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How to choose the best pressure washer

Don’t we all just love a big home with a lovely garden and a big front deck? But bigger sizes come harder maintenance work, but maybe it’s worth it. Imagine those Sundays having  friends over for a barbecue, drinking and chatting, enjoying the view of your lovely garden.

Or maybe you just need to clean your driveway.

Regardless, you’ve decided you need a pressure washer, but unsure about all the logistics behind it. Worry no more, because we’re here to help. Collecting from various sources of The Best Pressure Washers: TOP 10 Models to Buy for a Powerful Clean, this article lays down the essential things you need to know about a pressure washer.

Do you really need to buy a pressure washer?

Because there are options for you to choose from. The cheapest one cost around $150, while the more expensive could charge up to $500. A pressure washer is a long-term investment, and there is no one-size-fits-all answer. The highest rated pressure washer is one that suits your needs.

If you’re only planning to use it once a year or for decorating a house that you will soon sell, renting probably makes more sense. You should find them available and ready for rent at many rental centers. Pressure washers are bulky and buying one means that you have to make the space to store it and the effort to maintain it.

But if you do have a big house and intend to clean once every season, the frequency more than justifies the purchase. Top rated pressure washers are powerful and should be able to clear dust out in half the time it normally takes traditional rub and scrub. So once you’ve known your frequency, why don’t we look into the nitty-gritty of how they work?

How do pressure washers work?

It’s pretty incredible, isn’t it-- the way that these monstrous-looking machines actually clear years-long gathered dust in a matter of minutes? If you’re someone that’s been scrolling through the Internet, looking at people’s decks photos before and after clean (like I did), you must be (insanely) curious as to how these home pressure washers work. If you don’t, well, it can’t hurt to know.

Basically, pressure washers run on a motor that generates force that pushes water through a long, narrow hose. These blasts of water are incredibly strong because they are squeezed out under high pressure from within the motor. When water hits the surface, it creates something called “kinetic energy” that knocks dust off with the force of a hammer. Although intense, these forces are only water so it cannot do (much) damage to your property. Unless you are an engineer or have a special hunger for technical know-hows, that’s all you need to know.

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Well then.. What is the best pressure washer?

It depends. But best rated pressure washers usually have the following features.

- Strong cleaning power

This is measured by two indexes: the GPM (water flow rate) and PSI (the force of water). Combined, these two create the “cleaning units”, or CU, that gives you a comprehensive view of how a washer performs compared to another.

As for the meaning behind each index, experts explained that the PSI pushed the water from the surface, while the GPM carried it away. But for a more simplified version, the higher the GPM, the faster you can complete the cleaning, the more cars you can wash. Most washers have PSI range from 1,800 to 2,500-- very powerful compared with a garden hose, which runs at about 40PSI.

- Heavy, quiet motor

Now this is debatable. Most people would prefer a quiet motor so they wouldn’t disturb their neighbors, but if this is not an issue for you, then don’t let yourself be bound by it. For heaviness, it depends on the structure of your washer as well. For smaller power washers, they tend to tilt over when being dragged across the yard, so a heavy motor helps weigh down the washer, keeping it balanced and avoiding tilting. If, on the other hand, your washer is already big and bulky, it doesn’t matter whether the motor is heavy or light.

For quieter motors, induction seems to rank higher than universal. The former has been described to only emit a low hum when in use, while the latter discharges a roar. So really, watch out for that old lady next door. Inductions also tend to be heavier. Finally, it’s worth mentioning that inductions are often more expensive - an extra $50 to $70 more than universal, but they last longer in exchange for the money.

Long hose

You would probably want to find the longest hose there is on the market, because imagine having to drag along the heavy washer every time you move. The long hoses will also allow cleaning hard-to-reach crooks and corners, and they usually don’t cost that much.

- A good nuzzle

The nuzzle is the sole of every best rated pressure washer. It is part of the reason why the water comes out powerful and goes very far. With a garden hose, the water can’t reach too far from your feet until you block the exit with your finger. With reduced space, velocity increases, allowing water to travel a longer distance. This is how a nozzle works.

New pressure washer often comes with 3 to 4 color coded nozzles with different angles. The angle is responsible for how directly water touches the surface and is measured by how much water is spread out on a given surface. For example: 0 degree angle means that water is shot directly, therefore creating the largest force. The larger the angle, the less pressure is generated. To make it easier to imagine, 40 degrees is the angle we use with hair or window spray-- very gentle so we don’t accidentally break our windows nor hurt ourselves.

- Big wheels

The bigger the wheels, the easier it is to drag the washer. You don’t usually get to choose what weather you’re going to clean your house in, so sometimes you might have to drag your washer through muds or damp grass, which obstructs the agility of the machine. The big wheels help overcoming this problem, but don’t worry too much-- it’s not the worst problem in the world. Big wheels are more for convenience than a deal-breaker.

How many types are there?

There are two main types: electric and gas pressure washer. Gas tend to be more powerful and last longer, but they require more maintenance and are more expensive. They are, in addition, bulkier so they’re more suitable for long-term, frequent use than a once-in-a-while project. Being bulky also means that they take up more space to store.

Electric pressure washers, in contrast, are smaller and less expensive, but they’re also less powerful. They, however, require less maintenance effort since you don’t have to refill gas back and forth and worry about oil clogs. Nevertheless, since they run on electricity, they are necessarily tethered to an outlet every time in use.

Final words

It has been a long and somewhat technical journey, but we hope that we’ve helped. We trust every decision that you’ll make, and we wish you good luck.

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