These very useful machines have a wide field of application, but professional building painters use them mainly to remove loose paint and grime prior to repainting. This requires a much higher flow rate than a paint sprayer can provide, so for professional use, single phase electric motors do not have enough power and a petrol engine unit of at least 6.5 HP is needed. We recommend at least a 7.5 HP unit delivering about 3,000psi and 10 litres of water per minute.
Classic pressure washer jets have a flat spray fan similar to a paint spray tip. However to obtain a powerful cleaning action, a narrow jet is required, but to make this a useful tool, the jet rotates in a special head, to cover a wider area.
Heat increases the cleaning efficiently and some pressure washers incorporate an oil or gas fired heater. Some manufacturers supply separate heaters that are pressure rated to be connected to the output of the washer.
The cleaning efficiency can be further increased by the injection of detergents into the suction of the washer, or by injecting sand into a special spray wand, which has the advantage of eliminating the dust from dry sand blasting.
Useful accessories:
- Rotating, oscillating needle jet tips - Remove very tough deposits
- Gun extensions - To reach difficult to access places
- Sand injector - To improve abrasion of the jet
- Chemical injector - To clean greasy deposits
- Horizontal surface cleaner - Concentrates the wash power
There is a wide variety of pressure washers available which we can source, and we keep the Graco G-force™ range in stock that have the following features and benefits:
- Thermal relief valve - Prevents overheating and excessive packing wear
- Ceramic pistons - Long life
- Sturdy cart with big wheels - Easy to load and move on site
- Quick hose connection - One hand operation
- Washer spray tip (nozzle) storage - Tips always to hand