How to choose a pressure washer?

September 12, 2019

A pressure washer is great for washing house facades, patio chairs, tables, and cars. With its help, you can quickly remove even stains that were impossible to remove with a hand brush.

In order to choose the right pressure washer, it is necessary to consider several factors: Where do you plan to use it? Do you want it for home use or professional use? What kind of power do you need?

The devices are divided into several categories:

Household
Semi-professional
Professional

Household pressure washers

A household appliance will be sufficient for washing your car or garden equipment a few times a month, and it is guaranteed to serve you for at least 100 engine hours per year.

Such devices have a power of up to 1.5 kW, a maximum jet pressure of up to 110 bar, and a water supply of 420 liters per hour. This is quite enough to clean a lightly soiled car or motorcycle and cool garden paths.

To achieve perfect cleanliness, you will still need to use a brush, car shampoo, etc. But in all cases, the process will be significantly easier.

Such a tool is designed for 3-4 hours of work per week and, if you do not overload it, it will serve you faithfully for many years.

Semi-professional washing machine

Semi-professional pressure washers are more powerful than household ones. The water supply capacity reaches 500 liters per hour, the maximum pressure is 160 bar and the power is 2.1 kW.

Such a machine can easily wash 2 cars a week, garden paths, and house facades, but to wash off heavy dirt, a stream of water alone will not be enough here either.

A semi-professional device will be able to pump water out of the tank on its own; you will only need to purchase an additional hose with a strainer and valve.

Professional washing machine

Designed for regular use, it comes with a full set of additional tools, power can reach 5 kW, maximum pressure 215 bar, and water jet power 700 l/h.

Thanks to additional tools, it is possible not only to remove old paint, but also to wash trucks and tanks. This device will be very good for a large family with several cars, on a farm, in a car wash.

If a household appliance takes 45 minutes to 1 hour to wash a car, a professional one equipped with tools can do it in 15 minutes. They can also clean stubborn dirt without contact, without the use of a brush.

In this regard, Karcher high-pressure washers are considered the world leader.

Pump housing - Household appliances usually have a plastic housing, but this does not necessarily mean that it is a low-quality product.

Plastic is cheap and light, does not rust, but of course is relatively weak. Any crack makes the pump impossible to repair, in case of damage you will either have to replace it completely or buy a new unit.

Branded models use very strong and durable analogues of stainless steel, alloys of aluminum, copper and other non-ferrous metals. Metal is considered much more durable, therefore the price is relatively high.

Pump/piston material - the best option is cermet, metal is also very good. The better the quality, the more emphasis the manufacturer has placed on its parameters.

As already mentioned, the higher the supply pressure, the more effectively it removes dirt.

On good machines, the pressure can be adjusted, high-pressure washing is certainly good, but not in all cases. If you can't adjust the water jet pressure, then you will have a hard time washing your bike or scooter.

Water heater - Today, there are also devices with water heaters on the market, they are designed to remove strong and deep stains, as well as for winter conditions.

It is often used in food factories, construction, and agriculture. These features increase the weight and size of the machine.

Recommendations for use:

There are rules that, if followed, will increase the life of your device:

Never turn off the machine while it is running at maximum power. Avoid hydraulic shock which will cause the pump to malfunction.
Use it especially carefully in the winter. For example, before using hot water, you should either warm up the car or wash it with warm water.
Drain any remaining water from the machine, especially if frost is expected, and store the machine in an unheated room.
Additional tips on how to choose a Karcher .

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