dirt around—with a gas pressure washer you have real cleaning power in hand.

Gas pressure washers are noisier and more polluting than electric powered washers, but the fact is that the smallest gas pressure washer is stronger than the largest electric models and can save you time on bigger jobs. Electric pressure washers can be used inside, don’t require oil, fuel, or spark plugs, while gas pressure washers can be used in any remote place and usually come with more durable pumps. Most Honda motors and some Briggs and Stratton models are already meeting the stricter emission standards due to go into effect by 2012.

How much pressure do you need? For light household items, you can do with 1000-1500 PSI. For patio furniture and decks, 1400-1850 PSI will get the job done faster. For large areas, and cleaning house siding, you will need 2000-3000 PSI to be happy with the washer. For commercial use, or heavy jobs such as stripping paint or cleaning concrete, a gas pressure washer that can deliver 2800-4000 PSI is needed.

Think of it this way, the difference from 1 GPM to 3 GPM will actually cut your cleaning time in half. Homeowners often over-buy and it is recommended to really consider your needs. If you are the average homeowner, you will only use your washer about 20 hours a year, for light cleaning. It may be more cost effective to buy a light duty electric washer and then rent a gas pressure washer on the occasion you may need one.

With a large array of pressure washer accessories available, gas pressure washers can do many jobs. Along with the basic cleaning applications of toys, cars, furniture, patios and decks, siding, and more, there is the removal of gutter debris, cleaning of bricks and concrete, flushing of clogged drains, and even paint removal. There are hot-water tank add-ons (check manufacturer’s specs), and chemical infusion kits as well as sand/water blasting kits all of which make your gas pressure washer more versatile than ever.