There are so many pressure washers to choose from for cars that it can be time a consuming decision. Especially if it’s a pressure washer for a car wash.
If you are a hands-on car owner, you know what it is like to wash your own car. You do it with great care like washing your little child or your pet, giving it the touch therapy it needs. It simply feels good to remove the dirt and grime and bring out the nice, glossy paint.
What is needed is a pressure washer that is not too powerful yet powerful enough to also get in and give the car underside and engine a good scouring.
The PSI to look for is around 2000 to 3500. This is the best range to look for. It won’t be too powerful but at the same time it will allow you to remove grease and grime on the harder to reach areas of the car.
Things to Consider
There are several things to consider. These include: Nozzle Selection and Application of Detergents.
The pressure washer needs to have either an adjustable nozzle selection or a nozzle that can spray wide.
The reason being that not all of the power will need to be concentrated when cleaning the exterior of the vehicle.
Especially for higher end washers. The reason being that higher end washers can strip paint of motor vehicles and damage the paint job. A nozzle that can adjust to a wider spray will be of good use for washing cars.
However the nozzle spray can be concentrated into a more narrow spray for engine sections. This may help remove even more dirt and grime from the engine surfaces. (Only spray a car engine if you are a professional, as the spray can loosen or damage structures in the engine).
The pressure washer should have a detergent chamber or bottle. The reason being that a detergent mixed in with the water supply will do wonderfully well and help to remove more dirt than what would otherwise not be done.
Another thing to be considered include the length of the hose. When using a car wash pressure washer especially for a commercial car wash operation it is good to have a long pressure hose as well.
This will allow the operator a lot of mobility so they can move between projects without having to re-adjust the whole equipment base.
The operator could spray several vehicles without needing to move the pressure washer itself. Where the pressure hose is considered it would be a sound idea to get a reinforced pressure hose which can also resist external wears.
Equipment and cars may snag or run over hoses so getting a strong hose is a plus; the hose can be purchased separately though
Finally as an addition, it would be a plus for a commercial car wash to acquire a pressure washer with a modular design. The reason being that these are easier to take apart and replace defective parts or just to make simple maintenance. Spare parts could even be purchased in advance.
Gas/Diesel pressure washers are the best to use for a commercial business. Most electric washers even if they fall within the required PSI range do not have a high enough GPM or cleaning unit to clean effectively or for a substantial enough period of time.
Have a look at some of the best products that fit your needs
SIMPSON Cleaning MSH3125-S 3100 PSI at 2.5 GPM Gas Pressure Washer
This product is a perfect car wash pressure washer.
He engine is meant to be maintenance free. Incorporating OEM Technologies and an axial cam brass head pump with Power Boost technology. The result is higher pressure at the nozzle.
Speaking of pressure this item is at 3100 PSI which is around what is expected of a car wash. The pressure is high but not too high so as to allow for it to be gentle enough to strip paint from a car but strong enough to clean the engine.
The item sits atop a welded frame construction and 10 inch premium pneumatic tires that give it solid support.
The 0.25 inch x 25 feet MorFlex high pressure hose is resistant to kink and abrasion. It also provides flexibility and is equipped with easy twist-on connectors that make attaching or detaching a breeze.
The steel spray wand has a 5 quick connect nozzle with angles of the tip in 5 modes. A 0°, 15°, 25°, 40°, and soap applicator nozzle.
Convenient on-board accessory storage for spray gun/wand, high pressure hose, and nozzles
The price is at $429
Pros:
- MorFlex high pressure hose
- 5 connect nozzle
- Downstream detergent applicator.
- Steel spray wand
Cons:
- Power Boost technology is simply a useless redundancy
Generac 3,100 PSI 2.8 GPM Gas Powered Residential Pressure Washer
This Generac pressure washer is a car pressure washer also suitable for your needs.
The engine it uses is the Generac 212cc OHV engine. It is rated the largest and most powerful engine in its class. The specs show that It uses 2.8 GPM to deliver 3,100 PSI of powerful spray.
The upper mid-range like the previous item. This also gives it similar possibilities for use as well. It is able to clean a car exterior and still have the power necessary to pressure wash an engine or something grimy like that.
The beauty of this tool is in the fact that it can adjust its power. The PowerDial Variable-Pressure Control can easily adjust the intensity of the spray to clean a wide range of surfaces.
All with a single simple control. The item also has a consolidated control pane, all where the controls are efficiently located in a single location that allows for standards to be set when pressure washing.
It has a 30 foot high pressure hose. This allows it some reach
A cool addition is the comfort-grip handle for ease-of-use. An easy-to-pull inverted trigger to reduce fatigue. Finally there is 3 Quick-change nozzle tips: 0 degree, 25 degree, and soap.
Pros:
- 30 ft hose
- Variable dial
- Quick change nozzle
Cons:
- No cons found