Pressure washers are powerful cleaning tools that can handle a variety of heavy-duty jobs. But with so many different options, how do you know which one is right for you? From electric to gas to choosing the right nozzle, our pressure washer guide will walk you through the basics to help you select the best pressure washer for your needs.

How Pressure Washers Work

Pressure washers can help you clean and restore a variety of surfaces from concrete, brick and siding to industrial equipment. Also known as power washers, pressure washer cleaners help reduce the need to scrub surfaces and use abrasive cleaning agents. A pressure washer’s powerful cleaning action comes from its motorized pump that forces high-pressure water through a concentrating nozzle, helping to break up tough stains like grease, tar, rust, plant residue and wax.

Knowing a few key terms will help you understand how pressure washers work:

• PSI: pound per square inch
• GPM: gallon per minute
• CU: cleaning units, also referred to as cleaning speed

Before buying a pressure washer, always check its PSI, GPM and cleaning units. Selecting the correct PSI rating based on the type of task is crucial since higher PSI equals more force the water will have on the surface you're cleaning. You can easily damage many surfaces if the PSI is too high.

Pressure Washer Ratings

• Light Duty: 0-1999 psi
• Medium Duty: 2000-2799 psi
• Heavy Duty: 2800-3299 psi
• Industrial Duty: 3300 psi and more

Different Types of Pressure Washers

Pressure washers are available in two main varieties: gas and electric. Gas and diesel models offer you the power and mobility to tackle heavy-duty jobs like removing paint and cleaning driveways and sidewalks. Electric pressure washers feature an on/off switch and are typically quieter and more eco-friendly than gas models. 

There are several different styles of pressure washers, including cart, carry, handheld, stationary, skid and wall mount. While corded electric pressure washers are more common, cordless pressure washers that run on batteries are available, making them highly portable and easier to store. Pressure washer water brooms and surface cleaners are great for cleaning floors, sidewalks, decks, patios, driveways and parking lots. Steam cleaners can sanitize hard surfaces on floors, machinery and equipment using very little water and no chemicals.

Water Type

Cold Water: Cold water pressure washers are great for most general-purpose jobs like facility maintenance, automotive work, hazardous material cleanup and more.

Hot Water: Use power washers with hot water for your toughest cleaning jobs. Hot water is more effective than cold water for removing mud, grime and other stubborn stains.

Steam: Great for surface preparation, refinishing, automotive maintenance and even thawing frozen equipment, steam pressure washers help remove oil and grease and produce less runoff than cold and hot water pressure washing.

How to Choose the Right Pressure Washer Nozzle

When selecting a pressure washer, it’s important to know which nozzle is used for different tasks and surfaces. Pressure washers often come with color-coded interchangeable nozzles or an all-in-one adjustable nozzle. Both types of nozzles allow you to change the angle of the water spray depending on the task. Adjustable nozzles are convenient because a simple twist is all it takes to change the spray width or pattern. Most pressure washers come with four universal nozzles and one soap nozzle.

Nozzle colors indicate different spray angles. For example:

Zero-degree nozzle: The red 0-degree nozzle creates high concentrated pressure to clean areas. It is mainly used for heavy-duty jobs like cleaning heavy build-up on concrete, sidewalks, and block paving or removing rust from equipment.

15-degree nozzle:  The yellow 15-degree nozzle is used for intense moderate to heavy-duty cleaning like stripping paint from wood, metal or masonry, as well as removing oil, grease or mildew stains.

25-degree nozzle: The green 25-degree nozzle is used to tackle general light-duty tasks like washing off mud and dirt from driveways, patio furniture, decks, vehicles and more.

40-degree nozzle: The white 40-degree nozzle is often used for light-duty tasks like pressure washing more easily damaged surfaces like windows, cars, RVs and trucks.

65-degree nozzle: The black 65-degree nozzle produces the widest and gentlest spray patterns and is often used for applying detergent or rinsing soap.

Using the wrong nozzle or tip for your pressure washer could result in severe injury and costly property damage. Concrete damage is commonly caused by improper tip use, as are broken window seals and damaged wood and composite decks. To help reduce the risk of injury, experts caution against using the red, zero-degree nozzle or the zero-degree setting of an all-in-one adjustable nozzle. The higher-degree settings can get most jobs done without putting you at unnecessary risk.

After selecting the appropriate nozzle, ensure your pressure washer is properly connected to a water supply before turning on. Never keep your pressure washer running on idle for more than a few minutes. If you’re not going to be spraying, it’s best to turn off your pressure washer. Keeping a pressure washer running on bypass without spraying can damage the pump and internal control valves.