Choosing A System
High
Flow or High Pressure? Cold Water or Hot? Gas or Electric?
With
20 years of experience and over 60 power washing
machines to choose from, we’ll match your
specific cleaning needs with the equipment, accessories
and detergents you need most…at a price you’ll
really like!
Whatever
your reason for buying equipment, accessories or chemicals,
it’s our goal to help educate you. If you have questions
about what you need, read on. If you still have questions,
call or email us and we’ll be delighted to help
you.
Is
this power washer for home use or Commercial / Industrial
use?
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Home
use:
For home use (100 hours or less per year)
you’ll probably only need a smaller, less expensive
cold water machine. Generally, a gas or electric driven
machine producing 1000 to 2000 PSI
should be adequate.
A
word of warning though, many of the inexpensive machines
that can be purchased at local retail outlets are
not built to last much longer than their warranty
periods. |
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Commercial / Industrial use:
If you plan on using your power washer over 100
hours per year, you’re going to need a commercial
grade power washer. Commercial / Industrial power washing
equipment is designed for durability, repair-ability and
constant use.
When
selecting equipment that will be used frequently in tough
environments it is worth considering higher-grade machinery
that will last and provide good value. If you are operating
your power washer on a daily basis, choose equipment that
has been designed for heavy use.
Quality
is critical to the life of this of equipment. Remember,
it’s important to select a unit with top quality
components throughout and not just focus on the power
plant and pump. The
unloader valve that regulates the pressure causes most
power washer problems yet most people never consider the
quality of this critical component when making their buying
decision.
Do
I need HOT water or COLD?
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Hot
Water:
Everyone knows hot water cleans more effectively
than cold. In fact, cold water cleaning can only
match hot cleaning if chemicals are added to the
equation.
If
general cleaning and surface preparation is required
(painting contractors), cold-water machines are
usually adequate.
If,
however, there are oils, grease, gum or any type
of petrochemicals to be cleaned we always recommend
using hot water cleaning for speed and effectiveness. |
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Cold
Water:
Cold-water
power washers can be used successfully for many different
types of cleaning jobs. Using
the correct PSI (pressure of the water), GPM (flow of
the water), soaps and accessories will always ensure the
quickest clean with the least amount of operator effort.
To
maximize the cleaning effectiveness of cold-water machines
we strongly recommend adding a rotary cleaning nozzle
to the process. This will effectively double the cleaning
impact of the power washer saving you both time and money.
Selection
and use of the correct cleaning compounds is also critical.
There are as many cleaning chemicals as there are different
applications. Call or email us and we’ll be happy
to recommend the proper detergents for your specific job.
PSI
(pressure) vs. GPM (flow) – how much do I need?
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Home
use:
For the general purpose cleaning of siding,
decks, fencing, roofing, walkways and other jobs around
the house, 1000 to 2000 PSI will
provide adequate water pressure for deep cleaning
without damaging surfaces.
Moreover,
combine 2 to 3 GPM (gallons per minute)
of water flow with a rotary cleaning nozzle and you’ll
have more than enough scouring power for all your
miscellaneous cleaning projects. |
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Commercial
/ Industrial use:
To get good cleaning results in a reasonable
amount of time, commercial cleaning requires a minimum
of 2000 PSI and 3 GPM (gallons per minute)
for good rinsing action.
Note:
if you are powering a surface-cleaning machine (horizontal
surfaces), GPM or, the AMOUNT of water the machine produces,
becomes more important. If, on the other hand, you are
cleaning vertical surfaces, a low flow / higher PSI system
would generally be more appropriate.
System
pressure (PSI) is what provides the cleaning power while
flow (GPM) is what actually rinses / washes away the dirt.
Also, keep in mind that for a given amount of system horsepower
you can only get so much cleaning action so it’s
important that you “size” the machine correctly
for the work you need done.
We
thoroughly understand the needs of all cleaning applications
and are happy to answer any questions you may have about
which equipment, accessories or detergents will maximize
cleaning effectiveness for your specific application.
Should
I use Gas or Electrically driven cleaning machines?
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Electric
Driven:
Electrically driven power washing systems are practical
for home use, most stationary applications and indoor
use where the noise of a gas powered unit may be
a problem.
The
nice thing about electrically powered systems is
they tend to require less maintenance than their
gas driven counterparts and suffer less wear and
tear on costly components.
However, a minimum of 15 amps of
current are typically required to run electrically
driven power washing systems whether they are portable
or stationary. Larger commercial systems will generally
require 20 amps or more to run
efficiently. |
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Gas
Driven:
Gas powered systems, on the other hand, have the advantage
of producing more horsepower and being more portable than
electric power washers. Gas powered systems can also be
used in the widest variety of applications.
Gas
systems come in several different drive configurations;
belt, direct and gear drive. In direct drive systems the
pump and motor are connected directly and operate at the
same RPM.
The
advantage with direct drive is there are fewer parts than
belt driven systems, and tend to require less maintenance
than belt drive systems. The disadvantage of direct drive
systems is higher wear on the pump bearings that are constantly
turning at the same high speed as the motor.
Belt
drive systems use pulleys and belts to slow the speed
of the pump, which usually ensures longer pump life but
generally requires more maintenance to guarantee belts
are tight and not slipping on the pulleys.
Gear
drive systems have benefits of both belt and direct drive
systems in that they generally run the pumps at slower
speeds which results in longer pump life. The only drawback
is gear drive systems are sometimes a little more expensive.
What
about accessories?
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Accessorize
for efficiency:
Power washers sold for home and those sold for commercial
/ industrial use often vary a lot in the accessories
that are included and how they are set up.
Commercial / industrial grade power
washers make use of a wide variety of accessories
which greatly improve the usability and repair-ability
of the system.
The
convenience provided by quick couple hose fittings,
not found on less expensive “disposable”
machines, allow the operator to attach drain jetting
tools, surface cleaners, wand extensions and a wide
variety of other useful labor saving devices.
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“Disposable”
power washers sold for home use typically have the hose,
wand and nozzle all attached. This causes two problems.
First, you cannot easily attach other useful accessories
like a rotary nozzle or wand extension and second, if
any of the components break or fail, you’d probably
have to purchase uncommon replacement parts that may cost
as much as the original purchase price of the machine.
Call
or email us and we’ll be more than happy to recommend
the right accessories that can dramatically improve the
usefulness, profitablility and efficiency of your power
washing equipment.
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