How to use a pressure washer
Written by: Vinnie van Rooij
Using a pressure washer to clean your car isn’t difficult, but it helps to keep certain practices in mind to prevent any problem. A pressure washer isn’t always mandatory, but it could help to speeds up the process.
Contents
What is a pressure washer
A pressure washer is a device that takes in water in one end, and then pushes it out the other end with a lot of force. The water is then forced through a relatively small tube, causes it to speed up. When it exits the tube (lance) it has a lot of speed which helps to increase the energy of the impact with the surface.
In real life terms, this means that water goes in one end, and come out really hard at the other end.
Water consumption
Because the water comes out forced from the other end, some people believe it uses more water that way. This is not the case. The amount of water is not more, the tube the water has to be forced through is smaller. The same amount of water going through a smaller tube needs to speed up to facilitate the overall pressure that is pushing it. This means that a pressure washer can use the same amount of water (sometimes even less) then a normal garden hose, but make the stream of water much more efficient. Less usage, more effect.
Things to keep in mind when cleaning a vehicle
- Keep your distance, you don’t need to keep the lance directly at the surface you are working on. Keep your distance
- Coming in close to clean of grease and dirt might also spread it out more
- Aim the blast of water from up to down
- The best way to use snowfoam is via a pressure washer
- Try not to spray directly into small crevices, you might damage something or get electrics wet
- Try to spray under an angle, so the water is blasted away
Things that can go wrong
There are a few things that can go wrong when using a pressure washer incorrectly. Some of these are:
- Water can get into areas you don’t want it to go
- The speed of the water can damage surfaces, so keep your distance
- The lance is made out of hard plastic or metal, which can damage the surface when you hit it
- The blast of water can move things, which is not always wanted
- Don’t try to clean stone chips and or damaged areas with a pressure washer, you might damage the area more then it already is
- The blast of water can be redirected by an angled surface, directly at yourself or an unwanted direction
- Electrics and interiors don’t like water, try to keep away from them
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