# which pressure washer



## ieee488 (Jan 2, 2012)

I will be selling my home this year.
The home is a 2-story. 2000 sq ft. aluminum siding.

The siding along with the concrete steps need a power wash.

I was thinking about buying a pressure washer.
How powerful of a unit should I buy? 
I am looking at a SnowJoe brand, but I know nothing about this.

Any advice appreciated.


----------



## Colbyt (Jan 27, 2014)

My opinion, others may disagree, a 1500 psi electric pressure washer is all you need for general cleaning and doing no damage. It won't be a fast as a larger unit but it will cost a lot less and greatly reduce your chance of destroying something.


Wet the bottom portion and start at the top. *Never spray upwards* as you can drive water under the siding. A short gun is a lot easier to control when working on an extension ladder. They are usually an add on item with all washers.


----------



## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

I agree, all you need is an electric power washer.

Easier to handle, won't damage as easily as a high power one.

For a 2 story building, rent a stable scaffolding to stand on, not a ladder, that way you are securer, and can cover more area faster, than up the ladder, down the ladder, move over 4 feet, up the ladder, down the ladder, move over 4 feet, etc.

And use the wide area tip on the gun, those pinpoint nozzles, will drill a hole in the aluminum, even with the low pressure washer. 

I have a K-Archer electric, and like it quite well. 

One tip, in a colder climate store your power washer in a warm environment over the winter, any water left in the pressure chamber will break it, and you need repairs.


ED


----------



## ieee488 (Jan 2, 2012)

I did not realize that I cannot stand on the ground and do this. 
Lesson learn.

Since I am not keen on getting on scaffolding and such, it looks like I need to hire someone.

Do all power wash companies follow this procedure or do I need to specifically ask?


----------



## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

They should want to protect themselves from falling also, so should use safe-way scaffolding, but ask anyway.

And make sure that your insurance is in full force, just in case.

And they should want to protect any landscape.

Bushes, and such.


ED


----------



## roughneck (Nov 28, 2014)

I have a gas pressure washer and a extension pole that I use for keeping the house clean. But I wash the house using only the low pressure nozzle. 
I found a recipe online for a homemade house wash. It uses bleach, dish soap and water and does an absolutely amazing job. I’ve used it on my house, fence, deck and even on the awning on my RV and it’s better then any store bought product. Plus I don’t have the worries on using a high pressure nozzle on the house. And I can do the entire 2 story house from the ground with no ladders or scaffolding.


----------



## ieee488 (Jan 2, 2012)

roughneck said:


> I have a gas pressure washer and a extension pole that I use for keeping the house clean. But I wash the house using only the low pressure nozzle.
> I found a recipe online for a homemade house wash. It uses bleach, dish soap and water and does an absolutely amazing job. I’ve used it on my house, fence, deck and even on the awning on my RV and it’s better then any store bought product. Plus I don’t have the worries on using a high pressure nozzle on the house. And I can do the entire 2 story house from the ground with no ladders or scaffolding.


Can you tell me which model pressure washer you have?
I will be either purchasing electric or cordless model.

Also the recipe would be very helpful too. :smile:

This gives me hope.

.


----------



## roughneck (Nov 28, 2014)

I have a Toro gas powered model from Lowes, I think it’s been superseded by a Craftsman model that basically the same thing with a different name badge. 
I have modified it with a downstream injector so the bleach solution gets injected into the high pressure line, I do this to not harm the pump by pushing bleach through it. 
Here is where I got the idea. His other videos show application of the product using a pressure washer. 






I’ve never had an issue with harming plants or grass with this mixture. I apply it and give it a good rinse. Used as shown it’ll melt the green growth off of your house or fence or whatever else your trying to clean.


----------



## roughneck (Nov 28, 2014)

This is the extension wand I use for the house. 

https://www.lowes.com/pd/SurfaceMax...rent-3-Section-Wand-with-Support-Belt/4514590


----------



## ron45 (Feb 25, 2014)

You can get by with the electric ones But I use a gas one.

