The use of a pressure washer entails a lot of care because of the fact that it uses a highly pressurized mechanism to be able to propel water forcefully for stain removal and surface renewal. There are different types of surface area present and there are different ways in cleaning each of them. It is helpful to know the techniques and general considerations when pressure washing different types of area.

First of all, a pressure washer uses a wide range of accessories to be able to produce the right type of pressure depending on the surface area to be cleaned. For example, when you are cleaning a wooden floor, it is pertinent to use a flat fan tip to provide the right pressure for such a delicate surface.

Wooden surface areas are much easily damaged when you apply a high pressure within close proximity. If your power washer is has a 2,000 psi value or more, then be careful not to point the nozzle too close to the surface because too much pressure may ruin the wooden floor and make it fuzzy looking after pressure washing. Another thing to remember is to clean the whole length of the wooden board evenly so that “stop” and “start” marks are prevented.

All you have to do is to point the power washing tip from a safe distance working your way near the surface area you wish to be cleaned. The trick with wooden floors is patience and a little coordination. Instead of doing the usual “back and forth” motion of spraying, you have to gradually move the cleaning tip across the whole length of the board before moving on to the next area. For masonry surfaces, it is better if you spray the surface using a circular motion so you can prevent patches of un-cleaned surface from showing after power washing.

Power washing accessories are also helpful if you want complete coverage and absolutely wonderful results after power washing. Accessories such as nozzles or tips have different uses based on the degrees and spray angles they are able to convey on your pressure washer. Basically, a 0 degree angle is the smallest and will deliver the greatest power when it comes to removing dirt.  For easily removable substances or debris, a wider angle is used for more ease and safety when cleaning.

For safety purposes when using nozzles or tips, check that the accessory is tightly attached to the power washer so that it will not get damaged or damage others when you turn on the pressure washer. A loosely attached tip or nozzle is one of the common causes of injuries and accessory damage.

Using environmentally friendly cleaning detergents are also highly recommended as you can help save your environment while maintaining the beauty of your home. Make sure that the chemicals you choose are appropriate for the surface you are going to clean. Remember that wooden floors have different requirements, so read the label of the detergent first before application.

Lastly, when planning to clean structures such as roof tops with shingles, postage boxes, windows, vents, or flower boxes, it is important to secure them first prior to power washing . Aside from that, carefully apply pressure to the object as they are easily broken by the high pressure applied by the washer.

Aside from knowing the basic types of washer, a lot of important points should be considered when you are about to purchase a pressure washer for your home. For a worthwhile purchase, take note of the pressure washer buying tips mentioned below.

First of all, you must know that pressure washers may come with an electric supply or a gas-powered engine. Either of the two type of power supply will provide the same benefits to dirty walls or pathways however, their specifications may be different.

Electricity supplied pressure washing equipment is generally more convenient as it is lightweight and mostly sold with a cheaper price compared to gas-powered pressure washers. Electric pressure washing is recommended for cleaning cars and other surfaces with a small area. With electric pressure washers, no annoying sounds are heard and smoke from fumes are avoided while cleaning as compared to gas pressure washers.

If you choose to buy electric, take note of the amperage (amps) capability of the electric motor. As a general rule, the higher the value of amperage (amps), the higher the power and water pressure produced by the product.

Gas powered washers on the other hand are bulkier and more expensive. However, the range of activities and the efficiency of the pressure washing activity are better than its electric counterpart. Gas powered pressure washers are actually recommended for use outdoors and if the area you are going to clean is large or heavily stained. Gas powered washers last longer and remove dirt faster than electrically powered ones.

Gas powered washers have a different rating and are quantified depending on the horse power the engine. A higher horse power would mean a higher power rating for gas powered engines. Also, there are two types of gas powered engines: the Side valve (L-head) type and the Overhead Valve (OHV) type.

Never purchase side valve types even when the price is cheaper compared to overhead types. Side valve types are easily damaged and they are not very efficient in cleaning at all. Overhead valves are more updated, durable, produce less noise, and last longer than the traditional side valve types.

The next thing to decide is the type of water supply appropriate for the type of surface areas present in your home residence. The water supply can either be hot or cold. A hot water supply would be perfect if you own any large industry or farm area. Hot pressure washing is generally more efficient in removing difficult types of stains and dirt accumulation in large or big areas.

Pressure washing with cold water is generally indicated for home owners who want to maintain their driveways, walkways, patios, cars, or rooftops. Cold water supply washers are cheaper, more mobile and more light weight than those with hot water supply.

Finally when choosing a brand, it is best to conduct research and choose reliable brand manufacturers/suppliers. This goes when choosing an engine and pump brand for your washer. A reliable engine brand will give you more coverage and advice when it comes to defects encountered during pressure washing.

