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How to Use an Electric Pressure Washer – Wash Your Exterior Surfaces

The invention of electricity has made our lives pretty easy and comfortable. Many machines nowadays use electricity to operate, and a pressure washer is not an exception. In most of the devices, the electric energy is converted to wheel spinning energy which helps the entire engine to run. Electric pressure washer gives you a hassle-free usage, without oil, less noise, light-weight and multiple benefits. Though you might not get as energy from your machine as a gas run machine provide; but, for residential use, your device doesn’t really have to be much powerful. Your electric power washer serves the purpose quite comfortably. In this article, we’ll discuss different aspects of how to use an electric pressure washer, and it’ll help you operate your device without trouble.

How to Use an Electric Pressure Washer

How does an Electric Pressure Washer Work

To know the operations of a machine first, you have to know about its parts and components. An electric pressure washer contains an electric motor, a water pump, two hoses: one HP hose and one garden hose, a spray gun, nozzles and an electric power cord.

The electric cord supplies the electricity from the outlet to the engine of the machine. Empowered by the electric supply, it starts to rotate a metal bar from inside which is attached to the water pump. The rotating bar moves the pistons inside the pump and generates high pressure on the water. The pressurized water then comes out through the narrow opening of a spray gun with immense force, and its nozzle controls the spray width. This is the basic operation that takes place inside an electric pressure washer.

How to Start an Electric Pressure Washer

It’s quite easy to start an electric pressure washer. First, you have to set all its components in proper places and keep the machine to a flat, clean surface.

Attach one end of your garden hose to the pump water inlet and the other to your regular water supply faucet. Now connect the one end of your HP hose to the pump outlet and the other to your spray gun. Connect one of the spray nozzles that is most suitable for getting your work done. After that, you need to connect the power cord to a grounded electrical outlet and make sure that the GFCI is appropriately set.

You are all set to start the engine before doing that squeeze the trigger of your gun to let the air out of the machine. Now press the ON switch, and you are ready to do the cleaning. Once you are done with your cleaning, make sure that you let the water out from the pump as much as possible.

How to use an Electric Pressure Washer

Using an electric power washer is the easiest thing to do even if you are totally new to this machine. The experts can use this device, even closing their eyes. The starting process is mentioned above, and now it’s time to clean any surface you want. Electric power washers are mostly used in residential purposes, to clean your house, patio, fence, roof, sidings, vehicles, garage, etc.

With the machine, you will get different types of nozzles such as 0, 15, 25, 40-degree and a soap applicator nozzle. 0-degree is the most powerful and most concentrated spray it provides while 40-degree provides the widest spray with less power. Connecting these nozzles to your spray gun is quick and comfortable. For delicate surface, you must use less powerful nozzle while for tough dirt and debris you have to use the most powerful one.

Try to keep the machine a little in a dry place away from your cleaning area. After starting the engine:

  1. Hold the gun tightly and squeeze its trigger slowly spray water on the surface. You will get the best result when you spray either vertically or horizontally instead of spraying in a scattered method.
  2. Once you are done with your work, switch off the engine and pull the trigger to let the entire water out from the pump.
  3. Remove all its components and keep them in their proper storage for the next use.

How to Use Detergent in an Electric Pressure Washer

Many of the machines come with an onboard detergent tank while the others don’t. You don’t have to worry even if your device doesn’t have a detergent tank; you can use a bucket to store your detergent solution.

If you have a soap tank, you have to put the diluted cleaning chemical in it and turn on its supply switch. For bucket, you have to connect a garden hose to the pump and the other side to the bucket. Don’t forget to connect the soap applicator nozzle to the end of your spray gun. Now you just have to spray using the gun, and the chemical foam will come out through the nozzle.

In power washer, detergent is mixed with water inside the pump where the pressure is created. In cases, the solution is also heated to an adequate level if necessary. The created pressure pushes the solution to come out through the HP hose.

Can I use an extension cord with an electric pressure washer?

Using an extension cord with large machines should always be avoided. Large devices draw a large amount of electricity to operate, which is generally supplied by the grounded electric outlets. When you use an extension cord, it reduces the proper supply or reduces the supply of electricity which can be dangerous for the heavy-duty machines. When they don’t get enough electricity, they either stop working, or it reduces their longevity. In case of a pressure washer, you should avoid using these cords.

In some cases, you might have to use an extension cord, and for that, there are some measurements you should consider. Two important things you should keep in mind while choosing an extension cord, length of the cord and the gauge of the wire. The gauge of a wire actually refers to its diameter or the thickness of the wire. Less the number more the diameter of the wire; as the number goes higher, the diameter becomes less. If your extension cord is of 25 feet or less in length, you can choose 16 gauge wire, and if your cord is over 25 feet long, it’s better to choose 14 gauge wire. While using an extension cord, make sure that the plug is firmly connected to your grounded electric outlet.

Are electric pressure washers dangerous?

It’s needless to say that all the electric devices can get dangerous if there is an accident. It doesn’t mean that we should stop using electric machines which is actually not quite possible also. What should we do then? The answer is, you must follow all the user manual instruction and take possible precaution while operating an electric device.

A pressure washer is considered a heavy-duty machine that draws a large amount of electricity to run. It can be electrified if the connections are not attached correctly or if somehow water gets inside. The connections can also catch fire if it’s loosely attached. While using your power washer, make sure that the power cord and your machine is kept in a dry and shaded place. It’s safe to use safety gloves that don’t conduct electricity.

Conclusion

A pressure washer is one of the most important machines that we use in our regular lives. It helps us to keep our things clean and lead a healthy life. Among the two types, gas pressure washer and electric pressure washer, the latter is most convenient and liked by the consumers. It’s because they are lightweight, provides hassle-free usage and less in price. Anyone can use this device to clean their house, vehicles, surroundings, etc. Taking proper precaution, you also can use it and be a part of the clean world.


About Daniel Wood

Daniel has completed his graduation mechanical engineering from a reputed university in US. He worked as a technical engineer in a pressure washer manufacturing plant for four years. He has a great passion for mechanical devices and has opened a workshop where he does research on various machines in his leisure time. His high interest in technology made him an expert in commercial and residential pressure washers.

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