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Everything You Need to Know About Pressure Washers
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Jan 25, 2024
Detailed pressure washer tips for beginners covering all important details of using and caring for your pressure washer. READ MY POPULAR ARTICLES ABOUT: Polyurethane Finish - https://bit.ly/powerbuffing DIY Hoop House Plans - https://bit.ly/hoophouseplans Submersible Pump Installation - https://bit.ly/pumpinstallation Air-Drying Wood Tips - https://bit.ly/wooddrying How to Build a Table - https://bit.ly/tablebuilding How to Stain a Deck - https://bit.ly/deckstain Choosing Waterproof Outdoor Glue - https://bit.ly/exterioradhesives How To Build A Wheelchair Ramp - https://bit.ly/wheelchairrampplans SUBSCRIBE: http://bit.ly/BLRchannel WATCH MY POPULAR VIDEO: How to Cut Perfect Miter Joints https://youtu.be/0wnjJ-Xi5FU WATCH MORE BAILEY LINE ROAD: Winter Tips - https://bit.ly/2rpnUcm
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0:00
If you've got outdoor stuff to keep clean in your life, then you've probably thought
0:04
of getting a pressure washer. I know they're useful tools because I've owned and used several models here at my place
0:10
every year for more than 25 years. In this video, I'm going to show you how gas-powered pressure washers work
0:17
I'm going to explain what they're good for, what they're not good for, and I'll show you the
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top uses I put my pressure washer to more or less each year, including two uses that you've
0:27
probably never even heard of before. Pressure washers are portable devices that take municipal water at a typical pressure of 40 to 70 PSI
0:37
then boosts that pressure up to and beyond 2,500 PSI. And this increases the cleaning action of the water. This boost in pressure comes from either an electric
0:48
motor or a gas powered engine. I personally prefer gas pressure washers because they offer a lot
0:55
more power, the kind of power that I need. So this video will focus on that type
1:00
Every pressure washer has a water inlet port where you connect a garden hose, plus another outlet, a high pressure water outlet where you connect a special hose and wand that delivers what I call energetic water for cleaning
1:15
So start by connecting the garden hose to your pressure washer. I always install all metal quick connect fittings for this to speed up the setup and take down time
1:25
It's much better than threading the hose directly onto the pressure washer. It's also important that the engine on any pressure washer never run without the pump being filled with water first
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This is why I always let the water flow through the pump until all air is displaced before firing up the engine
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Simply turn on the water at the hose outlet, pull the trigger on the wand
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then let low pressure water flow through the hose and onto the ground without the engine running until all the bubbles stop
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And here's another important tip. Be sure to remove any nozzle tip that may be installed on the end of the wand before letting the water flow through to purge out the air
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And why would you do this? Well, this allows water to move through the pump more quickly and it also allows, and this is key, any sediment to flush from the system without plugging that small removable nozzle tip
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If the nozzle tip becomes clogged or partially clogged when the engine gets fired up and pressure builds behind it
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it can make the nozzle very difficult to remove for cleaning. So flush first, then install the nozzle tip of your choice after flushing and purging
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This could save you considerable hassles. And speaking of nozzle tips, every pressure washer comes with a variety of nozzle tips that produce different spray patterns
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The wider the pattern, the more gentle to spray. So a narrower tip is best for removing very tough dirt but on tough surfaces that are not easily damaged Wood is not one of those tough surfaces and that why you have to be careful with the nozzle you choose and the distance you use it from a wood surface With your pressure washer purged of air and an appropriate nozzle installed on the end of the wand it time to fire up the engine
3:14
And this procedure is different than starting a lawnmower or snowblower, even though the engines involved are similar
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The challenge when starting a pressure washer is that the engine is usually under considerable
3:26
resistance before it even starts. And since the water pump can't be disconnected from the motor
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it makes the motor harder to spin over during startup and this resistance to spinning, it can
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prevent the engine from starting easily. So here's what I do. Switch on the ignition, turn on the fuel
3:44
set the choke and pull the starter cord and you'll see what I mean. If the cord isn't sluggish to
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pull at first, it will soon get that way with more pulls on the cord as the pump loads up internally
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with water. So what's the solution? Well, it's really pretty simple. You hold the wand in one hand
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and you pull the trigger on that wand and keep it open with the water flowing out, then use the
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other hand to pull the starter cord. Just remember to point the wand in a safe direction as you do all
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this, since high pressure water will come out of the wand as soon as the engine starts. So let it run
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and warm up for, you know, 15, 30 seconds maybe while continuing to hold onto the trigger
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open. After that, you can usually take the choke off and release the wand trigger. Sometimes if you do it
4:34
sooner than you should, the engine will quit. So just repeat the process again. Just one other thing before I go on
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This is the on-off switch here. And in most cases, you know, the I is the one is on and the zero is off
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And the switch will stay wherever you put it. But in this particular champion pressure washer
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is spring loaded, which means that when you leave it alone, it's always on
4:57
The idea is that you don't forget and try to start the thing with it turned off
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When you do want to turn off, you just have to hit the spring loaded switch once
5:06
You don't even have to keep it holding down, held down, until it stops
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You just hit it once and it'll stop, and then it's ready to go in the on position again next time
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So, pressure washer use number one, cleaning. This seems like an obvious use for a pressure washer, of course, but there's more here than meets the eye
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While pressure washers do deliver much more pressure than a garden hose, it's possible that this pressure can damage surfaces
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So avoid trouble by approaching any new surface with caution. Begin with a wide spray nozzle and keep the tip at least 24 inches away from the surface at first
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Change the nozzle to the next more intense one and bring the one tip closer
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of the surface if you need more cleaning power. Pressure washers are very effective at cleaning nooks and crannies
