New to the forum. Purchased a 2 story home a couple years ago, and after hiring a pro last year it needs a power wash again. However, instead of constantly spending on a pro it would be much cheaper to just buy one and DIY. Researching power washers has become somewhat frustrating, hard to find a straight forward answer to my questions, and my research has only made me ask more questions. Finding general complaints on faulty hoses, cheap plastic connectors, engines not being as good as before, nozzles breaking, pumps failing, proper PSI/GPM for 2-3 story home is hard to find info, etc.
All I want to know is what is a good power washer to purchase, that can properly clean the siding of a two-story home (3-stories when cleaning from the garage side), and parts wont break down after only a year or two of usage. From the info I have gathered it looks like it should be at least 3,000 PSI and 2.5 GPM or more. Thoughts? Thanks!
Youâre on a forum for professional contractors. You are very likely to receive suggestions to hire a professional. Especially since you have a larger home that requires pretty expensive equipment to properly and safely clean your home. That being said, what kind of budget are you working with? If you can buy it at a big box store then it is not a reliable machine.
Click on the menu button (three little lines) on the top left. Select the âPressure Washingâ drop down. Select the âPortableâ option. That will redirect you to the shop where you can find all of the options that the Host of this wonderful site carries. Youâll likely be well served with the 3gpm/2500psi Hurricane. It comes with a reliable Honda engine and sturdy frame with decent tires to maneuver over rugged terrain. I believe it even comes with a hose reel to make your life a bit easier. And itâs in your price range. Letâs get @Jordie or @Chris to help you out. You can always click on the âBig Blue Buttonâ to message and speak with someone directly. I donât know if they are working today or ringing in the new year but itâs worth a try.
Edit: Donât quote me on the hose reel part. That may be an option you have to add on. I donât work here.
Donât dismiss the utility of outsourcing specialized tasks when it comes to home maintenance.
You listed a bunch of complaints that are common to machines in your price range. When you hire a professional, you âoutsourceâ all of those headaches along with the experience needed to become proficient at the task.
Donât get me wrong, Iâm all for DIY. If I was only washing my own house, I would opt to rent a machine for a day (or half day) instead of buying. One less piece of equipment for me to maintain, store, and repair, for a task Iâm probably only going to do once a year.
If you go that route, all you really need to buy are a downstream injector, a gallon of elemonator, and a couple of low pressure spray nozzles appropriate for the machine. Maybe $60-$70, and should last you many seasons of washing your own house.
Hire a professional and get it done right. You can keep your house clean for the same amount of time and cost as it would for you to buy everything youâll need and the amount of time youâll spend doing it. The budget you have wonât cover buying good equipment thatâll last and you donât have the experience needed to prevent the risk of damages.
You asked what machine to buy to âproperly cleanâ a 2-3 story house. Youâre not going to find a single professional on this forum that uses high pressure on houses. Instead, youâll find a large group of people that have spent many thousands of dollars on the equipment that allows them to safely guarantee a professional house wash, as well as hundreds and hundreds of hours of research into the best ways to do that without damage.
For a homeowner trying to DIY just their own house, the best hint I can give you is that the chemicals do the work, not the pressure. And you need plenty of gpm to rinse with. You could do your whole house with a pump sprayer and the proper chemicals, but I bet about 4 hours into it youâll wish youâd paid someone $379 to take care of it for you.
The problem with DIY is you can still jack up your house by not knowing how to soft wash. Leaving soap on the siding and windows too longâŚnot rinsing enough, burning up plants, firing your j-rod through a window, etc. Plus, a 4gpm rental will have a tough time reaching 3 story peaks if a bit windy outside. Hire and a pro that does a good job and the algae/mildew should stay off the siding for 1-2 years and you donât have to maintain a machine.
