What is the recommended psi for a power washer?

For regular maintenance and light household cleaning jobs, a lightweight pressure washer will do. These have a PSI that ranges from 1500 to 1900 and would be sufficient to remove dirt and minor stains. This is the PSI rating of the safest pressure washer for all surfaces, but it's not ideal for removing the toughest stains. Many electric pressure washers produce between 1300 and 1700 PSI and 1.5 GPM.

However, most experts will recommend that you use between 2000 and 3000 PSI with a minimum of 2.5 GPM for most larger housing projects. The most versatile category of pressure washers, ranging from 2000 to 3200 PSI, effectively clean cars (including the most commonly used off-road vehicles), house linings, fences, ships and dirty garage floors. Those closer to 3,200 PSI also work effectively on difficult stains. Professionals use them for difficult cleaning jobs in the workshop.

The smallest models of pressure washers available, those with up to 2000 PSI, are the ideal choice for everyday jobs. Choosing the right PSI for your pressure washer is an essential part of achieving that completely new, perfectly clean look on all your surfaces. Commercial pressure washing companies, on the other hand, that take on large scale jobs on a daily basis, will most likely need to purchase pressure washers that offer high PSI capabilities. For most housing projects, many people find it best to use a 1300 to 2400 PSI pressure washer.

Electric pressure washers used for lighter cleaning jobs will need 1300 to 1400 PSI and will need about 1 ½ GPM. For the average homeowner who only uses a pressure washer to clean their covers and liners, a 1,500 PSI (pounds per square inch) unit may look like a high-pressure unit. Homeowners who simply want to buy a machine that they can use to clean their home's lining once or twice a year won't need an incredibly high power unit (or high PSI). We were also able to provide a breakdown of some of the common surfaces that pressure washers are used for and the recommended PSI ranges that will provide the most effective and efficient cleaning for each of them.

As their name explains, pressure washers are characterized by the water pressure they produce and the quality cleaning power they produce as a result. Of course, you can't use 500 PSI to clean a house or 1200 PSI to clean a parking lot, but when comparing pressure washers, it's important to consider all the factors that determine final performance to find the model that best suits your needs and budget. When you choose to buy a pressure washer, the PSI and GPM are the same when it comes to the level of importance. The PSI remains the most important aspect in a comparison of pressure washers, since it allows users to determine the most effective instrument to use depending on the type of washing they must perform.

In addition, the type of project you're working on with the pressure washer also makes a difference in what PSI you'll use.