An Introduction to Commercial Power Washers

Power washers are extremely useful for cleaning residential as well as commercial buildings. However, using a pressure washing for commercial uses has different criteria than the ones for residential use. Pressure washing is very effective in blasting stains and dirt from buildings as well as other surfaces using high water pressure. It is very well suited for cleaning in industrial and commercial settings.

There are different types of commercial pressure washers. They may be electric, hydraulic or based on gasoline or diesel. The GPM, or gallons per minute, as well as the PSI, or pounds per square inch capacity can vary. These are indicators of water flow and horsepower. Most commercial power washers have a range of 1000 PSI-4000 PSI and GPM 2-11. The voltage on the machines also varies and they can be either three or single phase. Commercial power washers can also come with a wide array of optional accessories including, wash brushes, extension wands, foam applicators, wet sand blast kits, spray guns, chemical injectors and soap screens.

When choosing a commercial power washer, the first thing you need to take under consideration is pressure power. To pressure wash construction sites, manufacturing sites and other types of commercial buildings, the pressure levels need to be a lot higher than for residential buildings. For industrial cleaning you will need a pressure in the range of about 4,000 PSI, whereas for home use you would probably only need about 1200-3500 PSI.

For commercial use there are two major types of pressure washers, cold and hot pressure washer. If you have different types of commercial buildings and surfaces that need to be washed you might need to have both of these types of pressure washers. For surfaces that have serious grease, grime and oil stains, a hot water pressure washer will be the most suitable. The hot water will help to melt the grease as well as disinfect the surface you are cleaning.

For cleaning building exteriors, pathways, sidewalks and big parking lots, a cold water pressure will work the best. These surface types and areas require very high amounts of pressure applied in order to remove grime and dirt.

Water pressure combined with a suitable cleaning agent will provide you with high cleaning efficient for washing a wide variety of commercial buildings and properties. In situations when you will be using a pressure washer frequently, a cold water pressure washer is lighter and less bulky. Machines that use cold water are less expensive, more versatile and easier to move around and maintain. However, you may need a hot water machine is you have unusually grimy buildings or surface to clean.