Repair Guide

The average UK tap pressure is 4-5 bar, so with pressure washers kicking out up  to 130bar and more for some commercial machines, it’s little wonder people prefer to use them for cleaning  all kinds of cleaning jobs including cars, patios, garden furniture etc… While a pressure washer will give you better results in less than half the time of using a standard garden hose with great power comes great responsibility… OK that’s a little dramatic but I thought I would share a few tips on how to pressure wash safely and without damaging you, your belongings or your property.

Wear appropriate clothing. It may go without saying but a good pair of boots or wellies with rubberised souls to stop you slipping on the inevitable wet surface would be a good idea, long pants and long sleeved top to stop and flying debris and ideally a pair of goggles.

Protect your plants. Cover your prize roses or anything else that is likely to be damaged with extremely high pressure water.

Get the power washer ready for use. Plug in your pressure washer to a properly grounded outlet. Avoid using household extension cables as these can damage the capacitor in your machine. If you need more length it is always better to use an extension hose but if you absolutely need more power cable then use 2.5mm CSA flexi, this is often not available pre assembled so you may need buy the cable, plug and connections separately and assemble your own.

Fill your chemical tank. For further information on chemical use see our ‘Advice using pressure washer chemical’ blog.

Attach the proper spray tip nozzle. We will be doing another blog on which spray lance to use but for most general purpose jobs the variable lance is best for cleaning decking, cars, motorbikes and using chemical. The variable lance offers many options like adjusting the pattern and pressure of your spray. Turbo and flexi and fixed spray nozzles are also available.

Connect your water supply. Turn on the tap water when you have connected your garden hose to you pressure washer using a garden push fit connector, you should do this before turning on your machine to avoid damage to your pump. If you are using a water butt see our you tube video for further help.

Operating the power washer. Position the nozzle around a foot away from the surface to start and gradually move the tip closer to the surface so you don’t damage whatever you are cleaning. Hold the nozzle at a 45 degree angle, this will help loosen dirt and spray it away from you.

Finishing up. When you have completed your job, turn off the machine, keep hold of the trigger for around a minute or so to empty all the water in your hose and release any excess pressure. Disconnect the power and remove your water connections, take off the high pressure hose and hang up to ensure all water is drained. This is especially important if you are unlikely to use the machine again until after winter as it will decrease the likelihood of excess water freezing and damaging the internal components of your trigger gun.