When it comes to keeping things clean, purchasing a pressure washer is one of the biggest investment decisions you can make. There is so much you can do with this handy appliance that utilizes the pressure of water to keep things clean. 

But before investing in one, it pays to know exactly what you can do with one. Understanding how it works will also help you keep your pressure washer in good condition so you won’t have to manually scrub and scour surfaces around your home to fatigue. Before we take a brief look at how a pressure washer works, let’s take a look at some crucial parts of this extremely useful appliance so you stay in the know.

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Located at the rear end of the pressure washing machine, the water inlet allows water into the machine from the main water supply. The inlet has a filter inside that sieves out debris while slightly magnifying the pressure of your water.

Depending on the unit’s size, the pressure washer is either powered by an electric motor or a gasoline engine resembling the ones found in standard lawn mowers. The engine or electric motor is what powers the pressure washer water pump. The best thing about gas engines is that they come in handy when working in an area not near a power outlet. However, gasoline pressure washers tend to be a bit noisier and less friendly to the environment.

However, modern pressure washers that run on diesel are also available these days. According to the pros at Ablesales, diesel-powered portable generators are better than their petrol counterparts in terms of performance, energy consumption and quietness. This means that if your pressure washer is electric-powered, you may not have to worry about installing long cords (which can be risky) to use your pressure cleaning machine in areas far from an electric outlet. You can even use it when there’s a power blackout.

The water pump is basically the heart and should of a pressure washer. It’s the part that pumps water to generate the pressure. It does so by squirting water from the machine when the engine or motor sucks water from your supply or faucet. The water jet is so powerful enough to clean even the stubbornest stains from surfaces when mixed with a detergent or cleaning substance.

At the front end of the washer, there’s a tube through which the high-pressure water jets out in the cleaning attachment. The tube is made from high-density plastic (in two layers or more), which is often reinforced with wire mesh. The hose should have a higher pressure rating than the unit’s pump just in case your washer didn’t come equipped with its own hose. For a pressure washer that is rated 3000psi, you should fit a high-pressure hose that can withstand at least 9000psi.

A pressure washer can have several types of cleaning attachments, which can be interchanged based on what exactly you’re cleaning. Some common options include:

 

A pressure washer works using a simple principle. As water flows into the machine through the inlet from your faucet, the detergent solution also comes in through a separate hose. The detergent and water are then drawn by the pressure washer pump, where they’re mixed and sometimes heated up to 50 degrees Celsius or so. The pump then forces the hot solution of detergent and water out through the high-pressure hose into the cleaning attachment where it is forced out in a jet toward the surface being cleaned. At the cleaning attachment or nozzle, the water pressure is increased a bit more.

Pressure washers are one of the most versatile appliances/equipment in the home. They can be used for a wide variety of cleaning purposes. Some of the most common ways homeowners use pressure washers include, but not limited to the following:  

 

In a nutshell, there’s a lot you can do with a pressure washer, and having this information makes it an investment you won’t regret. Additionally, understanding how the unit works can help prolong its lifetime. With the above pointers in mind, choosing a great pressure washer also becomes an easy task for you.

If you have a problem cleaning something with oil or grease, hot water cleaning is the best, most efficient means of cleaning. You can use commercial hot water pressure washers for this.