Prior to buying a pressure washer for you, it is important that you determine how it is going to be used so that you can buy the right type of washer for your home or business property.

A building or home located in crowded city areas are heavily exposed to environmental dust, dirt, or chemicals. The daily activities of people going from one place to another with their vehicles also contribute to the circulation of dirty air that contains dust materials capable of sticking into most of building walls, roofs, and other exposed areas.

A dusty, dirty, or grimy area in any part of a building or home is never a good site to behold. Business may not progress when the outer physical appearance of the business area is not maintained well. A very grimy or dusty home could also be deleterious to the health of its owners which makes it necessary for all of us to regularly clean our home environment.

Home cleaning or business building maintenance may prove to be very time consuming, tedious, and demanding. This is especially true when you own a large house or business property. The entire surface area of your walls, walkways, or roofs may be very hard to clean at one single time, especially if you opt to do manual cleaning.

It is good to note that nowadays, new innovative gadgets are being developed to help people facilitate easy home or business building maintenance. This is where pressure washing comes into full grandeur. Pressure washing or cleaning makes use of equipment that allows water to be placed in a high pressure and used to remove stains or dirt present in any surface area.

Pressure washing advantages are numerous as compared to manual cleaning of patio, walkways, or doorways. With pressure washing, heavy dirt accumulation can be dislodged more efficiently from the surface area because of the high pressure applied to it. The cleaning and maintenance process is then done quickly and efficiently. The extra time you gain with pressure washing (as compared to manual cleaning) can be used for other important activities; hence it is more beneficial to do pressure cleaning at all times.

If you do not have a pressure washer yet, the decision to purchase or to rent may be weighed depending on your circumstances. If your home property does not require frequent cleaning because you are living in an urban area or away from busy places, then it may be practical to rent pressure washers only when needed.  On the other hand, purchasing a good pressure washer for your city home is considered a good investment.

When purchasing a pressure washer, you should consider the type of surfaces you are going to clean. Remember that there are different accessories and pressures required by different types of surface area. Cleaning wooden surfaces requires a lower pressure than cement surfaces. When cleaning the roof, it is helpful to remember that clay roofs can withstand a higher pressure as compared to those with shingles.

There are 3 major types of pressure washer. For those who want a pressure washer that can easily be moved from one place to another, the small cold water type is perfect for you. The hot water pressure washer on the other hand is a heavier type because has a heating element attached. The steam type is also a heavy pressure washer with a capacity to reach a temperature of 300 degrees Fahrenheit. The steam type is the best type of pressure washer as it is highly effective for surface areas with heavy dirt or grease accumulation.

From construction firms to city agencies and even waste disposal companies, trailer mounted pressure washers can benefit from these self-sufficient systems. With space to store all the water and chemicals you’ll need to remove even the toughest of stains and marks, even in areas without water or electricity.

A trailer mounted pressure washer is generally a pressure washer of your choosing mounted on a custom built trailer, with accessories such as hoses, tool boxes, lights and generators. They really are the complete package for any pressure washing business.

Fully customisations to your need can be made if you go to the right places. Always remember you are the customer, and its YOUR business and YOUR money, and YOU will be the person using the system every day, so you need to be happy with the product, the layout and the design of the trailer and accessories BEFORE you buy.

Benefits of trailer mounted pressure washers:

• Operate independently from mains of water supply
• Trailers built to be durable
• Design your own layout for full customisation
• Choose the pressure washer you wish
• Multi industry suitability
• Low fuel and energy use
• Safe and reliable operation

You can either choose a single or double axis trailer, depending on the size of the pressure washer and accessories. Remember the bigger the trailer you buy, the bigger the vehicle you’ll need to haul it!

These systems sell for over $15,000.00 -  certainly not an investment to make on impulse! So you have seen that trailer mounted pressure washers are large pieces of equipment, and do not come cheaply. Therefore if you are seriously considering making a purchase, you need to know everything about the product.  There are many companies in the US which specialse in creating fully customised trailer mounted pressure washers and related systems, please contact us for more information and our recommendations.

This is the manual for the Model RY80030A. Click the photo to download.

Ryobi Gasoline Pressure Washer 3000psi RY80030A – Operators Manual

This is the manual for the Model RY80030. Click the photo to download.

Ryobi Gasoline Pressure Washer 3000psi RY80030 – Operators Manual

I also put a link to the PDF file for you to download if you that makes things easier.

Click here to download the Ryobi Pressure Washer Manual – Replacement Parts.

Most pressure washer nozzles are colour coded to indicate what pattern (degree) of fan spray they produce. Although colors may vary depending on the manufacturers, described below are what is commonly used as the industry standard.

