Although pressure washers have an array of uses, there are certain things you can’t use them on.
Here’s a list of 11 areas you shouldn’t use pressure washers for cleaning –
1. Wood Siding – Water from pressure washers can damage insulation, electrical wiring and spur mould growth on wood siding plus they can dent aluminium and vinyl siding.
2. Electrical Panels and Meters – Electricity based on the exterior of your home should not be pressure washed, as this can force water into cracks and crevices and cause damage that leads to costly repairs.
3. Asphalt Shingles – If your roof has asphalt shingles never pressure wash, as it will remove the granules which are important for protecting the roof. Using a pressure washer on a high place can be dangerous as once you squeeze the trigger, the powerful recoil on the spray wand could knock you off balance, and maybe from a ladder too.
4. Air Conditioners – The intense flow of water from a pressure washer can crush the delicate fins and restrict airflow that could shorten the life of the unit.
5. Old Mortar – Weathered brick houses and landscape surfaces with mortar can be damaged by pressure washers, as any loose material, especially on older properties will be blasted away.
6. Living Things – It may seem like a no-brainer, but do not pressure wash humans, pets and plants as the force of the water can cause physical harm and destroy plants.
7. Painted Surfaces – A pressure washer will easily chip paint off of most surfaces, so we would recommend using a low-pressure flow of water to wash painted items such as your porch floor or painted outdoor furniture.
8. Windows – The high pressure will break windows and cause you a major expense to replace.
9. Outdoor Lighting Fixtures – Outdoor lighting is built to withstand rain and other outdoor elements as you will risk forcing water in cracks and causing damage.
10. Gutters – It can be tempting, but never clean out the inside of your gutters using a pressure washer. We would recommend removing debris by hand and rinse the inside with a less intense flow of water.
11. Stained Wood – A pressure washer will pull stain right off of wood surfaces.
If You Need a Pressure Washer? Contact Us
Now we have gone through what you can’t use pressure washers for, we are going to look at where they are best used.
Britclean supply the leading names of pressure washers such as Nilfisk, Karcher and Ehrle which are extremely popular in commercial and industrial working environments.
If you are looking to purchase or hire one of our pressure washers, please get in touch today.