If your going to buy one why be limited.

I wouldn't go below 2400 PSI.

I have a 3,000 PSI and haven't found it's limit yet.

I bought it at Sams Club as a package.

https://www.samsclub.com/s/power washer

This thing works great.


----------



## raylo32 (Nov 25, 2006)

I had a Stanley electric pressure washer and it worked OK for light duty stuff... but even though it has sufficient pressure it lacked volume, so it was slow. It died, but instead of getting another I got a ~3000 PSI Generac gas unit that works much better and faster. And also tackles more heavy duty stuff. I also have one of those driveway UFO looking tools like Ron shows above and it works great.


----------



## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

I agree a smaller pressure washer is generally better than a bigger unit. If care isn't used damage can result from improper use! I want to 2nd the statement _ *Never spray upwards* as you can drive water under the siding. _I also think it's easier to work off of a ladder than using a long wand - they can be hard to control plus take a lot more effort to hold onto.


----------



## Colbyt (Jan 27, 2014)

ieee488 said:


> Do all power wash companies follow this procedure or do I need to specifically ask?



Always ask a contractor about important issues regarding the job.


Any idiot can buy a PW and call himself a contractor.


----------



## raylo32 (Nov 25, 2006)

This thread reminds me that it is almost time to get mine out and ready for the season. I hope it runs. I didn't drain the gas last fall... got a little lazy. Never had that issue with my old electric Stanley!


----------



## roughneck (Nov 28, 2014)

mark sr said:


> I agree a smaller pressure washer is generally better than a bigger unit. If care isn't used damage can result from improper use! I want to 2nd the statement _ *Never spray upwards* as you can drive water under the siding. _I also think it's easier to work off of a ladder than using a long wand - they can be hard to control plus take a lot more effort to hold onto.


That’s the nice part about the soft wash. No need to use the high pressure nozzles. Makes the want that much easier. Plus the bleach kills the bacteria that caused the growth and it doesn’t come right back. I washed my house last spring and there isn’t anything growing back yet.


----------



## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

> Plus the bleach kills the bacteria that caused the growth and it doesn’t come right back



Bleach is my go to cleaner - its' cheap and effective.
Mildew growth has a lot to do with climate. When I lived in central fla I had to wash my mobile home [aluminum] every year. The north side needed it every 6 months.


It's always mystified me that some will put a house up for sale and not wash the siding as it's one of the cheaper things you can do to improve curb appeal.


----------



## ZTMAN (Feb 19, 2015)

roughneck said:


> I have a gas pressure washer and a extension pole that I use for keeping the house clean. But I wash the house using only the low pressure nozzle.
> I found a recipe online for a homemade house wash. It uses bleach, dish soap and water and does an absolutely amazing job. I’ve used it on my house, fence, deck and even on the awning on my RV and it’s better then any store bought product. Plus I don’t have the worries on using a high pressure nozzle on the house. And I can do the entire 2 story house from the ground with no ladders or scaffolding.


Never thought these word would come out of my mouth, but can you share your recipe.

I have been using wet and forget but if there is a home brew that works, I would like to try it


----------



## roughneck (Nov 28, 2014)

ZTMAN said:


> Never thought these word would come out of my mouth, but can you share your recipe.
> 
> I have been using wet and forget but if there is a home brew that works, I would like to try it


See post #8, I posted the YouTube link yesterday. 
The solution used will come available soon as it’s marketed for pools in Walmart.


----------



## raylo32 (Nov 25, 2006)

Damn, that's a 27+ minute video. Do you have a cliffs notes version of the recipe?



roughneck said:


> See post #8, I posted the YouTube link yesterday.
> The solution used will come available soon as it’s marketed for pools in Walmart.


----------



## Oso954 (Jun 23, 2012)

I don’t think the name on the pressure washer is as important as the name on the engine. 

