How does a pressure washer work?

A pressure washer takes water supplied from a garden hose and adds pressure using a simple water pump powered by an electric motor or a gas engine. The pressurized water is delivered to the surface to be cleaned by a high-pressure hose, spray gun and nozzle.

Water at high pressure cleans faster and actually uses less water than cleaning with a standard garden hose. For comparison, a typical garden hose delivers water at about 40 PSI and 5 GPM for a rating of 80 CPU. A light duty electric pressure washer delivers water at 1300 PSI and 1.5 GPM for a rating of 1,950 CPU.

Using detergents or cleaning chemicals can also improve the cleaning ability of a pressure washer. Some models have built-in detergent tanks while others have detergent injector systems that use a hose to draw detergents straight from the bottle. Be sure to use chemicals that are recommended by the manufacturer to avoid damaging the pressure washer and specific to the surface being cleaned (don?t use wood surface cleaner on a car).

Electric Pressure Washers
Gas Pressure Washers
Reconditioned Pressure Washers

Click on a topic below for more information:

• What to do when your K-2400 pressure washer loses pressure
• Pressure washer basics
• Pressure washer terminology
• How does a high pressure washer work?
• Important considerations when selecting the best pressure washer
• Important considerations for pressure washer residential uses
• Important considerations for pressure washer commercial uses
• Should I buy a residential model or commercial model?
• How much PSI/CPU is needed for the job?