I only had one job to do...just one

Supplies & Equipment
1

Hi guys,
I joined last year when I was underemployed, thought that this business might make a good fit at the time, but I have decided that I am a bit too aged to jump in at this stage in my life, thanks for everyone’s advice. Now I am going to ask for one more piece of advice.

I need to clean my driveway and possibly sidewalk. These concrete surfaces have not been cleaned in over 10 years, if at all. The driveway must be about 10 by 40 feet or so, the sidewalk is pretty long, I haven’t measured it but I am guessing 40 slabs or pieces of sidewalk, whatever. Big job, right?

I have been saving reward points, I have around $800. Is there anything I can buy in the way of power washers that will do the job without breaking down? What kind of attachments and other goodies will I need and, I assume I will need a fungicide of some type.

Thanks, I look forward to any response, positive or otherwise.

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Are these rewards points on your credit card that you can use anywhere ? If so, and you’re only gonna be doing homeowner things with it, I would highly recommend you go to tractor supply and buy a Honda gc190 with I think its 32-3400 psi simpson pump. I had one and used it for years and it NEVER ONCE gave me any grief. Honda engines are the way to go. And it might only run you between 5 and 600 bucks. Then you’ll have some rewards left :slightly_smiling_face:

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And it’s only 2.5 gallons per minute. In case you run off of a well. I’ve never killed a well with that 2.5 gallon per minute machine.

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The nozzles that come with it will work fine. But if you really want to save some time and do a good job, go to lowes and get a blue hawk turbo nozzle. That will be your ticket. The pump on the machine will have in injector nipple on it. You can use a siphon tube and filter dropped into a bucket or a bottle of purple power or something to degrease your sidewalk before pressure washing. Just dont ever run caustic chemicals through that injector that’s on the pump because its injecting chemicals upstream and caustic will destroy that pump. Best of luck to ya !!

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Find a professional that takes credit card…pay them. Stay inside the AC

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The injector does not run any chemicals thru the pump

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Those little home owner washers with the nipple coming right off the pump? I always thought they ran through the pump ? That’s interesting !!

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The owners manual always tells you not to run bleach through them on pumps like that, I figured that was because it goes through the pump

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Ive never seen an injector on the inlet of a pump. Pretty sure thats not how they work.

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I didnt say it was on the inlet. It’s on top of the pump. And it’s not removable it’s like built into the pump. Most homeowner machines are like that.

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I wish i had a picture of my simpson pump. I’d show ya what I mean. But having the knowledge I have about pumps now and what @Innocentbystander is saying. It makes sense that even tho it’s not removable it’s probably downstream but just fixed into the pump. I always thought on those cheap pumps that those fixed injectors ran soap through the pump… but I dont know why if they’re downstream why they say you cant run bleach thru them but if I HAD to guess I’d say because if you ruin that injector with caustic you cant replace it without buying a new pump. Otherwise I’m sure you perfectly well CAN run bleach thru it

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The home owner machines that have the soap reservoir run the chem through the pump.

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No they don’t… the built in injector is past the pump right before the discharge outlet. There’s a hose from resivoir to the injector l

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The reason you shouldn’t run chemistry like that through the included injector is because it will eventually ruin the injector. We all run injectors that are not attached to the pump so we can replace them. Not so easy when it’s part of the pump.

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If you wanna get it done with $800 you can put a good chemical injector on after the pump on those bigbox machines and bypass the built on one. Downstream some bleach or a degreaser then surface clean with a $70 Briggs and Stratton 14inch from lowes . Now this is something I have done when I first got started and maybe not be the most professional way but it got me started

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We are a professional forum forum. Not a “first got started” forum. Or at least we’re should be.

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^^ Best answer right here, @Soapy. Let someone else do the hard work. Plus you’ll have money left over.

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18

Thanks for the great advice! Do you run the degreaser wiith the Blue Hawk nozzle, then run over it again after the dirt has dissolved?

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No. You run the degreaser with the soap injector on the unit, using the soap nozzle. Cover the area. Then let it soak for a little then you use the turbo nozzle or “rotating nozzle” to pressure wash the surface.

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Buy a bottle of purple power from wal mart and just stick the siphone tube right into the bottle.