Pressure Washer Buying Guide

At PressureWasher.co.uk, we supply a wide range of top-brand pressure washers for domestic and industrial use – but we know that choosing between them can be an extremely tricky decision for our customers.

Ultimately, for all the technical details, bar ratings and specifications, you just need a pressure washer capable of tackling the job at hand.

So, we’ve put together this pressure washer buying guide to ‘clean up’ any confusion and help you find the ideal pressure washer for you.

Bar Rating

One of the most important things to understand when you buy a pressure washer is the ‘bar rating’. The bar rating of each product effectively indicates how strong the pressure is – the higher the rating, the more power the washer has.

If you see one of our pressure washers has a bar rating of 100, that makes it suitable for light domestic use – ideal for gentle tasks such as cleaning up your garden furniture or hosing out a bin for example.

Something around the 120-130 mark is more suited to heavy duty domestic work, and has sufficient pressure to clean driveways, patios and walls – while anything beyond 140-150 (up to a staggering 230) is generally classed as industrial.

If you’re looking to buy a pressure washer to clean your car, opt for something around the 110 mark at least.

Of course, you may be lining up several potential jobs for your pressure washer – ranging from simple garden furniture hose-downs to stubborn wall grime blasting. In this case, a washer with adjustable pressure is the ideal choice.

Failing that, be sure to choose a model with a range of nozzles. The pressure bar rating remains constant, but the nozzles are designed to focus the cleaning area, giving the effect of higher pressure.

Look out for models with nozzles capable of adding 50% more pressure such as the Nilfisk C110 3-5 PCA X-tra Pressure Washer – this gives great versatility in the use of your pressure washer.

Water Flow rate

Water flow rates go hand in hand with bar rating in determining the suitability of a pressure washer. Measured in litres per hour, the flow rate dictates how quickly dirt and debris will be washed away. Again, the higher the rate, the easier a cleaning job should be.

For industrial use, look for flow rates of 500 litres per hour +.

Hose Length

The technical details of pressure washers can make it easy to overlook the obvious features – but the hose length varies greatly between products and can be a deciding factor in the decision making process.

Depending on how and where you intend to use your pressure washer, you’ll need to check that the hose is sufficiently long enough to tackle the job at hand.

Similarly, when you buy electric pressure washers, check the length of the mains cable.

Reliability

By stocking only the biggest pressure washer brands, we guarantee reliability with every single one of our products. However, the manufacturer’s warranty does vary between products and brands – so for maximum peace of mind check the warranty before you buy.

Some of our pressure washers are built with self-cooling engines such as the Karcher K3.550 Pressure Washer to increase the lifespan of the machine, and these high quality products often come with the longest guarantee.