Hey guys. I am a newer power washing and wanting to start soft washing. Currently using a 3400 psi 2.5 gpm pressure washing and SCRUBBING the entire home with a scrub brush. Im thinking surely there is a better way of doing this. Is there a way to get started softwashing inexpensively? Could I just buy like a 12V pump or do I need to get a pressure washer in order to get to the heights of 2 stories + ? I would appreciate and feedback
You already have a pressure washer. I would get a downstream injector and j rod from pressuretek matched to your machine. Put back money and upgrade when you can. Use the search function here to figure out what to use to wash houses. There is certainly a better way to wash a house other than a scrub brush
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You can surely get a downstream injector and use it with your machine, I’m just not sure how high you will be able to shoot at 2.5gpm. I know you can get shooter tips and whatnot, but I can’t vouch for how much distance you will get with your particault machine.I would say the answer to this question really comes down to how much you have to currently put into it. A 12v pump will only set you back a couple hundred, but then you need the deep cycle battery, a tank to pull your mix from, hose, reel, etc. Depending on the options you choose, you can build a decent soft wash rig for anywhere from $300 to $600.
Or if you have a little over a grand, you can buy a 4gpm machine which will come with a downstream injector and will reach the needed heights for most typical homes.
I would suggest getting a downstream injector for $30 from a place like PressureTek and see what kind of results you get. Worst case, if you choose another route, it never hurts to have an injector in your toolbox.
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I actually stand corrected. My very first “rig” was a 2300 PSI, 2.3gpm machine. My wand had the downstream injector built into the handle so I had to carry a bucket of bleach around the house. But I was able to do 2 story homes with no problem.
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I started with an x-jet. The m5 twist and the pail system are pretty cheap. The m5 is wayyyy better than the original, in my opinion.
It’s cheaper to get the nozzle without the hose and get a plastic hose from the hardware store with a 1/4" barbed ball valve than purchase the nozzle with their hose.
Even the pail system can be easily duplicated. All it is is a 5 gallon container with a 1/4" barb elbow glued to a pvc pipe that is glued to the cap. I’d highly recommend using an enclosed pail so when you yank on it accidentally it’s not a giant patch of dead grass.
All in all prefab from xteriorsales.com is $215 before shipping. If you put the miniscule bit of effort in and a trip to the hardware store you’re looking at $150 out the door. I don’t know how strapped you are but $65 is $65! Haha
Here are some helpful links for the cheapest but just as effective x-jet system:
http://www.xteriorsales.com/xjet/35/nozzle-only-x-jet-m5-9-excludes-hose-assembly-proportioners.html
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I am considering getting a downstream injector. Is the x- jet superior in your experience?
It really depends what superior is to you. With an x-jet you have to lug around a pail and your siphon line can get tangled in your pressure line, which both suck. But, you can achieve higher dilution ratios with an x-jet and you’re not running anything corrosive into your pump. It’s a matter of preference. I think you’ll outgrow your machine quickly so I wouldn’t be overly concerned about pump longevity anyway.
TBH, you need both. DS injector for almost every job and an x-jet for tough stucco and dryvit jobs. I don’t think either is superior as each one is needed for different jobs. Not that you couldn’t do a job with either, just that one is better for certain jobs and the other for different jobs.
I dont think you know how downstreaming works.
Water cannon xjet m5 delivered to your door. hose and proportioniers included $125.
You know that upstream is before pump and downstream is after pump?
Does anyone still upstream?
I doubt it
The power of my own assumptions is stronger than t needs to be— apparently haha.
I do…through a centrifugal pump…if that counts
Hi tgm8. Don’t know if you are still around or not. How’s it going with your pressure washing ?
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