Pressure washers buyer's guide
Cut through the mud, grime and oil. A pressure washer makes light work of the hardest cleaning jobs. From making your car shine to cleaning dirty patio slabs, a good pressure washer helps you keep your home and garden clean. So before buying one read our guide to picking an ideal model.
How they work
Taking an existing water supply, either from a mains tap or a water butt, and plugged into the mains electrical supply a pressure washer uses an electric pump to greatly increase the pressure of the water and deliver it in a controlled manner using a high-pressure nozzle. Delivering between 100 and 140 bars of water pressure it’s able to blast away stains from patio slabs.
Pick a pressure
The two key measures are water pressure and water flow. The water pressure rating indicates how much force is available for cleaning. Just as important is the amount of water that's delivered, which is measured in litres per hour. The more water the pressure washer distributes, the faster debris can be washed away.
Here’s a list of jobs and the recommended minimum pressure for them:
Light tasks - 100 bar
Garden equipment, furniture and barbecues
Cars, motorbikes and bikes
Children’s toys
Bins
Medium tasks – 110-120 bar
Fences
Guttering
Boats
Swimming pools, hot tubs and spa pools
Tough tasks – 120+ bar
Roofs
Garden decking
Paths, driveways and patios
Brick, stone and concrete walls
Farm machinery
Also think about
How far away from the water and electricity supply you will need to reach. You'll need a sufficiently long cable and hose.
Storing and manoeuvring
Wheels and a handle are useful, as are upright models where you have limited storage space. An auto stop/start feature that will prolong the life of the motor. A detergent tank that will provide extra cleaning power by releasing the right amount of detergent in the waterflow. A built in storage compartment that safely tidies away trailing cables and hoses.
Pressure washer accessories
Take advantage of additional pressure washer attachments, such as brushes, that have been designed to do specific jobs. Use a specially formulated detergent for extra powerful cleaning. A vario lance regulates the rate of water flow through the nozzle so it can be adjusted for different areas being cleaned.
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