Are you searching for a power washer, correct? You want it to tackle all of these tough jobs , but simultaneously you certainly do not like to pay significantly more for extra capacities you do not need. You are right! The power washer basically should certainly match the type and difficulty of you are going to make use of it for. Not more, nor less. There is no point to invest more cash on too powerful power washer you would not use NOR to spend less initially but lose hours whenever using it. Read this quick guide to figure out the distinctive grades of pressure washers.
There are 3 grades of units, based on their durability: for consumer, prosumer or professional grade.
Consumer use
Research demonstrates that individuals use their pressure washers for about 20-30 hours per annum. Usual applications are light duty jobs such as cleaning windows, patios, driveways and walkways, pressure washing boats, various vehicles, reviving wood decks and fences, etc.
Cleaning units (CU) are used to compare power cleaners for home use. CU is equal to PSI multiplyed by GPM. For example, you will have 12000 CU if your pressure washer has 4 GPM and 3000 PSI. The bigger the CU number means that you are getting more pressure, and your job will be finished faster.
Usual homeowner pressure washer is more inexpensive and robust than commercial pressure washer and industrial units.
Wise is to invest in small electric cleaner (not more than 1500 PSI) or compact gas unit (not more than 2000 PSI) if you intend to make use of it only a hundred hours per annum.
Commercial use
If you intend to use the pressure washer between 100 and 1000 hours per year, you would prefer to choose a commercial-grade model. Apart from longer life of the equipment, greater power may also allow you clean better and faster. These are middle-class units that function better and are more sturdy than their little homeowner brothers, but do not have the effectiveness and sturdiness of industrial models.
For commercial and professional units the CU formula above is not really an effective factor for comparison. Specifically, for their purposes PSI is less important than GPM because it will help you finish the work more quickly. In power washing business, you are not paid per hour, so you will certainly want to finish it in less time. At this case, make sure you discuss with your pressure washer dealer what you will be power washing. You will get a good recommendation on the best GPM and PSI for your case.
Professional grade
For heavy-duty applications and use for well over a thousand hrs per annum you should go for industrial use pressure cleaners. These are generally constructed with the top quality parts such as pumps with brass heads, valves made of stainless steel, use most reliable motors and are belt-driven. Pumps working with reduced speed (gear or belt drive) rotate at a much lower speed than the motor which extends their lifespan. Professional machines are extremely sturdy, they will work in harsh environments eight hours per day, seven days of the week. They are the most expensive units available on the market due to the top quality elements inside.
In short: paying more dollars on a power washer usually indicates that you will have greater quality machine that will get better results than its less expensive alternative. As its most important parts like pump and engine will be more robust, your power cleaner definitely will have longer life.
Thank you for reading our article on differences between homeowner, prosumer and professional power cleaners. Your comments and suggestions will be greatly appreciated!
