After buying a pressure water, you would be surprised that it has many uses around the house. The thing is that you must use the right pressure at every job. As such, we will provide you with a pressure washer PSI chart to serve as your guide.
In the end, you will learn what pressure to use for specific tasks. And if you do, you will get the job quickly, without chipping your wall’s or flooring’s painting.
What Is PSI And What Is Ideal For Each Job?
PSI stands for pounds per square inch. It is the amount of pressure that water generates. In essence, it is a measurement of force. Please do not confuse this with volume.
Volume, on the other hand, is the amount of water that comes out. Both PSI and volume come hand in hand. Even if you have a lot of force, but you have no volume, not enough water will come out.
For cleaning walls and floors with pressure water, you must follow the ideal PSI to prevent damage. The right PSI also allows you to perform the job right. If the pressure is too low, you will not be able to remove soot and grime.
Here is the pressure washer PSI chart that we recommend:
| Surface | PSI |
| Car washing | 1300 |
| Deck surface | 1500 |
| Patio furniture | 1500 |
| Driveway | 2,000-3,000 |
| Siding | 2,000-3,000 |
| Mold & mildew | 3,000-4,000 |
| Graffiti removal | 3,000-4,000 |
As you can see from the pressure washer PSI chart above, the required pressure varies from one kind of job to another. The numbers we show here are just about enough—they will not destroy your car paint or remove paint from your flooring or concrete.
How Much Water Pressure Do You Need?
The average pressure that you get from your faucet is between 30 and 40 PSI. As you know by now, that pressure is not enough to clean. If you are using a regular hose, you can only use that pressure to wash over the surface but not clean it.
Now, if you attach a pressure washer to your faucet, you will have a problem. Why? Because by the time the water reaches your pressure washer, the pressure has also subsided. Long hoses need more pressure from the faucet.
Most pressure washers need at least 20 PSI from the faucet for them to work. From there, the pressure washer can get enough water volume and pressure and then convert the PSI into something higher.
What if the water pressure from the faucet is low? What you can do is get a booster pump. In addition to this alternative, you can buy electric pressure washers that can draw water from a bucket.
If you go for option B, then you need a drum. Fill it with water. Now, instead of connecting the pressure washer’s hose to a faucet, just drop it in the drum full of water. Then, set your pressure washer according to what we have on our pressure washer PSI chart.
What Is The Ideal Pressure For a Pressure Washer?
Based on our pressure washer PSI chart, the least pressure you will need for cleaning is 1300. As such, you must buy pressure water that generates pressure no lower than 1300. Anything lower, and you will have something like a water hose—no useful pressure there.
What Is The Ideal Water Flow Rate From The Faucet?
Earlier, we touched on the subject of water from a faucet. Now, you may be aware that pressure washers also come with a measurement called GPM. It stands for gallons per minute.
If a pressure washer needs 2.0 GPM, it means that your faucet must supply 2 gallons of water to the pressure washer per minute. Now, your faucet will not tell you whether or not it can do this, so you must do it manually.
To get the GPM of your faucet, measure how long it takes for it to fill one gallon. To do this, you must have a one-gallon container.
For example, let us say that it takes 30 seconds to fill one gallon. The next step is to divide 60 seconds by 30 seconds. The math is 60/30 = 1 gallon per minute. Now, let us say that you can fill one gallon in 10 seconds. The math is 60/10 = 6 gallons per minute.
Based on this result, you can determine if your water pressure from our faucet can be used with your pressure washer. If the number you get is 1 gallon per minute, you cannot use it with a pressure washer that needs 2.5 gallons per minute.
If you do not have a pressure washer yet, we suggest that you read our list of the best pressure washers. We do have a list of the best electric pressure washers and also the best gas pressure washers.
Pressure Washer PSI Chart For Tasks
To help you further, below is a table that will show the ideal washer pressure to use for different tasks. The pressure washer PSI chart is a guide we made so you do not use your pressure washer where for jobs it cannot do. Here is our pressure washer PSI chart:
As you can see, different types of work require different washers. Just to give you an idea, below is what each type of pressure washer means.
- EXTRA HEAVY DUTY – these are pressure washers that have 3300 PSI and up
- HEAVY-DUTY – pressure washers that have between 2900 and 3200 PSI
- MEDIUM DUTY – between 2000 and 2800 PSI
- LIGHT DUTY – between 1500 and 1900 PSI
Use this pressure washer PSI chart to guide you on what machine to use for a specific task. On the table, look for the “best” label and use that kind of pressure for the specific task you want to accomplish.
Now, there are two types of pressure washers. One is electric, and the other is gas. Of the two, gas-powered pressure washers are far better because they are more powerful.
However, gas-powered pressure washers are also noisy. Most of the time, only professionals have a real need for them. For home use, we suggest that you buy electric power washers.
Electric pressure washers are also low-pressure machines. In addition to this, electric pressure washers are affordable.
One thing that will limit your capability to clean is the electric plug. Since these washers are electric, you are limited to how long the cord is. However, you can always use power strips. Lastly, electric pressure washers will never work if the power is out.
Gas-powered washers are excellent for industrial and offsite jobs. Most gas-powered pressure washers have a PSI not lower than 2500 PSI. As such, they are not ideal for home use. If you buy a gas pressure washer, you cannot use it for your car.
Summary: Pressure Washer PSI Chart
Pressure washers are great companions for cleaning. However, we suggest that you identify the pressure washer that best fits your faucet. If your faucet has low pressure, you need to buy a booster or a pressure washer that draws water directly from a drum.
If you do not have a pressure washer yet, visit our review blogs and compare them against our pressure washer PSI chart. Before deciding what to buy, measure your faucet’s power, and see if it can provide the volume of water needed for the pressure washer.
