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Understanding the Importance of Pressure Washers' PSI and GPM
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Whether you call it power washing, water jetting or pressure washing, it all comes down to PSI (pounds per square inch). That’s the measurement of force behind the water you are using to pressure wash and it is important to know and understand what it does. So what is high pressure and what is low pressure? The answer could depend largely on whom you ask. For the average homeowner who is using an electric pressure washer model to clean his patio furniture or wash his car, 1,500 PSI may seem like high pressure. Alternately, in an industrial setting, machines of upwards of 10,000 PSI are able to not only clean, but even cut and finish plastic or metal. Now, that’s some high pressure. Here is a quick rundown of common pressure washer machines from low to high: |
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1,200- 1,500 PSI: This PSI is on the low end, good for the average homeowners to handle most household and automotive cleaning jobs. These are available generally in pressure washers electric models. | |
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1,500- 2,000 PSI: This is a moderate strength unit used primarily for deck cleaning and available in both gas and electric pressure washers. | |
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2,200-3,500 PSI: This is considered high pressure, with models running on gas. Used primarily for cleaning siding or concrete. Most professional pressure washers use this range of PSI. | |
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10,000- 50,000 PSI: This is an ultra-high pressure also known as water blasters, used in industrial and engineering settings to clean and alter large equipment, buildings and structures such as bridges. | |
Of course, PSI isn’t the only consideration in pressure washers. In these days of rising fuel costs, the other initials the contractor should be aware of are GPM. That stands for Gallons per Minute and gives you an idea of how much fuel your pressure washer will use to complete a job. While GPM does refer to the amount of water a machine uses to complete a job, it ultimately affects the fuel efficiency of the pressure washer. Unlike a car, which runs a number of miles per gallon, a power washer does its job in a certain amount of time. The more powerful the machine, the faster it will get the job done, thus using less fuel. This is where the rubber meets the road so to speak. You may be thinking that the higher GPM models would be less cost efficient, but let’s consider how effectiveness is measured for a moment. The PSI rating is important, but the GPM determines how long a job will take. And, let’s face it, in today’s business world: time is money. If you multiply the PSI by the GPM you will find the ECU (Effective Cleaning Units). A higher ECU means a job done more quickly and effectively, which saves you time and gives you the opportunity to make more money on your pressure washing business. A 2,000 PSI machine that runs at 4 GPM will produce an ECU of 8,000 (PSI X GPM = ECU). Similarly, a 2,500 PSI machine that runs at 2 GPM will result in an ECU of only 5,000. The lower PSI machine will get the job done faster. Of course, you still can not take a 1,200 PSI machine to clean a house, but when comparing pressure washer machines, it is important to consider all the factors that determine the eventual output in order to find the model that best suits your needs and budget.
The publisher of these pages is in no way responsible for any damage caused to you, your pressure washer, anyone else, your property, or anyone else's property by trying to implement or by successfully implementing the above-mentioned performance and services.
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