Please Don't Make the Mistake of Buying the Wrong Pressure Washer, Read This First...
Your Guide to Buying The Right Pressure Washer
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If you've got some really heavy outdoor cleaning needs, then maybe it's time to invest in a high powered pressure washer. When I say heavy duty, I don't mean cleaning the soapy runoff from your car wash. If you want to clean off a deck that's really been battered by the elements, you could use a water hose, but that'd take forever. Not to mention killing your water bill as well as being wasteful. In such cases, what you need is a pressure washer. These bad boys will blast the dirt right off whatever surface you point it at, while spending much less water than your average garden hose. A heavy duty pressure washer can cut the time it takes to do clean up jobs in half.
The average pressure washer is 10-50x stronger than using a garden hose, while being up to 80% more water efficient. How strong of a pressure washer you need depends greatly on it's intended application. For instance, if you plan on using the pressure washer to clean your car or cleaning a dog kennel, you'll get a pressure washer that's a little lighter on power. However, you'll need a more powerful pressure washer if you plan on washing decks, and an even bigger pressure washer to handle large jobs like household exteriors. Generally, you'll want to get a pressure washer that'll meet your biggest job. But you don't want to get a pressure washer that's too powerful either - the most powerful of washers will easily damage car paint jobs.
When looking for pressure washers, it's important that you understand the lingo. PSI is the most common term you see. It stands for pounds per square inch, and is used to measure the the power of your pressure washer. Between 1200-1350 psi is recommended for car wash jobs and other light cleaning jobs. 1500-2200 psi is recommended for jobs like washing the decks, while 2200+ is for household exteriors and pro jobs. How powerful of a washer will usually dictate the type of pressure washer you need to buy. The low-power washers are usually electric, while high powered ones are generally gas.
Cleaning around the house doesn't have to take you forever. Investing in a pressure washer could pay dividends after just 1-2 jobs. When buying a pressure washer, pick the most powerful machine that you can, that meets your needs without causing damage to your property. A little research now can prevent a huge headache later.
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