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as well as delivering water up high enough to reach elevated locations without you being on a ladder Just be careful though Always test a small area first and then let the surface dry completely
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before deciding that your pressure and distance details are correct. It's possible that a pressure
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washer can leave marks behind that only become visible on the surface after it's dried. So make
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sure you do a thorough check first. Some pressure washers have a reservoir that delivers liquid
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soap automatically to the spray stream for maximum cleaning of greasy or grimy
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surfaces. Just be sure to rinse surfaces with clear water as a final step if you
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have used the soap or detergent. If you do decide you want to use some detergent
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there's a couple of things you need to know. First of all, this clear tube, which
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siphons up the detergent from the reservoir you see here, needs to be connected
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to the manifold here. That will allow it to be drawn into the out
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flowing water stream that comes out here. Do not connect the clear tube to this fitting. This is
7:05
actually a temperature relief valve fitting so that if the pump were ever to overheat because
7:11
it's been running for a while without water being used, the pressure, the excess pressure
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would be vented out at the bottom. There's another thing you need to know. It's very important
7:21
If you do want to apply soap, you need to use the soaping nozzle. All these other
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nozzles will develop a fairly high pressure within the wand and that high pressure will actually stop the soap from being siphoned up in that clear tube but
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this one here has a large hole as you can see so it doesn't develop a lot of
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back pressure and that's what's necessary for the soap to be drawn up properly
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So you can leave that clear tube hooked up all the time. The soap will only be
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dispensed when you have that black nozzle in position here in the end of the
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wand. When it comes to pressure washers and cleaning surfaces, there's something that many
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people find surprising. Sometimes scrubbing before pressure washing works better than pressure
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washing alone. Surface dirt, especially dust, can hang on even under the full brunt of
8:14
high pressure water. In cases like these, scrubbing can be more effective, though it can't
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extend to every corner. And this is why washing siding, for instance, often works best
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with a three-step process. First, an initial low-pressure washing using soap delivered by the
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pressure washer. Scrub the siding with a long-handled brush, then pressure wash off the dirt
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and soapy water with moderate pressure and clear water. Avoid directing high-pressure water
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under the bottom edge of siding or anywhere else where water penetration into the building
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envelope might happen. Pressure washer use number two, sandblasting surfaces. If you need to prepare metal for finishing or refinishing then a pressure washer with something called a media blaster attachment is something you should know about Made by several manufacturers these fit on the end of any pressure washer wand and include a large diameter hose
9:13
Stick this hose into a pail of sandblasting media such as glass beads or coal particles
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And it gets drawn up into the wand tip by suction created by the movement of water through the tip
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So the abrasive particles get mixed with the water, delivering the water. more abrasive action than if the blasting media had been used in an air-powered blasting gun with no water
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So you get no dust either and faster results. Pressure washer use number three
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Septic system revival. You've probably never heard of this technique before, but a pressure washer can save you a five-figure septic rebuilding job
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if you've got a septic system that's failing for the usual reasons of clogged leaching pipes
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So you connect a long, flexible jetting attachment with a self-driving head
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Your pressure washer becomes the engine for cleaning the inside of the leaching pipes
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that are at the heart of most septic systems. Have your septic tank pumped so you have at least a couple of days before sewage starts flowing out into the leaching bed again
10:19
Then dig down and find the ends of your leaching pipes. Cut off the ends of the pipes to open them and to allow the flexible jetting attachment to enter
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The head of this attachment is self-driving in that it pulls itself into the pipe under its own power
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There's no need to push the jetting hose. Rather, you'll actually need to hold it back because one jet points forward to bust through the crud
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while three jets angle backward to propel the rest of the hose inside the pipe via the force of the pressurized water
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The results work very well. When nothing but clean water comes out of your leaching pipes, stop jetting, then rest of the water
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Replace the end cap that you cut off from the pipe with a removable port that can be unscrewed easily next time for easy access
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I've used the same procedure to clear badly clogged plumbing drain pipes too
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even when the clog is 100 feet from the nearest outlet. Winterizing your pressure washer
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Does it get below freezing where you live? Water that remains in the pressure washer pump can freeze, expand, and damage your pressure washer if it's stored
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in an unheated garage or shed, as many are. This is why winterizing the pump is essential
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Connect a funnel and a short length of garden hose to the pump and pour about six ounces
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of non-toxic plumbing antifreeze into the funnel. With the ignition switch off
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pull the recoil starter handle several times until antifreeze squirts out from the high pressure outlet of the pump
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It just takes a few poles to get the job done. I'd be lost without a pressure washer here at my place
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It's one of those things you don't realize how often you use until you have one handy
#Construction & Power Tools
#Home Improvement
#Washers & Dryers