!#1: Saving Stihl 600 Blower: April 2011

!: Electric Pressure Washers and What to Look For

Electric pressure washers are the perfect tool for cleaning decks, homes, vehicles, concrete and dirty dishes. Ok, maybe not the dishes, but if you have something sturdy and dirty, you, my friend, are in need of a pressure washer.

I was around ten years old when I had my first experience with a pressure washer. Some large man came to our house and "hosed" down all the wood siding. I hadn't noticed how dull and old our house looked, but boy, when he was done, it looked brand new! A few years later my dad bought an electric pressure washer and I got to use it on our driveway. It was a highlight of my adolescence: "What did you do this summer?" "I pressure washed everything within a mile radius of my house!"

These machines use high-pressure water to clean and remove all sorts of nasty things like mold, mud and dirt from surfaces. They come in different grades, from residential to commercial, saving you time no matter where you need it! Elbow grease and a garden hose may build character, but pressure washers build ego! I mean, this tool has a water pressure of anywhere from 1,000 p.s.i. (pounds per square inch) to 4,000 or more. No milquetoast is going to be brandishing one of these babies.

The main Components of electric pressure washers are a motor for the water pump, a high-pressure hose, and a pull trigger switch. Prices range from around 0 to over ,000 so it's important to know what you are looking for.

Apart from the main classifications, there a lots of different types of electric pressure washers out there, so let's have a little chat about how to buy exactly what you need.

Are you looking for a pressure washer for your home? A great place to start is with an electric cold water pressure washer; they are durable, easy to use, and just what you need to finish those tough jobs fast so you have more time for things you'd really like to be doing! Although wielding all the power these tools have to offer might just become what you'd really like to be doing! It's definitely the fought-over job in my home-who wouldn't want to play (very, very carefully!) with an oversize water gun? And there's definitely something to be said for taking aim and watching all the grime get washed away with one clear shot. Electric pressure washers aren't just for really big things-they are equally, if not more, useful for your car, boat, fence, outdoor furniture, wood (be careful on that one!), mucky gutters and really anything as long as you're smart and careful!

If your main use for a pressure washer will be for cleaning vehicles, it should have a somewhat low pressure so as not to strip the paint off- around 1,000 to 1,300 p.s.i. Even though that's a "low" pressure, be careful; these machines are extremely powerful- never point it at anyone! However, if you do want to strip paint off something, jump on up to around 2,500 p.s.i. or more. (And still don't point it at anyone.)

Most washers come with an assortment of tips that produce different spray patterns. A good starter tip is a 40-degree nozzle. It's a very broad spray pattern, so it's less aggressive. Test a small area of the surface, and if you need it, move up to a narrower spray for more power. If you have a specialty job, chances are you can find a specialty tip for more delicate operations.

One of the most important Components of electric pressure washers is what detergent you put in it. There are both liquid and powder soaps you can use with a wide range of prices. In this Case, it usually pays to step up a price level or you will end up paying for a less effective detergent.