How to Use a Pressure Washer

How to Use a Pressure Washer

Whether you need to give your car a clean or maybe bring the patio back to life after winter, getting rid of dirt can be a real pain.

Unless, of course, you have a pressure washer, available to hire from Speedy, the UK’s number one hire company.

A couple of good things to remember when hiring from Speedy, all our hire equipment is checked, tested, cleaned and serviced before every hire and will come ready to go. You will also notice a folder attached to your product. These are the safety and operating instructions, please make sure you read these before you begin your job.

Before you use the pressure washer it’s really important that you wear the correct PPE. Eye protection, safety boots, gloves and a dust mask are essential when using a pressure washer, and any PPE you do require can be purchased from Speedy.

Please Watch our How to Use a Pressure Washer Video below:

Some tips before using a pressure washer:

• Always point the lance and water away from you. It is forceful, so could cause injury
• Don't pressure wash around gravel or any other loose materials, as they can flick up and cause damage or injury
• Familiarise yourself with how to adjust the settings and how powerful the most/least powerful settings are
• Don't use a pressure washer on really fragile surfaces, such as glass

How to Use a Pressure Washer: Step By Step Guide

You should always follow the specific instructions of your pressure washer model. Below is a general guide on how to use a pressure washer, using a Karcher model:

Step 1: Set up the pressure washer

A pressure washer is really easy to use and will come with a hose and spray lance. To begin with, you will need to attach the hose and spray lance to the pressure washer unit, by screwing the end of the hose onto the outlet of the unit.

Next to the hose outlet you will find the water inlet, here you will need to attach your garden hose using a standard connector, to provide clean water to the pressure washer.

Step 2: Use the right settings

Most pressure washers come with a pressure dial which will allow you to control the power output of the pressure washer. On the rear of the machine, you might also find a small tube, which can be dropped into a cleaning solution like a car shampoo or a patio cleaner. The solution will then be sucked up through the tube and come out of the nozzle, making your job just that little bit easier.

Pressure washers can also be used with just plain water, but using a detergent or cleaner will help remove tougher dirt even quicker.

Any cleaning solution or hose connectors you do require can be purchased from Speedy.

On the handle, you will find a two-phase trigger, which means that to operate the washer you will need to squeeze both triggers together. At the top of the gun you will find a lock off button, this is a safety mechanism and will lock the trigger preventing it from being squeezed.

At the top of the head you will notice that the nozzle has different settings that can be adjusted by twisting the head.

Step 3: Power the pressure washer up

Once you’ve set the pressure washer up, you’re ready to plug it in and start your job.

Any mains powered equipment you hire from Speedy can come with one of three types of plugs, a UK standard domestic plug that can be plugged into any household socket, a yellow 110v plug which will require a transformer, or a blue 240v plug that will require an RCD unit. 

Turning a pressure washer on is really easy and can be done by turning the rotary switch on the front of the machine into the 'on' position.

Keep children and animals away from the work area and always keep the lance pointed away from you as water under pressure is powerful enough to cause injury!

Step 4: Disconnect

When your done with the pressure washer, release the trigger. Unplug the unit from the mains and disconnect the water, aim it at the floor and just give the trigger a squeeze to release any pressure and water that may be built up in the system.

Tool Hire from Speedy Hire

If you have any issues with any of the products you hire from Speedy, just give your local Service Centre a call, as we are always available to help, and remember to always check the safety and operating guidance before you use any hired product.

You’ll find all the power tools and hire equipment you need right here, why not start planning your next DIY project today and open a Speedy account online or visit us in-store for all your tool hire needs?

Thank you for reading our Speedy blog, we hope you found this how-to use a pressure washer guide and video useful. Check out our How-To Clean a Patio with a Pressure Washer blog, plus, there are plenty more tips and how-to guides on our skills and project page.

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