Your guide to buying a pressure washer

A pressure washer makes light work of major cleaning jobs, saving hours of time not to mention hard physical work. Essentially, a pressure washer provides a powerful jet of water which when blasted at a dirty surface will lift the accumulated dirt and grime in one simple swoosh. Extremely versatile, pressure washers can be used to clean a wide range of objects and surfaces.

Before you decide which model will best suit your needs, read our complete guide to choosing a pressure washer.

Why do I need a pressure washer?

Pressure cleaning is a quick and easy method of cleaning a wide range of outdoor items including garden furniture, patios and paths, wooden garden decks, cars, boats, and much more. Having been used in industry and commerce for years, pressure washers are now popular in the domestic domain and are becoming even more popular as life gets busier and time becomes more precious. To make life even easier, a range of optional attachments which fit to the hose end are also available. Specifically designed to tackle a range of jobs such as cleaning stonework, rusty iron railings and drain cleaning, the list is endless!

How do pressure washers work?

A pressure washer works from either the mains water supply or from a water tank or water butt. Simply attach the pressure washer to your water supply using an outdoor garden hose and attachment and then plug it into an electrical socket. The powerful electric motor will drive the water through the machine into the pressure washer hose and provide a powerful pressure jet of water which, when directed by a special hose end or nozzle will remove all the dirt and debris quickly and effectively. Choose from a variety of nozzles like a dirtblaster with its rotating pencil jet providing up to 50% more cleaning power, or a vario lance which can be regulated for gentle to high pressure for all sorts of surfaces.

Once you have set up your pressure washer, and connected it to a water supply and mains electricity, you will need to adjust the water pressure according to the type of job you're tackling. Water pressure is measured in bars. For example if you're carrying out a light duty task such as cleaning garden furniture, then adjust your machine to a minimum pressure of 100 bar. Cleaning your car would probably require between 100 bar and 110 bar pressure, and for a really heavy duty job such as cleaning old brickwork or a driveway, you would probably require between 110 bar and 120 bar pressure to do the job quickly and effectively. It's easy to adjust your machine to the correct pressure and it's always worth testing a small area first to make sure you've set the machine correctly because too high pressure could cause surface damage.

To maximise efficiency and help you get the most out of your machine, choose from a number of detachable accessories, which are designed for specific cleaning jobs such as car washing or drain cleaning. See the 'Accessories' section of this guide above.

Which model is right for me?

It is always good advice to buy the best pressure washer you can afford. Consider all the jobs you might tackle and try to think of others that are less obvious. If you under estimate how you could use your new pressure washer, you'll soon be wishing you'd bought a more powerful model.

Here is a simple checklist of some of the things you need to consider:

* Different jobs demand different water pressure so for optimum results choose a machine that will allow you to regulate the pressure depending on the level of cleaning power required. As a guide, lightweight jobs, such as cleaning garden furniture would require 100 bar, whilst a heavy duty job like cleaning a driveway would need 120 bar or higher.

* Water flow is as important as water pressure so choose a machine that provides generous water flow - the average flow is 400 litres per hour.

* Are you likely to be working far from a mains power or water supply? If so consider the length of the hose and cable provided with your machine and choose a machine with long leads.

* Machines, especially the high powered ones, are heavy to move so choose a model with wheels and a push/pull handle.

* Upright models are convenient when storage space is at a minimum.

* Keep cables and hoses safe, clean and tidy by choosing a machine with in-built storage.

* An auto stop/start will reduce wear on the motor and therefore lengthen the life of your machine.

* Some machines are supplied with a VARIO lance. This provides variable high to low pressure at a constant water flow, plus low pressure when you're using detergent.

* Make sure your machine is compatible with a range of accessories to provide a wider range of optional uses.

Water supply and the environment

Water supply

Pressure washers need to be connected to a mains water supply or water supplied from a water butt or tank. Because the water flow through them is so efficient water supplied from a butt or tank is quite feasible, but do make sure it will not run out half way through the job because this could damage the machine's motor irreparably. Calculate your requirements based on approximately 400 litres an hour of approximately 100 bar pressure bur err on the side of caution. If you're using butt or tank water you should also attach a filter to prevent any damaging sediment from getting into the machine. Simply attach the machine to the supply using a standard garden hosepipe attachment.

Mains water pressure

Mains water pressure, even in areas where it is low, is not usually a problem because pressure washers are so efficient.

Water pressure and water flow

The pressure jet of water created by your machine provides the cleaning action. The water flow is the volume of water through the machine, which in effect rinses. Pressure washers come with a good all-round balance of pressure versus flow to clean almost anything effectively.

Here is a guide to the settings you should use on your machine to tackle a wide range of jobs, from very lightweight to the more heavy duty jobs such as cleaning old brickwork.

Light pressure - 100 bar

* Garden furniture and barbecues

* Garden tools such as spades and forks

* Garden compost bin

* Kids outdoor toys

* Bicycles

Medium pressure - 110 bar

* Wooden fencing

* Spa pools and swimming pools

* Cars and trucks - (take care not to damage paintwork)

* Boats

* Guttering and outdoor paintwork

High pressure - 120 bar and above

* Wooden decking

* Patios and paths

* Drives

* Brick and stonework

* Agricultural machinery

Using chemical cleaning agents

You can buy a wide range of proprietary cleaning products for use with your pressure washer. Choose a machine with a detergent bottle or tank (some of them are removable) - the right amount of detergent will be released as the water flow begins.

From an environmental point of view it's best to minimise the use of added cleaning agents but sometimes a cleaner is preferable. For example if the area needs to be disinfected, or algae and moss are a recurring problem and you need to inhibit re-growth.

Saving water

Quick and effective, a pressure washer uses a minimum amount of water compared to a garden hose pipe. If you have opted for metered water, this can only be good news for you! A pressure washer uses as little as 400 litres of water an hour and still provides 100 bar pressure. A standard hose pipe could use as much as 3,500 litres of water per hour but only provide 4 bar pressure. Therefore using a standard garden hose jet even at the highest pressure possible would be ineffective and very wasteful of water.

Check out Triace Pressure Cleaning Systems based in Ireland.

Accessories

Brush attachments

Most pressure washers come with a basic lance. However if you have specific tasks to tackle you can choose from a range of additional attachments.

Cleaning agent

Always use a proprietary detergent which has been recommended by the manufacturer for use with pressure washers. Homebase sell a universal agent which is great for removing traffic film from cars, and stubborn dirt from windows and patios.

Extending hose

If you are working at a distance from the water supply tap, then a heavy duty professional hose is the answer. It will allow you to add length to your water supply hose and comes with all the required connectors to tap and pressure washer unit.

Basic safety

Always exercise common sense when using electrical equipment. Follow these simple rules to ensure safety at all times.

* Wear goggles to protect your eyes. Bits of debris or detergent could splash back into them.

* Wear protective footwear as the high pressure jet will hurt if it accidentally strays on to your feet.

* Never fool around with a pressure washer or point the jet at another person or animal.

* Make sure the hose is located so as to prevent anyone tripping over it.

* Keep the pressure washer cables, connections and plug, free from damage.

* Make sure the cable is routed to prevent damage, for example, stepped on or cut.

* Keep the cable as dry as possible.

* Check that the socket-outlet has RCD protection.

* Read and understand the manufacturer's instructions before setting up and using your pressure washer.

This page has been put together from details on the Homebase Website. Check out their wide range.

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