Both power washer and pressure washer are a widespread tool for us when it comes to cleaning. But they are not the same machine. Most of us consider them as the same tool and can be used any cleaning job. This type of interchangeability could harm your property. That is because one of them is very powerful than the other to do the tough jobs. Do you know the difference between a power washer and a pressure washer?
Power Washer vs Pressure Washer
Are you confused about the washer to use in cleaning? Follow this article about power washers and pressure washers. Their applications and differences will clarify your confusion. In this article, we are going to discuss power washer vs pressure washer and their application. Read to the bottom line if you want to understand the difference.
COMPARISON BETWEEN POWER WASHER AND PRESSURE WASHER
| topic | power washer | pressure washer |
|---|---|---|
| cost | Pretty high because of using heating methods | Comparatively lower than power washer |
| Water temperature | It varies from 150 to 200F. Sometimes exceeds 200F | Use normal water |
| Carrying ability | It is challenging because of its larger dimensions | Easier because of its small dimensions |
| Design | Complex design due to having temperature gauge to control high temperature | Less complex design as it does not have any temperature gauge |
| Operating Pressure | Comparatively lower than a pressure washer | Pressure varies between 1400 to 2000 psi |
| Oily surface | More effective on oily and grease surfaces | Less effective |
| Tough surface | Less effective | Effectiveness is much higher than the power washer |
| Power consumption | More power is needed for hot water | Less power consumption as there is no heater |
| Environmental issues | Environment friendly because of using zero chemicals | Using chemicals might lead to some environmental issues |
| Extra detergents | There is no need to use any | Often use detergents for better results |
Power Washer
Suppose you want to remove dirt, grime from surfaces and structures. A power washer is an option for you. It uses pressurized steam of boiling water for cleaning. Due to this uninterrupted supply of water at high-pressure washing result is more efficient and quicker. On the other hand, regular hoses cannot do the job with much efficiency. When you need to remove muck, mildew from a walkway or patio, it is the perfect option.
When the surface grime is challenging enough, high steam heat reduces them from the surface. That is because normal water is not helpful like this kind of situation. Power washing also helps control weeds and moss as heat can kill them or stop them from growing back. Therefore. You can consider a power washer as a heavy-duty weapon.
Using Sectors of Power Washer
As it uses hot water, its application sectors are pretty comprehensive. Here are the areas in which you can use power washing:
- Algae or weeds removal and killing them
- Wood sidings
- Also, on aluminum sidings
- To clean gutters
- Mechanical parts which have greases
- Removing gums from a sidewalk
- Refreshing the deck or patio
- Removal of mold, grime, and mildew
- While the house is getting ready for sale
Advantages of Power Washer
The most significant advantage is to use hot water. It is very effective on oil-based dirt surfaces. Suppose you want to clean some weeds and algae from some metal surfaces. Using regular water will not do much except just some removal. But if you use a power washer, it will remove them from the roots and kill them instantly. Hot water steam comes in handy as it makes the surface germ-free.
Power washers also suitable to clean mechanical parts from greases. It is because grease removal is pretty tough for average water pressure. Most of the time, it won’t get off if you do not use hot water steam. Another advantage is the combination of hot water with high pressure. It works more efficiently in house cleaning than just steam.
Disadvantages of Power Washer
Relatively costly than the pressure washers. As it has a temperature gauge to maintain high temperature, these make the machine design more complex. Therefore, the maintenance will be troublesome. Power washers are pretty big and bulky. That makes it difficult to carry from one place to another. When you use a power washer for a car, be careful of high temperatures. It could damage the paint and wax of your vehicle. Sometimes the color of the car looks too pale because of using power wash all the time.
Using high temperature can be dangerous sometimes. It will harm your skin if you come in contact with hot water continuously.
Pressure Washer
They are mainly powerful, designed pumps with a powerful hose to flow water with high pressure to perform cleaning jobs. The most significant advantage of pressure washers is that they use regular temperature water to remove tough stains. While pressure washing, it blasts away dirt and dust in seconds and cleans the area. The surface looks pretty new after cleaning. Though it is not helpful against moss and algae removal, it still does the job perfectly.
Suppose you want to your walkways, concrete surfaces, or bricks. Then pressure washing is the suitable option for you. They are made for this kind of delicate surface which is more susceptible to damage.
Using Sectors of Pressure Washer
This type of washers has potential use for clients. Here are the influential sectors in which they are used:
- Exterior siding of buildings
- Sidewalks and stairways
- Driveways and patios
- Parking garages
- Stadiums
- Open-air plazas
- Vehicles like cars, buses, boats
- Other concrete surfaces
Advantages of Pressure Washer
They are much cheaper compare to power washers. The pressure varies from 1400 to 2000 psi. You can use this washer on any harsh surfaces depend on the force. Suppose your yard or garage is made of concrete materials. It would be tough to clean those surfaces. But if you use a pressure washer with 1900 or 2000 psi, it will be an easy task for you. Due to their small dimensions, it is very to carry them around.
Gas-powered and electric pressure washers are much easier to maintain compared to a power washer. As they use very high pressure, cleaning is more efficient when it comes to hard surfaces. Power washers cannot handle this type of task.
Disadvantages of Pressure Washer
When it comes to the oily surface, pressure washers are not that much used useful. Despite using high pressure, they cannot remove all the dirt and debris from the garage surface. Even if you some detergent with water mixture, it will not give you a satisfying result. At most, they will remove some of the less tough stains. But most of the oil and grease will remain on the surface.
As washer pressure is pretty high, you cannot use them in vinyl siding or wood surfaces. Sometimes it might damage your property.
Washer for Home
When it comes to home cleaning, you should choose the right one. You might be confused about which is the pressure washer or power washer. Well, the thing is that it depends on which side of your home you want to clean. Suppose you want to wash the vinyl sidings. Then using a power washer might not be a good idea. It will do more harm than good. If you’re going to clean your yard, it would be best to use a pressure washer.
Again, to clean wood surface, weeds, or algae growing on some corners of your house, power washing is the suitable choice. But when it comes to home depot like garage, pressure washer cannot handle that. That is because storehouses or garages often have oil and greases on the surface. Therefore, using a pressure washer instead of a power washer would not be wise.
Washers for Car
Well, the question is, “Which one to use for your car, power washer or pressure washer?” Well, the answer is tricky. Power washers can do the cleaning quickly. But the heat can damage the paint in terms of excessive use. In the pressure washer, the operating pressure varies from a different range. You have to choose less stress to operate the machine while cleaning your car. If the pressure goes higher than usual, the car’s surface might be damaged during washing.
But using a pressure washer to clean your vehicle is safer than using a power washer. Remember to choose a low-pressured machine.
Which one to choose?
It depends on use. If you want to clean oil and greaser-based surface, then choose the power washer. Hot water works more efficiently on this of tasks. When you want to wash your yard, then a pressure washer is for you. It will blow all the dust from any harsh surfaces. You can also use them combined.
Suppose you have a large workshop or storehouse. Then power washing is for the oily area, and pressure is for small, tough spaces.
Final Words
We discussed the topic of power washer vs pressure washer. Let’s hope you will now understand the differences between them. Use them carefully to avoid damage to you and your property.
