What You Need To Know Before Using A Pressure Washer
Posted by Chris Channing | Posted in General Advice | Posted on 26-04-2010
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Using a pressure washer to clean your home or commercial space can save you a lot of time and money, especially if you have decided to clean it yourself. Driveways, sidewalks, patios, pool decks, courtyards and even outdoor barbecues can be cleaned quickly and effectively with this tool, but it is important to know how to use it properly in order avoid damaging these surfaces, the machine you’re using, or harming yourself.
There are two varieties of pressure washers: those that are essentially attachments and fit directly into any ordinary home garden hose and those that are a machine in an of themselves, usually powered by a motor. Both take the pressure produced by flowing water and concentrate it through a funneled nozzle, such that a greater pressure of water is produced and directed over a smaller surface area.
the first comes in the form of a nozzle attachment that is meant to be combined with the every day household garden hose. Although it is not a true pressure washer, it can help to complete certain pressure washing tasks, and it is relatively safe and easy to use. This variety is found at most home and garden stores.
The motorized versions are powered by pumps, which run with the aid of gasoline engines or an electric motor. The hose end of these pressure washers is called a spray wand. The spray wand is similar to a hose, except that is rigid and has a handle with a sort of trigger that acts as the release valve. As with garden hose attachments, the spray wand uses a variety of interchangeable, removable tips that concentrate the pressure stream of water into a particular shape (such as a linear spray) or funnel it further to give it more power.
Before trying to use your pressure washing tool, it is extremely important that you read though the entire user’s manual, particularly if your first use will be a difficult cleaning job. Not all pressure washers work in exactly the same way, so it is best to become acquainted with how your machine functions before hand, so that you know how to control it once it is up and running. Not doing this could be catastrophic, resulting in damage to property, machinery or physical wounds to yourself and those around you.
All motorized models will come with a variety of attachment nozzles, each designated for a specific cleaning task. The most common nozzles and their respective uses are as follows. The sixty five degree spray pattern, the wides of the nozzles, is the safest nozzle and is suited for applying cleaning fluids or detergents on to exterior surfaces before washing. The forty degree spray pattern is also fairly wide and is adequate for light cleaning, while the twenty five degree tip is before general cleaning, and the fifteen degree wide spray pattern is optimum for heavy duty cleaning. The smallest, most powerful and most dangerous of these is the zero degree nozzle. Exercise caution and good judgment when using the zero degree nozzle, as it is meant for only the toughest of cleaning jobs.
Safety accessories are essential and for anyone using a pressure washer, these should always include safety goggles, ear protectors and work gloves, no matter whether the wash is taking place in your backyard or in a commercial area.
Learn more on general pumps and High Pressure Hose.
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