Pressure washers - can you adjust the PSI?

[jbett98]

Some smashed bug guts are corosive to clear coats when left on to long before cleaning. The most famous are the Florida Love Bugs.

 

[Member 361]

I just bought a BE pressure washer with a Honda engine and Cat pump. 4.2GPM, 4200 psi. It has an "unloader" on it so I can adjust the pressure down when needed. I needed something this strong as I have a lot of concrete to clean every year. Hooked it up to a 22 inch commercial surface cleaner and turned a 7-10 day job in to a 2 day job.

 

[Bacchus]

Some white Toyotas and some GM vehicles have been known to have paint issues where either they peel on their own, or vigorous cleaning can cause the paint to pop off.

You called it! It was a white Chevy Astro van.

 

[parallax]

There are a few youtube videos on how to adjust the pump pressures, but it would take some gauges and plumbing.

 

[jbett98]

House water pressure is another factor to consider.

 

[made in china]

Some smashed bug guts are corosive to clear coats when left on to long before cleaning. The most famous are the Florida Love Bugs.

Oh yeah, we road trip often. That stuff permanently scars clearcoat. I have heard that the damage occurs as soon as 1 hour after the guts get on the paint. You can't wash it off frequently enough in some areas. Some birds are just as bad. It's why I don't bother owning a vehicle that's too nice, road trips trash a vehicle. No amount of wax or ceramic coating can resist certain bug guts or bird crap.

 

[Pete F]

I bought a PW from Costco for around $900 (worth every penny) in the mid 90's. Honda 11 hp motor and almost 4 gpm - 3800 psi. It is the no 1 heavy duty PW at rental places. I used it often for around 20 years and then I started getting old. The slope from the shop to the driveway required a rest break and by the time I got it up to the house, I was done for the day.

It was a great PW, psi controlled by the choice of tips, and never had a problem until I couldn't drag it up to the house anymore. I used to put it in the bed of my truck, but that was no longer possible.

I lent it to my grand son and he had problems getting it up to speed/pressure. The carburetor was gummed up from lack of use.

I gave it to a friend that we used to hire to do heavy work around our 3/4 acre property that was uphill both ways. He repaired the carburetor and uses it to make money pressure washing customers houses and driveways as part of his landscaping business. Part of the deal was him coming over to do out house, concrete walls and driveway.

It was a good deal for all involved.

I miss the days when I could bench press 300+ pounds and work all day doing manual labor. Luckily we have enough retirement money saved that we can afford to have someone else do the work.

 

[jbett98]

I bought a used Whirl-A-Way surface cleaner from a guy that didn't need it anymore, as he was making a lot more money on asphalt comp extended life roof conditioning instead of cleaning driveways and sidewalks.
I paid $125.00 for it and it actually makes it fun instead of waving that damn spray nozzle back and forth for hours.

 

[kmk1012]

I bought a used Whirl-A-Way surface cleaner from a guy that didn't need it anymore, as he was making a lot more money on asphalt comp extended life roof conditioning instead of cleaning driveways and sidewalks.
I paid $125.00 for it and it actually makes it fun instead of waving that damn spray nozzle back and forth for hours.



View attachment 2111717

I have the Stihl version (read cheaper) of that and it is a lifesaver for as much cement areas we have around our property.

 

[The Heretic]

My pr. Washer was stolen years ago. Need to clean a deck so need to buy a new one. Most recommend lower pressure for deck cleaning. I don't think my old one had any way to regulate the pressure. Is it common to be able to regulate the pressure?

Recommendations welcome on which one to buy. My old one was Briggs engine and it was royal PITA. Prefer Honda engine.

Thanks for any insights I don't know much about them.

Yes for some washers. IIRC there is an adjustment on the pump itself? Also, you can get different nozzles that effectively will reduce the pressure. There is also an attachment that I have that I have not used in a long time, that can adjust the pressure.

You can also use the right nozzle and keep the nozzle distance further away from the surface being washed. If your deck is wood, then do not use high pressure nozzles or hold the nozzle close to the wood.

You can buy lower pressure washers - they have their ratings - mine is 3500 PSI+

 

[The Heretic]

I bought a PW from Costco for around $900 (worth every penny) in the mid 90's. Honda 11 hp motor and almost 4 gpm - 3800 psi. It is the no 1 heavy duty PW at rental places. I used it often for around 20 years and then I started getting old. The slope from the shop to the driveway required a rest break and by the time I got it up to the house, I was done for the day.

It was a great PW, psi controlled by the choice of tips, and never had a problem until I couldn't drag it up to the house anymore. I used to put it in the bed of my truck, but that was no longer possible.

I lent it to my grand son and he had problems getting it up to speed/pressure. The carburetor was gummed up from lack of use.

I gave it to a friend that we used to hire to do heavy work around our 3/4 acre property that was uphill both ways. He repaired the carburetor and uses it to make money pressure washing customers houses and driveways as part of his landscaping business. Part of the deal was him coming over to do out house, concrete walls and driveway.

It was a good deal for all involved.

I miss the days when I could bench press 300+ pounds and work all day doing manual labor. Luckily we have enough retirement money saved that we can afford to have someone else do the work.

Yeah - I pressure wash my driveway once a year. It is a multi-day chore (100 yards out to the private road, with a loop, and it widens out for 5 car parking near the shop, plus I have moss growing every where due to the trees shading it).

 

[Local Loader]

These are good ones, if you really want lower pressure than a lower GPM is what you want. I use the Husqvarna 2000 PSI Pressure Washer Electric which works really well for my needs, these are similar.

