Best Pressure Washers: Top Features to Look For

There are many different pressure washers on the market today. You may have difficulty deciphering which one you want based on all the availability and features that each has.

Since no one pressure washer is identical to another, you want to make sure that you make the best pick possible so that it suits your varying needs.

Are Gas or Electric Pressure Washers better?

You can get a pressure washer in either gas or electric. Each has a varying degree of benefits. Since they aren’t the same and both pressurize differently, make sure you are getting the one that will meet your needs best.

Gas-powered pressure washers are generally louder than electric ones. However, that is because they produce more power. On the other hand, electric pressure washers are generally quieter but not as powerful.

Therefore, if you don’t have a large area to clean or aren’t dealing with very difficult messes, an electric pressure washer is the way to go.

Do Cold or Hot Water Electric Pressure Washers work better?

Yes, pressure washers can produce either hot or cold water. Cold pressure washers are the most common and the easiest to find. Another great thing about cold pressure washers is that they are generally more portable.

Hot water pressure washers generally clean better because they use hot water. Generally, they sanitize better use less soap because of hot water cleans better than cold water does. These pressure washers are best used for extensive messes and larger areas.

Coldwater pressure washers generally do the trick when it comes to your usual types of washing.

What to know about electric pressure washer Portability

As mentioned above, gas-powered pressure washers are more portable out of gas and electric. However, that isn’t the only factor to consider when it comes to being portable. You want to know how easily it can be wheeled or how heavy it is.

Find a pressure washer you can easily roll around yourself. One that will go over the hose without much difficulty and one that isn’t too heavy for you to handle alone.

How to understand electric pressure washer Power

Most pressure washers’ power can be measured either in pounds per square inch (PSI), gallons per minutes (GPM) or less often, Cleaning Units (CU). The higher the numbers, the more power your pressure washer produces. It really is that simple.

What accessories should you look for to go with your pressure washer?

There are just as many accessories that are included in the features that you should look into according to your needs. Here are a few of them.

How to pick the right Nozzle Tips

The nozzle tips come in a range of colors that each indicates a spray width. The narrower the pray pattern, the more pressure the tip provides. Red is the narrowest of them all, and black or blue is best for spraying soap as they are the widest.

How to use the Reservoir for Soap in a pressure washer

When you are looking to use soap to clean, you may want a pressure washer that has a built-in soap reservoir. More often than not, you will find the soap reservoir on electric power washers. Using the soap feature allows you to pre-soak your cleaning area.

How to use Various Cleaning Tools

There are two types of additional cleaning tools you can get with a pressure washer on top of the usual wand. A telescope wand extender which allows you to reach higher places with minimal ladder use and a surface cleaner. The surface cleaner looks like a disk and fits on the end of your wand in place of the nozzle.

Conclusion: What is a good pressure washer?

You don’t want to purchase a pressure washer and find out it doesn’t come with the features you need your pressure washer to have. What is good or not for a pressure washer really depends on what your needs are.

Every pressure washer on the market has its pros and cons. Therefore, you must do your homework, weigh the features, and make sure you are getting the right pressure washer for you.

Resources— Hunker, ToolsInAction, ConsumerReport

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