The main difference is that power washing uses highly pressurized steam to do the cleaning while pressure washing just uses unheated tap water, without the help of a heating element.
Power washers are not only faster than pressure washers, but they are also environmentally friendly. Professional power cleaning services save time and money by eliminating the need for scrubbing or scraping your hard floors or carpets, or surface-level grime that builds up over time.
The main difference with power washing vs. pressure washing is the heat. The jet wash in a power washing machine uses heated water, whereas the water in a pressure washer is not heated.
Different Types of Pressure Washers
Pressure washers are available in two main varieties: gas and electric.
Heavy-duty tasks like stripping paint or removing graffiti require 2,800 psi or higher and a gpm of 3 to 4 (8,400+ ECUs). Commercial-grade pressure washers, intended for regular use and built and powered accordingly, start at 3,100 psi.
PSI Pressure range for Different Surfaces
Soft surfaces, such as decks and siding, usually require more cleaning power than harder surfaces such as driveways. For hard surfaces, such as concrete and brick, a higher PSI pressure washer with 2000-3000 PSI of water pressure is ideal.
The answer is yes – you can power wash with just water! However, there are a few things that you need to keep in mind when doing this. In this blog post, we will discuss the pros and cons of power washing with water, and we will also give you some tips on how to do it correctly.
The downside to using pressure washers is that they tend to cause damage to surfaces that are too delicate. In addition, the high pressure of the water spray can cause damage to surfaces you don't intend for it to reach, such as brick or stone surfaces.
The strong spray from a pressure washer can cause serious wounds that might first appear minor. Wounds that appear minor can cause a person to delay treatment, increasing risk for infection, disability or amputation. The fast, strong spray can throw objects that strike and injure others who are close by.
The downside to these pumps is the pressure demand switch is usually a weak point that fails about once a year. The pressure switch senses demand (i.e., you're squeezing the spray gun trigger) and turns the pump on. The constant off and on takes its toll on this switch, which is usually the first component to fail.
Speed is certainly part of the allure, but it's not the only benefit. With projects that have a lot of hard-to-reach corners, angles, or sides—think baluster spindles, the slats in an Adirondack chair, or the nooks and crannies of furniture—a handheld sprayer can be easier to work with than a small brush or roller.
All three unanimously named Karcher, Simpson, and Generac as top pressure washer brands. Some other brands they mentioned as great options include Sun Joe, Ryobi, Greenworks, and DEWALT. Williams says, "In my experience working with different pressure washer brands, I've learned that not all machines are created equal.
An electric pressure washer is a great option if you're looking for a practical tool for general cleaning jobs. As we've explained earlier, electric machines are powerful enough to clean off most dirt and grime, including old paint, mold, grease, plant residue, and much more.
You can use a pressure washer on wooden decking, stones or brick paved patios which are bound together with concrete. However, we don't recommend using it to clean a block-paved patio, as it will simply wash away all the sand and dirt which binds the bricks together.
It Can Harm The Unit
Without water to cool and lubricate it, the pump will work harder than it should, causing it to wear down quickly. This can happen even with just a few seconds of running the pressure washer without the water being turned on. However, the pump is not the only part that takes damage.
A standard vertical shaft power washer comes with a 100-hour life expectancy, whereas a standard horizontal shaft pressure washer comes with 400 hours of life expectancy.
All you do is add soap or cleaner, screw it onto the end of your garden hose and start spraying. David had the front of our house soaped up in no time. We let the soap work its magic for 10 minutes as the cleaner packaging instructed. I used a bristle brush to scrub some of the really dirty spots.
It depends on what you're cleaning. Cold water is recommended for high volume low pressure applications to knock away caked on mud and debris or when stripping away paint. For all other applications Hot water will allow for faster cleaning and reduce the amount of detergent required.
There are several reasons not to put it in your pressure washing system: While bleach is effective in killing mold and mildew, it really is not the best solution for cleaning. Bleach can be used to prep for paint, but it will corrode hose nozzles and pump seals. It can essentially destroy your pressure washing system.
Medium Duty 2000-2800 PSI
This classification ranges from as low as 2,000 PSI to as high as 2,800 PSI. You can use a medium-duty pressure washer for almost any surface. They're great for cleaning concrete, brick, and wood.
If you want to clean your driveway quickly and efficiently, use a pressure washer of at least 3100 PSI. Using pressure washers with pressures ranging from 1000 to 2300 PSI will also help you clean your driveway, but it will take a long time.
Concrete cleaning calls for powerful pressure washers featuring high pressure levels of 3000 PSI. However, if you will be using the power cleaner to maintain a range of surfaces in addition to concrete, choose one with adjustable pressure levels and set it to about 3000 PSI when you need to clean concrete.