Wondering if you’re using a pressure washer correctly? A pressure washer is a great tool for cleaning exterior platforms such as patios, pool decks, driveways or even sidewalks, quickly and effectively, but they can harm the surfaces you clean and are even potentially dangerous to the user. For these reasons it is important that those handling pressure washers know how to do so safely so that no harm is done to either them or the surfaces being treated.

There are two kinds of pressure washers available; garden house attachment nozzles and motorized spray wand washers. Both take the pressure of water and concentrate it through a funnel opening in order to maximize output pressure and clean efficiently.

The nozzles that attach to garden hoses are very easy to use and fairly straight forwards. They can add a significant amount of pressure and give an overall more effective cleaning than ordinary hoses. They are relatively safe and can be found at many local hardware or home and garden stores across the country.

The motorized versions are powered by pumps, which run with the aid of gasoline engines or an electric motor. The hose end of these pressure washers is called a spray wand. The spray wand is similar to a hose, except that is rigid and has a handle with a sort of trigger that acts as the release valve. As with garden hose attachments, the spray wand uses a variety of interchangeable, removable tips that concentrate the pressure stream of water into a particular shape (such as a linear spray) or funnel it further to give it more power.

Before trying to use your pressure washing tool, it is extremely important that you read though the entire user’s manual, particularly if your first use will be a difficult cleaning job. Not all pressure washers work in exactly the same way, so it is best to become acquainted with how your machine functions before hand, so that you know how to control it once it is up and running. Not doing this could be catastrophic, resulting in damage to property, machinery or physical wounds to yourself and those around you.

The motorized pressure washers usually come with a variety of about five different attachment nozzles. The zero degree nozzle is the most powerful and therefore potentially dangerous if used improperly. It should be used rarely, especially because the other common nozzles are much more adequate for most common uses. The fifteen degree tip is meant for heavy duty cleaning, the twenty five degree tip is used for most general cleaning, the wide forty tip is recommended for light cleaning and the widest tip, the sixty five degree wide spray pattern, incidentally the safest of all the nozzles, is best used for applying detergent or cleaning products to surfaces.

Because of that, safety glasses, ear protectors and working gloves are essential accessories for any pressure washer cleaner, no matter whether the cleaning is commercial or just around the home. Do not wash without these safety accessories and avoid washing when around small animals or children. After looking over your model’s functions, choosing the appropriate nozzle and putting on your safety gear, it is only a matter of retaining control over the spray wand’s handle and focusing the stream of water in the areas which need cleaning.

Learn more on general pumps and High Pressure Hose.