A lot of different name brands have Honda engine models. They start easier, are very reliable, and are generally quieter running than the other engines out there.


----------



## roughneck (Nov 28, 2014)

raylo32 said:


> Damn, that's a 27+ minute video. Do you have a cliffs notes version of the recipe?


His mix is around the 5-7 minute mark in the video. He also discusses the importance of sodium hypochlorite earlier. Most of the video is him demonstrating the mix using a pump sprayer. 

1 gallon water 
2 tablespoons dish soap 
2 cups bleach*
*the bleach should be 10% sodium hypochlorite. This is more powerful then the concentrated bleach you’ll find in the cleaning section. Use of regular concentrated bleach will require more then 2 cups. 
The percentage of sodium hypochlorite will be listed on the bottle. 

This mix can be used in a pressure washer. However it’s suggested to be used only with a downstream injector to avoid running bleach through the pump. This will damage the pump. You can mix the bleach and dish soap and run that to the injector, then adjust the injector mix to achieve the desired cleaning power. 
I’ve also used it with a pump sprayer and just rinsed with a hose. The mix will clean on its own, it doesn’t need the heavy spray from a pressure washer. But a rinse is needed after the surface is clean.


----------



## raylo32 (Nov 25, 2006)

While my pressure washer has a detergent tank and injector it's probably not a bad idea to do like in the video... use a pump sprayer to apply the bleach solution rather than a PW. Easier to control and less overspray. Then use the PW to blast/rinse. That pool bleach that is 10% might be similar to some of the deck cleaning products. I'll have a look at the labels on those sometime to see what the hypochlorite % is.


----------



## roughneck (Nov 28, 2014)

You can buy a downstream injector for pressure washers that aren’t equipped with one. 
The pressure washer is nice when doing a 2 story house, so that you don’t need ladders. 
But for ground based work, if you use a pump sprayer, nothing more then a hose is needed. The solution will do the cleaning.


----------



## Old Thomas (Nov 28, 2019)

I have a 1700 lb. electric and a 2600 lb. gas. I seldom use the electric one because it is too slow. With the gas unit I can put on a wider nozzle and spend half to a third of the time of the electric one. Aluminum siding has tiny weep holes on the bottom of each panel. Spraying up won’t hurt it if you don’t stand there spraying it all day. if a little water goes in it can drain back out but it could bring out a little dirt.


----------



## jeffnc (Apr 1, 2011)

I think there's some misconception here about how houses are actually washed. Pros use high pressure, high volume machines so that they don't have to get up on ladders and scaffolds. That would be ridiculous for house washing. They use a nozzle that shoots the cleaning solution all the way to the top of the house from the ground, then let it dwell and let the chemicals do the work. Pressure isn't used to clean the siding, it's used to get the chemicals up high. Then it's rinsed.


For concrete, it's the exact opposite normally. Again high pressure and high volume both help, but it's directly contact pressure washing. You can use a tip, or you can use a cleaner as shown in the picture above. It will be very slow going with a low pressure low volume machine, but if it's a smallish area and you have patience you can get it done.


Pressure washers always give a pressure rating and a flow rating, and both are important for a pro. For the homeowner with small jobs, the pressure is probably more important because he doesn't care if it takes an extra 30 minutes. If doing an entire driveway, it's going to be more than an extra 30 minutes with a little wand


----------



## Highlander86 (Aug 14, 2017)

roughneck said:


> I have a Toro gas powered model from Lowes, I think it’s been superseded by a Craftsman model that basically the same thing with a different name badge.
> I have modified it with a downstream injector so the bleach solution gets injected into the high pressure line, I do this to not harm the pump by pushing bleach through it.
> Here is where I got the idea. His other videos show application of the product using a pressure washer.
> 
> ...