2000 PSI 1.2 GPM Electric Cold Water Pressure Washer with Induction Motor and Tubular Steel Frame

2000 PSI 3.5 GPM Electric Pressure Washer with POWERflow Plus Technology

 

[Capn Jack]

Just my 2 cents for my Sears Craftsman 3000 psi pressure washer.
I use it primarily for washing marine growth and winter moss off of my boat once a year. One day while I was using it, it "Walked" off of our narrow dock and went down into 13 ft. of salt water.
After I retrieved it, I thoroughly flushed everything with fresh water and then applied a liberal coat of WD-40.

That was 5 years ago and it still starts and runs after 2 -3 pulls.
( a little corrosion here and there )

 

[Pete F]

Yeah - I pressure wash my driveway once a year. It is a multi-day chore (100 yards out to the private road, with a loop, and it widens out for 5 car parking near the shop, plus I have moss growing every where due to the trees shading it).

Moss is my nemesis. I had new asphalt put on the driveway, 2" for around 300 feet and a three car parking area 8 years ago. By the next year, moss was growing on it and has gotten worse every year. Lots of 100' fir trees. I hate to use chemicals because of our pets and the neighbors pets. I am going to try zinc to see if I can kill the moss, not stain the asphalt and keep the concentration low to protect the pets.

Cement is tricky. Some chemicals, that work, will stain concrete. Never use iron compounds on concrete.

I can always call my Friend that I gave my PW to and have him do it when he has a couple of spare days - lol.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

Moss is my nemesis. I had new asphalt put on the driveway, 2" for around 300 feet and a three car parking area 8 years ago. By the next year, moss was growing on it and has gotten worse every year. Lots of 100' fir trees. I hate to use chemicals because of our pets and the neighbors pets. I am going to try zinc to see if I can kill the moss, not stain the asphalt and keep the concentration low to protect the pets.

Cement is tricky. Some chemicals, that work, will stain concrete. Never use iron compounds on concrete.

I can always call my Friend that I gave my PW to and have him do it when he has a couple of spare days - lol.

Just use baking soda from Costco in large bag size (online). It wipes out moss in no time.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

Good info on this thread and the comments are much appreciated! I checked out that dewalt one (Honda + cat pump) and Home Depot doesn't have it anymore. I found online at another place but about 50% of the reviews are one star. All were about assembly issues. Apparently Honda engine good, pump good, but dewalt screwed up when assembling (for the ones with bad reviews I mean). Some were catastrophic screwups and general build quality was said to be poor. I found this Simpson alternative with Honda engine + cat pump. Looks like the ticket. I'd rather not pay that much but lower cost alternatives all got a lot of bad reviews almost across the board. One place I read said the Axial pumps are 20-40 hour life expectancy whereas the Tri Axial pumps are 200-400 (I may be misremembering that 400 part but it was significantly higher). No wonder people rent these a lot. That's very low life on the consumer models. Electric won't work in my situation due to distance for some stuff I need to clean.

 

[Pete F]

Just use baking soda from Costco in large bag size (online). It wipes out moss in no time.

Baking soda would change the pH to neutral rather than acidic. Moss loves acidic environments.

I just happen to have a #50 sack of baking soda in the shop. May not be as fresh as it should, but a good way to use it up. Good suggestion, thanks.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

Baking soda would change the pH to neutral rather than acidic. Moss loves acidic environments.

I just happen to have a #50 sack of baking soda in the shop. May not be as fresh as it should, but a good way to use it up. Good suggestion, thanks.

Works a charm. I spread it on roof, walks, etc in the rainy season and moss just disappears over time. You lucked out baking soda is spendy now!

 

[The Heretic]

Moss is my nemesis. I had new asphalt put on the driveway, 2" for around 300 feet and a three car parking area 8 years ago. By the next year, moss was growing on it and has gotten worse every year. Lots of 100' fir trees. I hate to use chemicals because of our pets and the neighbors pets. I am going to try zinc to see if I can kill the moss, not stain the asphalt and keep the concentration low to protect the pets.

Cement is tricky. Some chemicals, that work, will stain concrete. Never use iron compounds on concrete.

I can always call my Friend that I gave my PW to and have him do it when he has a couple of spare days - lol.

I have used the zinc powder products for my roof and they work.

I use vinegar on the driveway and that works too. I pressure wash in the hottest/driest part of the summer because that is when moss/et. al. is at its weakest.

 

[tjw]

Good info on this thread and the comments are much appreciated! I checked out that dewalt one (Honda + cat pump) and Home Depot doesn't have it anymore. I found online at another place but about 50% of the reviews are one star. All were about assembly issues. Apparently Honda engine good, pump good, but dewalt screwed up when assembling (for the ones with bad reviews I mean). Some were catastrophic screwups and general build quality was said to be poor. I found this Simpson alternative with Honda engine + cat pump. Looks like the ticket. I'd rather not pay that much but lower cost alternatives all got a lot of bad reviews almost across the board. One place I read said the Axial pumps are 20-40 hour life expectancy whereas the Tri Axial pumps are 200-400 (I may be misremembering that 400 part but it was significantly higher). No wonder people rent these a lot. That's very low life on the consumer models. Electric won't work in my situation due to distance for some stuff I need to clean.

From my experience using a pressure washer for 13 years (my wife and I owned/operated a house painting company), the Honda engine and Cat pump proved to be a good combo. We liked the Cat pumps because they held up well, and could also be rebuilt.