When making the decision to purchase or use a high pressure washer, you may have come across a choice between using a cold or hot water high pressure washer. If you’ve chosen to use a hot one, you may be wondering exactly how it works and what surfaces you can use it on.
Below, we’ll look into exactly what you need to know about using a hot pressure washer. We’ll look into precisely how this machinery works and what the benefits of using one are. We hope this can help you make the decision to choose the right cleaner for you.
When to use a hot water high pressure washer
Whether you should use a hot water high pressure cleaner (instead of a cold water pressure washer) will depend on the circumstances. Ultimately, like with any machine, the choice of your high pressure washer will be determined by your purpose – i.e. what you’re trying to achieve.
If you need to clean engines, execute a thorough car wash, or clean anything with stained oil or grease, then hot water will do the job. Cold water really only ‘pushes’ dirt around a surface – it doesn’t break into it at a molecular level and melt it away.
But if you’re only looking to push away some mud or strip paint, perhaps a cold water pressure washer will do the job fine. Consider whether you may also use other products like vacuum cleaners or scrubber dryers.
At the end of the day, whether you’re using an electric or petrol pressure washer, hot water will always clean your surface more efficiently and effectively.
How a how water pressure washer works
There’s a little more to hot washer pressure cleaners than simply ‘they spout hot water’.
- Coil generates heat. Hot water pressure cleaners feature a coil that is able to heat the water, stimulating the detergent (i.e. the cleaning component) and thereby boost its effectiveness. It’s able to really get into the nitty-gritty of stubborn grime stains at the deepest level.
- The agitation reaction. The reaction created by the volume and pressure of the hot water is akin to scrubbing dirty dishes.
- The detergent element. The detergent in the hot water is the magic touch that breaks the connection between the surface and dirt. The dirt, which is stuck to the surface by grease, is attacked by the detergent’s so-called ‘softening agents’. The dirt is therefore ‘softened’ and then taken away by the water.
Your machine will also work differently depending on whether they are electric or petrol pressure washers, each obviously having a different power source.
Benefits of using a hot water while pressure cleaning
Some of the excellent benefits of using a heavy duty hot water high pressure washer when pressure cleaning include:
- Heat makes the cleaning process quicker. The science indicates that every 10°C you add to your temperature will speed up the necessary chemical reactions required to clean your surfaces. Things like soot and grease are dislodged much quicker than if you were using a cold pressure washer.
- You don’t need as much detergent. Regular cold water pressure cleaners need quite a lot of detergent to get the job done. You don’t need to use that much when you’ve got hot water that can break down the grease and dirt that just seems not to ever go away.
- Reacts well with sensitive surfaces. Hot pressure washers are much more effective for tough cleaning jobs than regular scrubbing and cleaning. By applying steam on sensitive surfaces, you can clean tough dirt without even using detergent.
- Highly efficient. Hot water pressure cleaners do not waste water, and this is one of the best things about these products, especially if for commercial and industrial use.
Does a hot water high pressure washer cost more?
Yes. Unfortunately, they sometimes cost nearly twice as much as their cold water pressure cleaner counterparts. This is because of the complex machinery necessary to heat water while sustaining firm pressure. Hot water high pressure washers also need more regular maintenance, such as keeping the burner assembly and coil intact every year through annual check-ups.
However, hot water high pressure cleaners save a great deal of time and labour costs. This is because they’re faster at their jobs, and use a more effective cleaning methodology. A less amount of detergent is needed (thereby saving you money on that front) because the pressure rate of the machine is so strong.
Is it safe to use hot water while pressure cleaning?
Yes, but it will depend what surface you’re cleaning and what type of washer you are using.
If you try to run hot water through a conventional cold water pressure washer, the machinery will experience problems. Obviously, cold water pressure cleaners can only take cold water and you will risk damaging its internal machinery if you use water above 40°C.
Further, if you try and clean some surfaces with hot water such as plastic, you may also run the risk of damaging the surface which cannot cope with high temperatures.
There is also generally the risk of injury when using hot water high pressure washers. Be careful not to burn or otherwise injure yourself.
If you’re looking for a high-quality hot water high pressure washer, get in touch with our team at the Melbourne Jetter Centre and we can help you determine which machine is right for your job.
We can also help you find the right pressure washer spare parts or accessories for your washer, whether that be a water pump or hose. Contact us today.
