Electric Pressure Washer For Home Use? Here are 3 Top Choices
Years of soot and dirt accumulation in areas around your house is not a glorious sight to behold. There isn’t no magic spell to make them all go away, but the next best thing is probably sold at the nearest hardware or your favorite online retailer. Yes, we’re talking about pressure washing.
But isn’t power and pressure washing only used for the hardcore industrial stuff? No, not necessarily. Although pressure washers are valuable industrial cleaning tools, you can actually use one to clean your car or clean the outside of a house.
If you’re thinking of buying a pressure washer to complete cleaning tasks around the house, there won’t be any shortage of options out there. But before that, let’s briefly step into the more technical world of pressure washers.
What is a Pressure Washer?
Pressure washers, also known as power washers, are mechanical sprayers that use high water pressure to effectively remove paint, mildew, sludge, dust, and dirt from various surfaces.
Although the terms “pressure washers” and “power washers” are used interchangeably, they actually differ in one essential element. Power washers have a heating element to heat water while pressure washers do not. With this mechanism, power washers clean better than pressure washers. However, since both use high water pressure, it’s understandable why people interchange these terms.
Generally, there are two types of pressure washers– electric and gas pressure washers. The former has an electric motor to produce the pressure needed, while the latter has a more powerful gasoline or diesel engine to generate the power. For cleaning tasks around the house, the power of an electric pressure washer is more than enough to get things done. It is also more portable, quieter, safer, and considerably cheaper than gas-powered washers.
3 Best Electric Pressure Washers for Home Use
- Sun Joe SPX3000
There shouldn’t be any reason why any part of your house needs more than the 2030 pSi of cleaning power that the SPX3000 provides. It’s probably the most basic electric pressure washer you can find, which is fine because you don’t need to complicate cleaning.
The best feature of the SPX3000 is the two detergent tanks that allow you to carry soapy water mixture in one and pure water in another. Talking about convenience! It is also pretty cheap at less than $200 and has five spray-tip options so you can adapt to whatever cleaning task is in front of you.
Pros:
-cheap
-it comes with two detergent tanks
-light and portable
-easy assembly and maneuverability
Cons:
-may not be powerful enough for specific tasks
-hose may not be long enough
- Greenworks PW-1800
The PW-1800 is not the most powerful pressure washer out there, but you’d be surprised at how effective it can still be. Aside from the three quick-connect wands, it has a soap nozzle that makes cleaning easier. And at its price point, it is a total bargain! Its power is enough for you to clean dirty patios and driveways and safe enough to be used on cars and trucks.
Pros:
-cheap
-deceptively powerful
-easy to use and assemble
-operates very quietly
Cons:
-hose may not be long enough
-soap tank may get leaky
- Westinghouse ePX3050
The ePX3050 is described as a “little powerhouse,” and truer words have never been spoken. It packs a potent and efficient punch at over 3,500 cleaning units, making it one of the top rated electric pressure washers of 2022. The unit is so good that one user thought the ePX3050 gave him the same experience as his gas pressure washer minus the noise and clunkiness.
Pros:
-light yet powerful
-impossible to tip over because of its low center of gravity
-can be assembled without using any tools
Cons:
-hose and wand may be too short
-detergent dispenser does not have a dilution mechanism
Tips for Safety Pressure Washing
While electric pressure washers have significantly less power than gas-powered ones, they still pack a pretty powerful punch. How powerful, exactly? If you’re not careful, it can cause blindness when sprayed at the eye level or cut the skin when sprayed at close distances.
To prevent that from happening, here’s what you should do.
- Choose the right day.
Pressure washing on a blistering, sunny day could dry the cleaning agents before you can rinse them off. In short, any detergents or bleach will be useless. Check the weather report and choose a mildly cloudy day for best results.
- Always wear protective equipment.
A cut skin heals in no time, but the damage could be permanent if you inadvertently spray your eyes. Therefore, always wear eye protection, as well as boots and other protective equipment. Better safe than sorry.
- Do not use ladders.
Ladders are a no-no, especially if you’re a beginner. Pressure washers have enough recoil to pull you in the opposite direction, and may cause you to fall over and sustain injuries. If you need to clean somewhere higher, just use a longer wand when possible. If not, you better call a taller neighbor, or better yet, a professional cleaning service.
- Turn off power
Pressure washing outdoors can be dangerous, especially to something that has electricity. As you know, water and electricity can be a nasty and fatal combination. That is why you should turn off the power on any outdoor electrical outlets to be safe. Water from the washer could easily get inside these outlets and cause irreversible carnage.
- Take the kids and pets inside.
Small children and pets have no business going near powerful machines like pressure washers. And we all know they don’t stop at NO, especially when curiosity gets the better of them. That is why have another adult take them inside the house and make sure that they never go anywhere near pressure washers.
Final Thoughts
There are many ways to complete small cleaning projects around the house, but none is as efficient as using an electric pressure washer. It can easily clean years of accumulated dust and grime and does quick work when used to wash cars. There are dozens of decent options in the market, and three are already outlined above. But, of course, before using an electric pressure washer, please religiously observe safety tips to prevent accidents and injuries. After all, an ounce of prevention is always better than a pound of cure.
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