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Read MoreA pressure washer offers you powerful jets of water that deep clean effectively.
But wait… is that a pressure washer or a power washer?
Is there even a difference?
Don’t worry, the answers you’ve been looking for are all in this article.
A pressure washer vs a power washer is a similar comparison, so it’s easy to get confused. They both use high-pressure water, but a power washer uses hot water and a pressure washer doesn’t.
The table below shows where you should consider using either of these washers:
Pressure Washer | Power Washer |
Best for household cleaning | Great for commercial use |
Can be gentler on softer surfaces | The heat can harm soft surfaces |
The cooler water takes longer for tough stains | Works great for extremely tough stains |
A fantastic choice for surfaces at homes like patios, walkways, and decks | Well suited for cleaning greasy grills and driveways |
While those are the main differences, there’s a lot more to it.
Read on for full details about power vs pressure washer differences, costs, and best uses.
I mention power and pressure washers a lot in this article. I find the easiest way to tell the difference is to think of ‘Power’ meaning ‘Heating Power’. ‘Pressure’ is just your standard pressure washer.
Heat makes a big difference when it comes to cleaning stains. If you’ve ever been stuck trying to clean dishes with cold water, you know exactly what I mean. Heat works well at stripping oil and grime away, and that’s what makes a power washer so effective.
While power washers have tanks to store the hot water, they all operate the same. If you know how to use one, you’ll have no trouble using others.
It might seem like the hot water should make power washers a clear winner. After all, that hot water makes cleaning so much easier. However, while it comes with plenty of advantages, there are some things that heat stops a washer from being able to do.
Some of the tasks where a power washer falls short:
Here are some of the ways that a power washer is worth the money:
Thanks to the heating element in power washers, they tend to cost more than pressure washers on average. It’s not surprising, with the water tank and extra parts that a power washer requires. It’s also built to withstand the hot water that will flow through it.
All of this results in a higher price tag. A power washer will typically cost hundreds and sometimes even thousands more than a similar cold-water model. This is another reason why commercial use is best for power washers. The price tag is tough to justify for residential use in many cases.
These two machines each have their strong points. Here are some tasks you’re likely going to use either of these for, and which one is best for each.
Oil and grease are the main villains here. Cold water pressure washers give you the chance to mix in detergent with your water jet. This gives some advantage when tackling oil. Power washers will cut through thick grease much easier. If the appliance is covered in grease and grime, choose a power washer.
After years of driving, your engine may be very dirty. To make cleaning it as easy as possible, a power washer is the best choice here. Don’t worry, an engine can handle the heat just fine.
Windshields are unlikely to get dirty enough to warrant a power wash. A normal pressure wash will suffice, and is much safer when it gets cold outside.
A pressure wash is the cost-effective option for the body of a car. A power wash will work fine too, but that extra cleaning force is typically not needed.
When cleaning tires, you want to be very careful with the pressure you use. Your tires can be damaged if you don’t take care! A pressure washer is best for this. When it comes to rims, you should be careful. Painted rims can have their paint peeled with too much pressure, and more likely with a power washer.
You can clean the regular surfaces outside your home with a pressure washer. The force is enough to get rid of anything that might stain these. Only in certain cases would a power washer provide an advantage. For instance, with grease-stained driveways, or when you want to blast algae off and kill it in the process.
Defeating tough stains is much easier with a pressure washer. This is why pressure washers and power washers can be such helpful tools.
If you’ve found yourself stuck not knowing which option you might need, hopefully this has answered all your questions. The major difference between them is the heat that a power washer has. This allows for better cleaning of oils and algae, but it comes with a higher price.
Thank you for taking your time to read through this article! If you learned something, then take a look through the related articles below!