Before I bought a pressure washer, I used a trombone sprayer where I mixed bleach and used laundry detergent as the wetting agent. It worked well for quite a few years and could send a jet of cleaner to some very high eaves. In the OP's post renting a pressure washer and surface cleaner would be better than buying. Or just hire a contractor to do the work.


----------



## DallasCowboys (Jan 30, 2017)

Instead of buying one, can you rent one for $50? You won't need it for more than half a day and it will be one less thing to move when you sell your house.

Or try using one of those lawn sprayers you screw to the end of your hose and put your thumb over the hole (Ortho ). It may not be as good as a power washer but it might be good enough to sell your house.


----------



## ajaye (May 19, 2019)

I would rent out a brand before buying, I rented a gas one from HD, didn't reckon on it too much, if I had bought one, it would be around 500 bucks or so



ieee488 said:


> I will be selling my home this year.
> The home is a 2-story. 2000 sq ft. aluminum siding.
> 
> The siding along with the concrete steps need a power wash.
> ...


----------



## JonWalter (Apr 20, 2018)

I bought the green Harbor Freight washer a few years ago and love it. It sucks using extension cords but besides that it serves me fine. I use it to wash my car, house siding, ect.


----------



## Calson (Jan 23, 2019)

I had a 1500 PSI electric pressure washer and replaced it with a much higher PSI gas engine powered one. I could use a nozzle with three times the spray width and clean my stonework three times as fast. 

With something like this I always buy it at Lowe's or Home Depot so if there is something wrong with it from the factory I can take it back to the store and get a new one. I bought a Kohler that uses a Briggs and Stratton engine and there are other models with the Kohler pump powered by a Honda engine. 

The Kohler uses the standard pressure washer hose and so I could buy two more hose sections to allow the pressure washer to stay in one place while I was cleaning which made it a lot easier, especially with the stairs I have going up to me deck. 

Important to run it until the tank is empty and not leave gas in it or the engine to sit for weeks or you will have problems later.


----------



## BrisVease (Aug 30, 2021)

Yes, it's doing great, but the smell is not one of the most pleasant. I would recommend scraping off as much as you can, then take it to a car wash and blast it with the hose, spray it down with an engine cleanser or Castrol super clean, let it sit for a few minutes and then blast it with the hose again. If the problem is severe, you may need to repeat the process several times. A better option is to let the professionals emop.co.uk do the work; you could ask for janitorial services and make sure to clean it for you.


----------



## jeffnc (Apr 1, 2011)

Calson said:


> Important to run it until the tank is empty and not leave gas in it or the engine to sit for weeks or you will have problems later.


As far as I know this is no different from any other gas engine like lawn mower, whatever. Should be able to handle it with Sta-Bil. In any case, running your pressure washer engine for very long without letting water through the nozzle is not good for it either.


----------



## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

jeffnc said:


> As far as I know this is no different from any other gas engine like lawn mower, whatever. Should be able to handle it with Sta-Bil. In any case, running your pressure washer engine for very long without letting water through the nozzle is not good for it either.


 And then in the cold climates, either store it in a heated shed, or drain the works of all water, I have seen too many freeze up and burst the pump housing.

ED


----------



## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

I always try to add StaBil to the last tank I'm expecting to use and don't worry about running it dry. I always pull the cord 3-4 times after shutting the PWer off to expel most of the water and never store it with the hose/wand connected. I've been storing them that way for close to 50 yrs and never had any issues with freezing temps.


----------



## jeffnc (Apr 1, 2011)

de-nagorg said:


> And then in the cold climates, either store it in a heated shed, or drain the works of all water, I have seen too many freeze up and burst the pump housing.


Yup. Drain 'em.


----------



## 660catman (Aug 25, 2019)

I connect a short 2’ piece of garden hose with a funnel at the end and pour plumbing AF in it. Have pump running and hoses removed while I do this. For the hoses I just use an air compressor and blow them out. 


Retired guy from Southern Manitoba, Canada.


----------

