You’ve decided on your power supply, whether to purchase hot or cold, your engine brand, and your pump brand and style. How as a consumer do you understand besides quality, physical size, and price what you are buying and what it will do for you. In determining value, consider the following:
PSI (Pounds Per Square Inch) or Pressure Rating is the force that the washer can produce. You can always insert a larger orifice spray tip and reduce pressure for specific tasks if you have too much pressure. You cannot however typically get more pressure out of a pressure washer based on available horsepower and pump model. Pressure is relevant to removing debris such as mud, ice, heavy grease, and masonry mortar just to name a few examples.
GPM (Gallons per Minute) is the rate of the water flow. Flow is relative to how fast you apply soap, and rinse soap off. Volume in gallons per minute is also important relative to flushing debris already broken up by the pressure. Examples are cleaning shop floors, washing out trailers, and when dealing with large surfaces such as houses, buildings, buses, etc.
TEMPERATURE If it’s a Hot Water Pressure Washer temperature comes in to play based on the tasks at hand. If dealing with heavy oil and grease you need between 180 and 210-degree Fahrenheit. If you are not degreasing but washing exterior surfaces that are dirty you can do wash systems with maximum temperatures around 130-degree Fahrenheit. With lower temperature hot water systems, you avoid chemical being ineffective when mixed with too hot of water temperature. You may also avoid potential damage to windshields caused by extreme hot water contacting a cold windshield causing a crack if a window chip is present.
UNITS OF CLEANING It is not all about Pressure and gallons per minute. The best way to compare models in making the best decision based on the price paid and expected time save is to compare total units of cleaning, then apply it on a percentage basis to time saved. It is simple and here’s how you do it. A potential buyer is interested in a hot water pressure washer and is trying to determine if he can get by with a 1000 PSI at 3 GPM model, or if he should spend the extra money to purchase a 2000 PSI at 4 GPM model, both of which have 210-degree Fahrenheit Hot Water.
1000 (PSI) X 3 (GPM) = 3,000 Units of Cleaning
2000 (PSI) X 4 (GPM) = 8,000 Units of Cleaning
8,000 Units of Cleaning is 62% more than 3,000 Units of Cleaning. If there were two identical tractor/trailers being washed and one operator used the 1000 PSI at 3 GPM model with 3,000 Units of Cleaning which took him 2 hours (120 Minutes) and the other operator used the 2000 PSI at 4 GPM model with 8,000 Units of Cleaning it should take 74.4 minutes. Time is money, whether it is revenue based in how much more work you can do per day or savings based by the reduced amount of time spent cleaning with a larger model necessary before being able to paint a building or repair a piece of equipment.
A good rule of thumb is whatever you need for pressure and gpm with a hot water pressure washer you need double that if considering a cold-water model. Certain cleaning tasks involving heavy oil and grease removal cannot be accomplished without hot water to dissipate and remove oily residues.
What Safety Features Are On The Models I Am Considering
Regardless of what kind of pressure washer you choose, you should ensure that the following safety features are present.
- Thermal Pump Protector – Available on Force Fed Systems where a garden hose with city line pressure is supplying water directly to the high-pressure pump (No Float Tank). If an operator releases the trigger gun and leaves the unit running with the same small amount of water by-passing internally for too long, the water temperature can heat up from the friction of the pump pistons and create the potential for damaging pump packings (seals). Thermal pump protectors sense the water is getting too hot and open allowing fresh water in to the pump before internal seals are damaged.
- Thermostat, Adjustable High Limit, or High Limit Hot Water Models Only – Thermostats and Adjustable High Limits allow for operating temperatures to be set higher or lower based on cleaning tasks. High Limits are a non-adjustable safety feature which will turn the burner off once the high limit temperature is reached and turn the burner back on once the high limit senses the temperature has dropped.
- Ground Fault Interrupter – This is a National Code and required for safety of the operator from electrocution on all electric pressure washers.
What Options Are Included On The Unit I Am Considering?
You will remember your overall experience, long after you’ve forgotten about the price you paid. Below are a few significant features to inquire if you are getting which will enhance your experience.
- How many feet of high pressure hose is included? 25 ft., 30 ft., 40 ft., 50 ft.? and how much do I need for my intended uses.
- Flat Free Tires or Tube Style? Doesn’t matter if you have two tires or four, you cannot easily move anything with a flat tire.
- Low Oil Shut Off on Gas Engine Models protects the engine if the oil level is too low.
- Thermal Pump Protector saving you from unnecessary pump repairs.
- Are the fittings and high-pressure hose on the models I am considering Standard SAE threads readily available, or metric making it more difficult to possibly find locally.