Pressure Washing King

Servicing All Your Pressure Washing Needs. Residential & Commercial

Pressure Washer – How To Buy The Right One?

So your thinking of purchasing a pressure washer. Whether you are purchasing a unit for commercial use or for personal DIY use it is important that you consider several different points before you decide upon a unit. Don’t get into a situation where a salesman pressures you into buying a unit you don’t need or that will not be up to the tasks that you will perform. Some points that you will want to consider include

1. Type of use – home or commercial?
2. Hot or Cold Water?
3. How much PSI and/or GPM do I really need?
4. Belt Drive Units vs Direct Drive.

Home or Commercial Use?

The first consideration should be centered around the type of use the unit will be exposed to. Will you be using the washer for home use only or do you plan to use it in a commercial or industrial setting? This will make a big difference in the type of machine needed and the cost involved.

Home Use. For occasional use around the home you can invest in a less expensive machine. Since the unit will not be used very often manufacturers can use less expensive components. As an example you might find aluminum pump heads and plastic valves on a lower priced home unit while a more expensive commercial grade unit will have brass pump heads and stainless steel valves. Since you will not need a machine with excessive output capabilities this too helps in keeping the cost down. A home machine is usually a cold water unit. It can be either a gas engine unit of 5 to 8 HP or an electric unit. Most home units produce between 1000 and 2000 psi. The electric machines tend to be at the lower end of the power scale.

Commercial Use. If you plan to use your machine for business purposes such as a pressure washing business you will definitely need to spend the extra money and purchase a machine that can withstand the rigors of heavy use and will perform quickly and efficiently out in the field. Be sure your commercial unit has quality components throughout such as brass pump heads. You should also be sure to buy a machine known for quality in all parts of the machine. For instance, be sure to have a quality un-loader valve (this releases the output pressure when you release the wand trigger and loads the pressure back to the hose when you squeeze the trigger again).

Article part 2 continues on this page Pressure Washer 2