Pressure Washing Guide

Midwestpro · Posted: Mon Dec 03, 2007 1:46 pm Post subject: Pressure Washers

There are many different pressure washers on the market today and deciding on which one will meet your needs will depend on what you plan to use it for and how often. Most units sold at the big box stores are direct drive units. The pump on a direct driven power washer is bolted directly to the engine meaning the pump operates at the same RPM’s as the engine and is susceptible to engine vibration. These units are the most affordable but traditionally don’t last as long as other units because of the excessive RPM’s and vibration the pump endures, but for most home owners these units are the most cost effective.

Other types of pressure washers include belt driven and gear reduction units. These units are more expensive but they last much longer compared to the direct driven units because the vibration and RPM’s are reduced before reaching the pump. These units are mostly used by exterior cleaning companies that are going to be using the unit on a daily basis.

Most people figure the bigger and more expensive the unit the more water pressure it will put out. This isn’t necessarily true, even a smaller pressure washer will put out plenty of pressure to clean concrete and other hard surfaces. For cleaning house siding, roofs and decks the pressure should be backed down even further. For an exterior cleaning company, pressure isn’t really the first concern. The cleaning speed actually comes from the amount of flow or gallons per minute (GPM) that the unit puts out. The more GPM the faster it will clean and normally the more expensive the unit. For pressure washing companies the right pressure, cleaners, and GPM are all key factors in efficient cleaning. Pressure washers or power washers can vary from 2 GPM to 10 GPM on up, choose the unit that best suits your budget and needs.

BigDBoots · Joined: 07 Jan 2010 Posts: 1 Location: Central NJ

Hi, I have a small landscaping business and want to add the service of powerwashing and deck stripping/sealing to my customers. I plan to purchase the Dewalt 3800 PSI/ 4.0 GPM Honda powered engine.... do you feel this is a quality machine worthy of small commerical use or should I purchase a Karcher? I have a deal on the Dewalt so was planning on theirs based on reputation and the steal of a deal.... any comments would be appreciated.

Thanks
BigD