What to Look For
Personal Use
Pressure washers for home use offer the benefit of cleaning better with less effort and in less time. The right combination of PSI (pounds per square inch), GPM (gallons per minute), nozzles, attachments and cleaning solutions let you wash siding and windows, clean walkways, driveways and patios, bring wood decks and fences back to life, power clean vehicles, boats, lawnmowers, ATVs, even cut back vegetation growing alongside driveways and walkways.
Consider purchasing a light-duty consumer, heavy-duty consumer or professional model pressure washer for your personal needs.
Business Use
Pressure washers intended for business use will have greater pressure (PSI), water flow (GPM) and horse power (HP). Plus, you get extra features designed for greater performance necessary for heavy-duty cleaning in a shop, at a construction site or on a road crew. Depending on the model, these features could include a longer-lasting pump with adjustable pressure, easy-start engine, larger tank, wheel cart with large tires, hot water capability, longer hose and industrial-grade gun and wand. Northern understand the needs of the business user, and offers a great selection of professional and industrial pressure washers, in gas-powered or electric, cold or hot water models.
Use-Rating
All of our pressure washer models are identified on the item's detail page by a use-rating icon.
Horsepower (HP)
A higher horsepower engine is needed for higher PSI and higher GPM. The combination of PSI and GPM is what does the cleaning.
Pounds Per Square Inch (PSI)
A pressure washer's PSI rating is the maximum amount of force (pressure) discharged by the pressure washer. The higher the PSI, the more cleaning power available and the more things you will be able to clean. See chart below.
More PSI for More Applications
|
Application |
1500 PSI |
2600 PSI |
3000 PSI |
4000 PSI |
|
Charcoal Grill |
x |
x |
x |
x |
|
Bicycle |
x |
x |
x |
x |
|
Automobile |
x |
x |
x |
x |
|
Deck |
|
x |
x |
x |
|
Wood Fence |
|
x |
x |
x |
|
ATV |
|
x |
x |
x |
|
Boat |
|
x |
x |
x |
|
Siding |
|
x |
x |
x |
|
Driveway |
|
x |
x |
x |
|
Paint Surface Prep |
|
x |
x |
x |
|
Semi Trailers |
|
|
x |
x |
|
Farm Equipment |
|
|
x |
x |
|
Construction Site |
|
|
x |
x |
|
Paint Stripping |
|
|
|
x |
|
Graffiti Removal |
|
|
|
x |
Gallons Per Minute (GPM)
A pressure washer's GPM rating refers to the water flow during one minute of operation. The higher the GPM, the faster you will be able to clean. See chart below.
More GPM for Faster Cleaning*
|
20 min |
|
|
|
|
|
|
18 min |
|
|
|
|
|
|
16 min |
|
|
|
|
|
|
14 min |
|
|
|
|
|
|
12 min |
|
|
|
|
|
|
10 min |
|
|
|
|
|
|
8 min |
|
|
|
|
|
|
6 min |
|
|
|
|
|
|
4 min |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 min |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 GPM |
2.5 GPM |
3 GPM |
3.5 GPM |
4 GPM |
*Times shown are for comparison use only. Actual times will depend on operator skills and condition and size of job application.
Gas-Powered vs. Electric
Gas-powered pressure washers offer the portability necessary for outdoor work while providing higher pressures and flows for more industrial applications. However, gas pressure washers can only be used outdoors because the engines generate carbon monoxide.
Electric pressure washers must have safety features necessary when working near water, such as double insulation and a ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI). Though limited in overall power, electric pressure washers can be used indoors or outdoors and are quieter than gas-powered washers.
Hot or Cold Water Cleaning
Hot water pressure washers clean faster and more thoroughly than cold water washers. They use less soap to sanitize and degrease, making them ideal for industrial and farm use. Cold water pressure are less complicated and are more compact for easy portability.
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Here's What You Can Clean (and MORE) with a Pressure Washer:
- Siding maintenance
- Truck
- ATV
- Charcoal grill
- Bicycle
- Fence maintenance
- Paint stripping
- Graffiti removal
- Farm use
- Pavement and concrete
- Brick and block
- A/C coil maintenance
- Roof maintenance
- Reclaim silk screens
- Ranch maintenance
- Windows
- Logs
- Motorcycles
|
- Lobster trap maintenance
- Lawn furniture
- Golf cart
- Airplane maintenance
- Clean steel
- Fish hatchery
- Bread racks
- Floor mats
- Boat
- Deck
- Patio
- Vet kennels
- Driveway
- Paint surface prep
- Semitrailers
- Construction site
- Fire hose maintenance
|
- Wheelchair
- Pipe/valve maintenance
- Pool maintenance
- Flood cleanup
- Pier maintenance
- Mountain bike
- Gutters
- Bathrooms
- Port-A-Potties
- Green houses
- Waste water cleanup
- Dumpsters
- Monument/statues
- Grill
- Milk carts
- Canopy maintenance
- Elevator maintenance
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