Pressure Washer Terminology

When it comes to buying a pressure washer, the whole process isn’t made any easier when the language used doesn’t make a lot of sense to beginners! This is why we’ve put together this quick guide to help you understand just what all those features mean.

An Introduction to Pressure Washer Terminology

Firstly you should realise that another term for a pressure washer is a water blaster. This is because pressure washers are based on the premise of ‘blasting’ water at high pressures to remove dirt and materials from surfaces like cars, driveways, outdoor furniture, patios and more. This dirt would be a lot harder to remove without this high pressure.

Pressure washer is a general term, covering a wide range of different types of machine. This is why it’s important to understand the jargon to help you find the right kind for you – and this will mainly depend on your budget and what you’ll be using it for. It is mainly used for cleaning and for removing paint from surfaces.

Deciphering the Jargon

In order to see whether a pressure washer’s right for you, you’ll need to decipher some of the following terms:

• Bar – This is basically a measure of pressure, the higher it is the greater pressure and power the washer has.
• Bar – maximum pressure – This means the maximum pressure that a particular machine can create. This maximum pressure is only obtainable when the machine is first switched on, so is not maintained through the whole use.
• Bar-rate pressure – This is an average measure of the pressure, which is the most accurate reading you should look for if you want to learn the pressure the machine will usually run at and can sustain consistently.
• Flow Rate – This means the amount of water that will be used by the machine in an hour.
• Safety Relief Valve – This is a release system that will prevent the pressure from ever building up to dangerous levels.
• Motor Size – The size of the motor shows how powerful the pressure washer is. It is measured in watts, and therefore the greater the number shown, the more powerful the model will be.
• Induction Motor – This is a type of motor that is less noisy than traditional pressure washer motors. This can also allow the pressure to be higher without having to use as much water, making these machines more economical.
• Universal Motor – This type of motor is light enough to enable the machine to be moved around at the same time as maintaining a high bar of pressure.

Choosing the Right Pressure

Although you know that bar is a measure of pressure, it can still be confusing to choose the right amount of pressure for your needs, so here is a quick guide.

• 100 Bar Pressure – This is a light duty pressure washer, and is best used on items such as your garden tools, furniture in the garden, bicycles, and motorbikes.
• 100-110 Bar Pressure – This can be used for items that get more heavily soiled, including boats, cars, guttering, spa pools, fences, and lawnmowers.
• 110-130 Bar Pressure – This is useful for items such as patios, farm equipment, decking, brickwork and concrete driveways.

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