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Four Factors for Choosing the Right Commercial Pressure Washer for Your Business

man cleaning an outside wall with a pressure washer

Whether you’re cleaning a roof, a floor, or industrial equipment, you want to use a machine that is going to help you get the job done quickly and effectively. That’s where a pressure washer comes in, but which one is best for you and the tasks you want to put it through? Hotsy Water Blast offers free on-site Cleaning Analysis to help clients choose the most appropriate power washer and accessories for their needs. Plus, in the article below, we also lead you through the key factors to consider when selecting a pressure washer for industrial applications while ensuring optimal performance and cost efficiency.

Factor 1: Need for a Commercial Pressure Washer

Before we dive into Hotsy Water Blast’s advice for choosing the right commercial pressure washer, it’s important to understand the difference between residential pressure washers and commercial pressure washers. Depending on the size and sector of your business, a residential pressure washer may be all you need. However, if your business regularly requires large-scale power washing, it is more cost-effective and efficient to opt for a commercial pressure washer

because commercial power washers have:

  • greater water pressure
  • more power
  • higher flow rates
  • longer service life
  • greater durability and ease of operation
  • more interchangeable nozzles

Tip: For optimal performance and cost efficiency choose a commercial power washer if you work in the following sectors:

  • agricultural, manufacturing, construction
  • marine, food processing, facilities & resorts
  • oil, gas & mining
  • transportation, waste management sectors

 Fact & Tip: All workplace electrical equipment must be certified to UL or CSA standards, so for industrial safety, be sure to look for certification guarantees.

Factor 2: What You Are Cleaning

Now that you know you truly need the power of a commercial pressure washer, you will have to choose between a hot or cold washer. This will be determined by what you are cleaning. While a cold pressure washer will offer energy savings, it is not an effective way to remove grease or anything viscose.

Tip: If your industry requires frequent washing of viscous grease or grime, choose a hot water commercial power washer for optimal performance and cost efficiency.

Fact: Hot water makes almost everything cleaner.

 Another consideration that arises from what you clean is your need for power, pressure, and flow rate. For example, dust and wet mud may require less power to wash off than caked-on grease or dried mud; a roof may require a larger water jet than a car.

Tip: Choose the commercial power washer that provides the power, pressure, and flow rate you need to get your washing done quickly and effectively. This will be determined by the motor, pump, and nozzle size of the pressure washer you choose.

Facts: The pump determines the flow rate (how fast the water puts out water) and supports water pressure. The higher the pressure, the harder the pump must work. The nozzle determines the size of the water jet, not the water pressure.

 

Factor 3: Where You Are Cleaning

Where you use your power washer will determine many things about the equipment you will need, including its portability and power source, both of which affect your power washer’s performance and cost efficiency.

Outdoors: Gas engines provide excellent portability for working outside and around large buildings and machines. They are easily transported, but doing so increases the risk of damage, premature wear, and theft. Gas and diesel pressure washers have unmatched power, which offers a fast, deep clean that saves time and cleans a large area faster than electric power washers. Gas washers do, however, make more noise and give off emissions.

Indoors: Working indoors often gives rise to the need for a less noisy commercial power washer with fewer emissions. An electric model fits the bill. Electric washers are also more energy efficient than gas or diesel models, which require a secure place for fuel storage. Electric power washers have a quick, easy start-up and motors that require less maintenance than their gas counterparts.

Tip: Stationary models and complete pressure washing systems may offer better value than portable commercial pressure washers. Get a quote from a professional commercial power washer supplier to see if a stationary model or system fits your budget and needs.

Fact: Stationary models can run on LP-natural gas from a line rather than a tank. The gas-powered equipment can be housed inside a building to protect it from the elements, and the piping and hoses can pass through a wall to be used outside or in another space.

Fact: Stationary commercial power washers can be electric-powered.

Factor 4: Who Cares (for and Maintains the Pressure Washer)

The combination of mechanics, water, and pressure in an industrial environment will lead to wear and tear on any pressure washer and create the need for regular maintenance and care.

Tip: Choose a pressure washer with readily available replacement parts so you or a repair technician can easily access them and repair your commercial power washer as quickly as possible, avoiding work delays and other problems.

Tip: Purchase your commercial power washer through a specialized supplier who will inspect, repair, and maintain your equipment as well as provide customer support.

Bonus Power Washing Tip

You can decrease the time you spend cleaning and increase your satisfaction with the results by using specially formulated pressure washer soap.

Finding Commercial Pressure Washers in Western Canada & North Dakota

Now that you have considered four key factors for selecting a pressure washer for industrial applications, contact Hotsy Water Blast to discuss your needs. We sell and manufacture commercial pressure washers and factory-direct parts and accessories, provide pressure washer maintenance, repairs, and servicing, and promise, “If we don’t sell it, we build it!” You can find us throughout Alberta in EdmontonCalgaryLethbridgeRed Deer, and Grande Prairie, as well as in Langley, B.C., Regina, Saskatchewan, and Williston and Bismarck North Dakota.