Using A Pressure Washer

[lovenhim]

Hello everyone. I recently got an old pressure washer running for my parents. I was curious as to how well a pressure washer could clean our farm truck. Normally I use a foam gun with a clean bucket of water with grit guard to rinse the wash mitt. Is using a pressure washer a good idea or will is cause problems? It has 2450 psi at 2.5 gpm. How far should the wand be from the surface? What about using the supply hose to spray soap? What about the foam cannon? I already have a foam gun. I am trying to learn. Thanks for the help.

[Buster906]

Hello everyone. I recently got an old pressure washer running for my parents. I was curious as to how well a pressure washer could clean our farm truck. Normally I use a foam gun with a clean bucket of water with grit guard to rinse the wash mitt. Is using a pressure washer a good idea or will is cause problems? It has 2450 psi at 2.5 gpm. How far should the wand be from the surface? What about using the supply hose to spray soap? What about the foam cannon? I already have a foam gun. I am trying to learn. Thanks for the help.

What is the condition of the paint? 2450 psi at 2.5 gpm is high. Is there lots of mud? Is your foam cannon rated for the high pressure? Is the finish on your farm truck worth preserving? Hold the wand far enough from the paint so as not to harm. Fire up the pressure washer and get a feel of the operation. Try on different surfaces to see how clean or how much damage is inflicted. My two cents. Have fun!

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[lovenhim]

What is the condition of the paint? 2450 psi at 2.5 gpm is high. Is there lots of mud? Is your foam cannon rated for the high pressure? Is the finish on your farm truck worth preserving? Hold the wand far enough from the paint so as not to harm. Fire up the pressure washer and get a feel of the operation. Try on different surfaces to see how clean or how much damage is inflicted. My two cents. Have fun!

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The truck is in good shape. It is our daily driver. I am just curious more than anything. The truck was recently clayed with a mitt and waxed a few weeks a go. I was just wondering how and if people use a pressure washer on a vehicle. I am content with what I am using now. I am just a DIY and hobbiest.

[Buster906]

I use a GW electric pressure washer with my MTM foam cannon. 2200 psi at the tip. I have no issues with paint damage. Even washed the siding of our home.

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[MIsnowman]

A pressure washer works great for blasting off heavy mud or salt residue, just make sure to use a fan tip, (usually white, yellow, green), not the straight/zero tip (red). I mostly use the PW in the winter to rinse the salt off. I'll just blast it off with water every couple days and it really helps keep the vehicles looking decent between washes. I rarely use it for regular washes and when I do, I prefer using a regular hose for the final rinse as the PW tends to blast soap everywhere and you end up having to rinse the vehicle three or four times by the time you get all the soap off, especially if you used a foam gun/cannon.

[Daviddear30]

I've used a gas 3100 psi one zero issues. 40 degree tip Don't get too close Have fun!

If you have failing or chipping paint you could cause issues if you get super close

[TrustJesus]

I’ve used a 3200 PSI, no problems. Of course don’t get too close, and my paint is fairly new. I’m sure older paint would be use with caution.

I’ve used also a 1600 PSI and again no problem.


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[clm65]

I occasionally use a PW and foam gun to cover my truck with thick sudsy soap, but use a regular hose for rinsing. As already said, use a wide angle nozzle and don’t get very close to the vehicle. Also, I’ve had nozzles pop out of the gun due to not being seated properly (operator error). So it’s a good idea to aim away from the vehicle when first pulling the trigger.

[coles_paint_correction]

I've used mine for years without issues, i would say the biggest thing is knowing the car
before hand and seeing if there's any issues a pressure washer would pick up.

Any loose paint can be pressured of fast if not careful but i usually just use common sense and wont stay in a area for really long.
For me its always good to go around the car specially if its new or if you're going to detail it.

[PaulMys]

I’ve had nozzles pop out of the gun due to not being seated properly (operator error). So it’s a good idea to aim away from the vehicle when first pulling the trigger.

This is probably the best advice in this thread if you are new to pressure washing.

Nothing would kill your new-found excitement of using your new pressure washer quicker than firing a wand tip at over 100mph into your car. (And would definitely do some serious damage).