# Beginner Pressure & Soft washing rig **URL:** \ **Category:** Uncategorized\ **Created:** [November 26, 2025, 8:35pm UTC](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/t/beginner-pressure-soft-washing-rig/40619 "2025-11-26T20:35:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AverageArce](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/41988e/32.png) [@AverageArce](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/u/AverageArce)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2025, 8:35pm UTC](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/t/beginner-pressure-soft-washing-rig/40619/1 "2025-11-26T20:35:17Z")
My Starter Pressure Washing + Soft Wash Setup (Predator 4400 / 4.2 GPM) Hey everyone, just wanted to share the basic rig I’m putting together for driveways and simple house washes. I recently **built my own double-RO waterfed window cleaning system** , so putting equipment together and plumbing stuff in isn’t a problem for me. I’m just new to the pressure washing / soft wash side. * * * **Pressure Washer & Surface Cleaner** - **Machine:** Predator 4400 PSI / 4.2 GPM gas pressure washer - **Surface Cleaner:** WOJet “18 inch” surface cleaner (I’ve heard it actually cleans about 16") I went with 4.2 GPM so it can run the surface cleaner well and still have good rinsing power. * * * **Water Supply** - From the house spigot I use a **100 ft Flexzilla garden hose** to feed clean water into the pressure washer. - This hose is **clean water only**. No chemicals go through it. * * * **High-Pressure Side** - Planning to run about **100 ft of 3/8" high-pressure hose** from the machine to the gun/surface cleaner (rated 4000–4500 PSI or higher). - I’m not sure how much hose I really need yet. **Is 100 ft enough for most houses, or should I be looking at 150–200 ft** so I don’t have to move the machine as much? At the end of the hose I want a **ball valve + quick connects** so I can switch between: - Regular spray gun/wand - WOJet surface cleaner * * * **Soft Wash Setup** For soft washing, I’m starting with a simple DIY setup instead of a full skid: - **Tank:** Around 50-gallon drum used as a batch tank (water + SH + surfactant) - **Pump:** 12V bleach-rated pump around 7 GPM - **Power:** 12V deep cycle battery - **Hose:** Soft wash hose (around 1/2" and ~100 ft) with a ball valve or soft wash gun on the end - **Filter:** Strainer on the suction line in the tank I need this soft wash system to **reach pretty high sideways** so I can hit tall, narrow **3-story beach houses**. A lot of these houses are close together, sometimes only about \*\*5 feet apart so i need to make sure nothing hits someone else’s plot. Im just wondering what everyone thinks and for the pressure hose do i get a 6000psi rated hose or a 4000 psi hose, and what do you guys recommend i switch up, i have a truck but its pretty small i don’t have a trailer yet so this will all be in the back of the truck bed. Also what am i missing anything important? like some attachments that make it so much easier to do jobs efficiently and quickly\*\* ---
**Author:** ![PPWofLexSC](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/user_avatar/pressurewashingresource.com/ppwoflexsc/32/41361_2.png) [@PPWofLexSC](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/u/PPWofLexSC)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2025, 9:06pm UTC](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/t/beginner-pressure-soft-washing-rig/40619/2 "2025-11-26T21:06:12Z")
Welcome, to jump right in… •what diameter (inner) is your clean water supply hose? 3/4” or 5/8” should be plenty • what’s the flow rate of house spigots in your area? If it’s 4-5 gallons a minute then no problem. But if it’s less, the you’ll be starving your pressure washer and you’ll need to consider a buffer tank that you haul around with you from job to job. • 3/8” pressure hose - 100’ may work for you in your area, but i found myself routinely using 150’ (I did a 100’ section and a 50’ section connected together). But I always had a spare of each ready to go, meaning that I had the couplers already installed on them so that in the event of a blown hose it’d only take me less than five minutes to be up and running. • pull the washer off the cart if it’s wheeled, and mount it in the truck bed. You don’t want to be lifting it in and out at each job. • perhaps I missed it, but do you plan to x-jet or down stream? Downstream injector and jrod tips will vary depending on length of 3/8” pressure hose. • ladder? • cones? • tape and plastic bags to seal off areas that don’t need to get wet? • pump up sprayers ( 1-2 gallons) • replacement tips (the plastic multi colored ones) that reduce your exiting water pressure to what you need it to be instead of 4,000+ psi • waterproof shoes • bleach resistant clothing That’s enough for now I suppose. ---
**Author:** ![Nickski](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/edb3f5/32.png) [@Nickski](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/u/Nickski)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2025, 10:08pm UTC](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/t/beginner-pressure-soft-washing-rig/40619/3 "2025-11-26T22:08:31Z")
The amount of hose depends, are you keeping the pressure washer on the truck or trailer, or keeping it portable? I don’t do much on the pressure washing side, so my 4gpm is still on wheels and I’ve found most of the time I only use a 25’ supply and 100’ of pressure hose. I have a 3/4” x 100’ if I have a big job, so that gets up 200’ from the house and I’ve never needed more than that. ---
**Author:** ![IMNSX](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/i/a88e57/32.png) [@IMNSX](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/u/IMNSX)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2025, 2:41pm UTC](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/t/beginner-pressure-soft-washing-rig/40619/4 "2025-12-02T14:41:34Z")
for the soft wash aspect you should run 5/8 ID hose up to 200 feet for a 7 GPM pump. Welcome to the forum ---
**Author:** ![maxmuller66517](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@maxmuller66517](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/u/maxmuller66517)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2026, 5:27pm UTC](https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/t/beginner-pressure-soft-washing-rig/40619/6 "2026-08-22T17:27:25Z")
Solid starter setup! A 4.2 GPM machine paired with a 16-18 inch surface cleaner is the absolute sweet spot for residential driveways. That extra flow rate makes a world of difference for speed and avoiding zebra stripes compared to 3 GPM units. Good luck with the build!