The best pressure washer for you needs is the one that's affordable and does everything you need it to do. Pressure washers come in two types--those designed for residential use, and commercial models. Unless you plan to run a pressure washing business, you don't need a commercial model. And in fact, a commercial model could be dangerous. With more PSI, a truly high power pressure washer pointed at the wrong place can do damage to both objects and people.

A powerful pressure washer can damage siding, cars, landscaping and windows, just to mention a few things. And some washers have enough pressure that they could actually do physical damage to you or someone around you. There's no need to go to the expense or risk of buying the very best pressure washer available.

If you're using it at home for a handful of tasks, then a standard residential washer is ideal. In fact, if you plan on using the power washer for a couple of hours a week, at most, you can get away with a fairly inexpensive model. A pressure washer ranging between 1,000 and 2,000 PSI should be fine. Here are some of the choices you need to make in order to find the best pressure washer for your purposes.

Gas or Electric?

Some people think the best pressure washers are electric, because they're inexpensive and lightweight, so they're easily portable. Electric washers are good enough for most small jobs around the home. A gas pressure washer has much more power--the PSI can easily be double an electric model. You don't have to worry about an extension cord, and you'll replacement the equipment less frequently because gas models last longer. The gas models do put out a lot of noise and potentially dangerous fumes, so they're for outdoor use only.

Hot or Cold Water?

A cold water model can be the best pressure washer for someone who doesn't intend to tackle the worst, grimiest messes. Soap and chemicals can be used with the pressurized cold water to clean items. There are certain cleaning chemicals that help cold water models tackle the oil or grease on a garage floor or driveway.

Hot water models will have to be plugged in to run the heating unit. And they require more maintenance than cold water pressure washers because there's simply more equipment. But hot water cleans better and faster than cold.

How Much Pressure?

The best pressure washer for home use on things like a car, siding, deck and driveway, opt for a PSI between 1,500 and 2,000. These are at least double the pressure you'll find in the hand-held sprayer at a car wash, to give you an idea. If you plan on using it for tougher jobs, you may want to invest in one with about 3,000 PSI. This is the low-end of the commercial PSI, so extra care must be taken when using this equipment. Also, look at the GPM rating, which stands for gallons per minute. The best pressure washer will have a PSI that you want with a high GPM rating.

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