Pressure cleaners are designed to concentrate water in a stream directed at any surface, usually via a lance or some other attachment. They are useful for cleaning surfaces that have caked on direct, grease, plant residue, or other material across a large surface area. Today we give you the ultimate guide to buying the best pressure cleaner.
How does a pressure cleaner work?
Pressure cleaners are known by a few different names, like pressure washers, pressure cleaners, power washers, or water blasters.
They are all designed very similarly. Generally, they have a water pump, a motor that will take in water from a source. Then the pump pushes the water through a hose and out a lance or gun, at high pressure.
The best pressure cleaner will work wonders compared to scrubbing with a brush or broom.
Without a doubt, they are the quickest and most effective way to clean, anything from, heavily soiled areas, dirty tiles, grimy or stained paving and paths, cars, plant, or equipment.
Can I get pressure cleaner attachments?
Yes, you can. There are a lot of different cleaning nozzle attachments that will control the water spray. Different nozzles can also be used for cleaning different surfaces. There are also other attachments like Whirlaways, Drones, and many different tooling attachments.
What to look for in the Best Pressure Cleaner
Power source
Choosing the best pressure cleaner for your requirements starts with the power source. You have three options
Petrol High-Pressure Cleaners
Always fitted with a petrol-powered engine. They tend to be a little bit more robust. Their run time is only limited by the size of the fuel tank.
Diesel High-Pressure Cleaners
Just like their petrol cousins, a diesel-powered engine is fitted to the pressure cleaner. Diesel-powered cleaners are generally found in harder environments like wash pads and mining applications.
Electric High-Pressure Cleaners
Electric powered units are generally fitted with a cord that plugs into a wall socket for power. They work best where fumes are an issue. They also tend to be quieter to run than a diesel or petrol pressure cleaner.
You are limited by the length of the power cord to how far you can take your pressure cleaner. You might need to also use a power extension lead. Some electric hire pressure cleaners can also be powered by external Generators.
Attachments and nozzles types
Depending on the type of work you are doing with a pressure cleaner. The best pressure cleaner will usually come with a few different nozzles or attachments.
You can always buy after-market parts for a wide range of pressure cleaners if your needs change.
Rotary nozzle
Also referred to as a turbo nozzle. It works best cleaning areas that are heavily soiled areas lick concrete footpaths and driveways.
The pressurized water spurts out in a circle which will pulse intermittently. You might feel the vibrations in the lance.
The tip is designed with a rotating part that will rattle if you shake it. That part spins with water flowing through it, which causes the rotary spray action.
Fan Nozzle
Fan nozzles are great for large areas that aren’t too dirty. They spray a wide spray of water, which can be adjusted to a form a tight spray.
Perfect for cleaning things like the outside of houses, just be careful you don’t get to close to your paint. A high-pressure cleaner can also strip paint.
Pencil nozzle
This nozzle will produce water in a tight beam. Which is perfect for cleaning small areas. Just be careful as a tight pressure spray can damage the surface being cleaned.
Brush attachments and accessories
Depending on the manufacturer brand of pressure cleaner you buy. You can get attachments like rotary brushes, which attach to the lance.
They are designed to work as a brush cleaning paths and patios.
You can get different designs of brushes that are fixed or rotating. Which are generally used for cleaning cars.
Lance and Hose Length
The gun or lance if the bit you hold to direct the water spray. With different lengths available, it’s best to use one which means you don’t need to bend over to get near your target.
Hose lengths will vary from a few meters to more than twenty meters. Just take the time to work out what you want to use the pressure cleaner for and buy the hose length to suit.
The best pressure cleaner for cleaning a dozer or grader might need 20 meters of hose, which is very different from cleaning a patio out in your back yard. Which might only need 5 meters.
You should always make sure your hose and lance are kept neat when not in use.
Detergent applicators
The best pressure washer cleaner will come with a built-in detergent applicator. Which works in conjunction with the water, and gives you soap used for cleaning anything. Most leading brands are now offering a selection of nozzles as a selection.
Automatic cut off
It’s all about safety. You do not want a high-pressure cleaner that will start up and fire a stream of pressurised water on its own.
That’s what the trigger mechanism on the lance is for. This means that the pressure cleaner should only run with the trigger depressed.
Wheels on the chassis
Small house hold units will generally be light enough to pick up and carry on their own. But the bigger the pressure cleaner the more wheels are needed to be able to either push or pull the unit around.
Water usage
Depending on how much water flow rate your pressure cleaner uses. Pumps on pressure washers are usually rated as Liters Per Minute.
Noise it will make
High-pressure cleaners can be very noisy, especially petrol and diesel units. You can expect anywhere between 78 to 100Db.
Specialist pressure cleaning manufacturing companies like ThoroughClean or Jetwave can make specialized units for environments where the sound is muffled. This is great where you are cleaning at night in residential areas where noise is a issue.
How much PSI do I need?
High-pressure cleaners can be anywhere from 1000 psi up to 60,000 PSI. PSI stands for Pound-force per square inch.
In Australia when you get a pressure cleaner over 5 600 BAR LPM, formal training is needed through a registered training organisation.
Over 5600 Bar Litres Per Minute pressure cleaners are referred to as ultra-high-pressure cleaners or UHP for short. ThoroughClean has a great online training course for Class A pressure cleaners.
Renting or owning
Depending on the length of the job you want it for, and the frequency you might use it.
You can either buy a pressure cleaner outright or rent a pressure cleaner for a short-term project through most general hire companies like Coates or Kennards
How to use a pressure cleaner
- Connect the water source to the cleaner
- Turn on the water supply
- Attach the right nozzle for the area you’re cleaning
- Hold the nozzle about a meter away from the surface (closer if you want more pressure)
- Move the lance (or wand) in a sweeping or circular motion at a 45° angle to avoid splashback
- For cleaning walls, start from the top and work your way down to avoid streaking
- Never use a ladder for hard-to-reach places, instead use an extension pole
- Remember to spot-test before getting started to make sure it won’t damage the surface.
That is it, we hope it helps our ultimate guide to buying the best pressure cleaner.
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