This is the ultimate visual guide to choosing a pressure washer according to its cleaning power – the PSI and GPM. Use this handy and clear pressure washer cleaning power chart to figure out which pressure washer will be ideal for you.
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There is a huge range of pressure washers available in the market, and choosing the right one is very important for you.
If you are going to use pressure washers for your home then there is no need to go in for the more powerful and commercial models. The electric pressure washers are ideal for keeping your house, yard and cars clean.
The best choice for home use is the electric pressure washer.
They are at the lowest range of cleaning power but can easily handle all common cleaning jobs. Their typical PSI is 1300 to 1800 PSI, but some higher power pressure washers can have PSI going up to 3000. Most electric pressure washers can handle common cleaning requirements like cars, garden furniture, outdoor plastic chairs, grills, barbecues, cycles, motorbikes, light mold or mildew, small decks and patios.
For tougher cleaning jobs go for the gas powered pressure washers.
These pressure washers run on fuel, usually gas, and have more power than the electric pressure washers. They are definitely more durable, can do almost every kind of cleaning job and as a result are more expensive. You should go in for a gas pressure cleaner only if you are going to be doing regular pressure washing and taking on bigger jobs, like cleaning your house sidings, driveways, big decks and patios, sidewalks and pavements.
Important Pressure Washer Features beyond the PSI, GPM and CU
The first thing that people usually check is the PSI and the power of the pressure washer, but there are other things that need to be considered too.
Flexibility and Quality of the Hose
It is important to have a high pressure hose of good quality. It must be strong enough to withstand the high pressure of the water and also be flexible enough for you to easily operate the pressure washer.
Inbuilt Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter or provision for one
When using an electric pressure washer ensure that the power cord is connected to a Ground fault Circuit Interrupter commonly called GFCI. This is very important for electrical safety, and many pressure washers come with this inbuilt. If it is not inbuilt make provision for connecting the power cable to a GFCI. If you are using extension cords that make sure that you are using only 12 or 14 gauge extension cords.
Detergent Tank and Storage of Hose
Try to choose a pressure washer that has an in-built detergent tank. This is very useful when doing cleaning jobs that require the use of special pressure washer grade detergents. Another feature that is desirable is having a provision on the pressure washer body, for safely storing the hose when the pressure washer is not in use.
Placement of Water Hose Inlet
An expert tip is ensuring that the water inlet is conveniently placed. Sometimes the placement of the water hose inlet is such that the machine has to be tilted to fix it.
Wands and Nozzles
The water from the pressure washer comes out from a nozzle that fixed to the end of a wand. Some models have an adjustable wand which only needs to be rotated to change the pressure settings. Usually different nozzles are fixed for obtaining different pressure. The nozzles come in angles from 0 degree to 65 degree.
If you have made up your mind about the kind of power you would like in your pressure washer, you can check out a few top selling models below:
Pressure Washers with 1300 to 2000 PSI
Campbell Hausfeld Pressure Washer 1900 PSI
AR Blue Clean AR383 1,900 PSI 1.5 GPM
Pressure Washers with 2000 to 3000 PSI
Karcher K5 Premium Electric Power Pressure Washer 2000 PSI
Powerplay PJR2000 PressureJet 2000 PSI
Koblenz HL-410 V Powerful 2200 PSI
Pressure Washers with 3000 to 4000 PSI and higher
Simpson MSH3125-S MegaShot 3100 PSI
Briggs & Stratton 20569 POWERflow+ 3000-PSI
Generac SpeedWash 7122 3200 PSI
Simpson PS3228-S PowerShot 3200 PSI
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