The red tip is the zero degree nozzles – these pressure washer nozzles produce a pencil point pattern, there is no fan created so this is not the tip to use when cleaning coverage is desired. The red tip does deliver the highest impact as it concentrates the pressure into the smallest area. Avoid damaging wood or other fragile surfaces. This is an ideal tool for cleaning under the deck of a lawnmower, removing caked on mud from equipment, cleaning stains from concrete, masonry, steel and aluminium even removing the grass from cracks in the side walk.

The yellow tip creates a 15 degree fan pattern. These pressure washer nozzles are referred to as chiselling tips. Held at a 45 degree angle you can use it like a scraper to remove peeling paint or mildew. It is also used for other tasks where breaking the bond is harder than average. Of your different pressure washer nozzles, you will find yourself using this one the most often when the task is tough. This is the only situation I know where you’ll find that when the going gets tough the tough gets yellow.

The green tip produces a 25 degree fan pattern. This is a wash tip. These pressure washer nozzles are the ones to use when breaking the bond between the grime and substrate is reasonably easy. These can also be used for sweeping leaves or debris from flat surfaces or curbing. These pressure washer nozzles have the widest variety of applications as the fan degree allows for good impact pressure and cleaning coverage.

The white tip is the 40 degree fan tip. The wider dispersion of the impact pressure limits these pressure washer nozzles to rinsing and delicate washing. These are the tips to use for washing/rinsing glass or washing vehicles. These are great tips for wooden decks and all delicate substrates.

There are three types of pressure washer unloader valves.

• The Trapped Pressure Type
• The Flow Type
• The Compensating Type

The Trapped Pressure Type

Commonly referred to as just “Pressure” type. This type of valve opens to bypass when it senses the pressure build up of the pump output having nowhere to go. The main characteristic of this the most commonly used valve is how it traps the pressure in the hose when the trigger of the pressure gun is released. The disadvantage of this type of valve is the spike of pressure felt by the operator and pressure washer components when the trigger is again squeezed. This creates a “kickback” effect on the gun/wand so be careful when using ladders or other types of access equipment.

The Flow Type

This kind of unloader valve activate the bypass loop when they sense the lessening of flow between the valve and trigger gun. The major characteristic of this valve is that no pressure is trapped in the hose thereby eliminating the pressure spike created by the “trapped pressure” valves. The main disadvantage of the flow type unloader is that you can’t change the pressure by downsizing the orifice size of your nozzles. The valve senses the loss in flow and begins to cycle repeatedly.

The Compensating Type

This kind of unloader valve is the most recent addition to the world of unloaders. The concept is a hybrid between the flow and trapped pressure unloader types. Basically this is a trapped pressure unloader with a compensating feature which radically lessens the pressure spike typically felt with the standard trapped pressure unloader. The main idea behind this unloader is to have the smoothness typical of a flow type unloader without the inherent disadvantages.

Pressure washer unloader valves are the main “safety” in your power washer system. The most commonly used is the “pressure actuated” type valve. When the pressure gun trigger is released the valve senses the pressure build up and like a “traffic cop” it diverts the water flow from the pump outlet back into the inlet side of the pump this is called “bypass mode.” Without this critical component this closed-gun situation would build pressure to the point where it would stall the power source, rupture the gun, hose or even the pump itself.

The most basic function of the unloader is to act as a “traffic cop” to the water flow in your system. Depending on the type of valve it will either sense “pressure build” or “reduction in flow”. Depending on the type, when one of these conditions is met the unloader will then actuate to divert the water flow back to the inlet side of the pressure pump, where it will circulate through the pump back to the inlet side of the valve to the inlet side of the pump again in what is called a bypass loop when this is occurring the pump is said to be in “bypass mode” and the unloader valve is said to be “cycling”. This scenario ends when the trigger is squeezed alerting the unloader valve to redirect the flow to the high pressure nozzle once again. While this may seem to be problem solved it is not without risks. When the water flow is in bypass new cool water is not entering the system. The moving parts in the pump are creating friction which produces heat that is transferred to the water flow in bypass. Since a limited amount of water is in bypass this transfer of heat can occur quickly.

Most pumps are designed to handle water temperatures of 140 F. When the water in bypass reaches 155 deg Fahrenheit damage to the pump will begin. Damage can occur to the pump packings, plungers and seals and even to the short bypass hose in external bypass setups. It is a good idea to have a pump with a thermal relief valve to offer some protection against excessive heat buildup. It is a better idea not to leave a pump in bypass mode for more than 2-3 minutes, by simply squeezing the trigger gun you will introduce new cool water into the system.

Please see the next article for details of types of pressure washer unloader valves.