Car Pressure Washing Tips
Read these 10 Car Pressure Washing Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Pressure Washers tips and hundreds of other topics.
About The Pressure Washer Trigger Gun
If your hand car wash trigger gun does not go into bypass mode correctly, the spring or ball could be to blame. Why? The trigger gun uses a spring, ball, and seat to control water flow. When the trigger is released, the combined action of the spring and water flow force the ball into place, sealing up the seat. This stops the water flow to the pressure washer car wash, putting the unloader valve into by-pass mode. When the trigger is squeezed again, the flow of water combined with the spring, force the ball from the seat and water flows to the nozzle. Detergent residue buildup can cause the ball or spring to malfunction. If you are not able to identify one of these two problems with the spring and ball, it may be time to take your trigger gun for servicing.
Making Price Comparisons Between Pressure Car Wash Packages
When purchasing a car wash system, do some homework on what accessories you need, and whether the attachments included with the pressure washer are sufficient for your cleaning jobs. Pressure washer car wash packages often include a chemical/soap injector, but others may require you to buy the injector separately. Are the pressure gage and unloader valve are included as standard equipment? Ask about these items as well as hoses, nozzles, and gun-jets. Without knowing what is included in the quoted price of your self car wash package, you can't really make an informed price comparison.
Dangers of Running a Self Cash Wash System in By-Pass
Are you new to pressure washers? First time using a self car wash system? Avoid running the pressure washer car wash system in by-pass mode for extended periods of time. By-pass mode is when the pressure washer is running, but you aren't using the pressure washer spray gun, forcing the water to recirculate within the pump. If the pressure washer car wash is left in this status too long, it will overheat, damaging the pump. Turn your hand car wash system completely off if you need to walk away.
Cleaning Your Car In The Winter
Whether you own a system for personal use or you use the local power car wash, winter is actually the most important time to keep your vehicle clean, especially if you live in an area that gets a lot of snow. Most people let car cleaning slide during those months. They tend to assume that all the snow, mud and other debris floating around will make it impossible to keep a car clean, so they just wait it out.
The problem with that way of thinking is that more damage is done to your car this way. For one thing, salt dropped on the roads is corrosive to both your paint job and your engine. If you live near the ocean, salt air can further complicate matters.
Although it may not be something that you look forward to, getting out there on a few cold days in the winter and washing away the salt residue from your car, top to bottom, is imperitive to car maintanance.
Adequate Wattage for Electrical Self Car Wash Systems
Electrical car wash systems are often preferred for their quiet operation. Another attractive benefit? They don't consume fuel or emit fumes. But if you are considering an electrical hand car wash system for home use, you need to know the capacity of your homes wiring. Most homes are wired for 110 volts, but many electrical pressure washer car wash systems will only work at their full potential with 220 volt wiring. Before you purchase an electrical unit car wash system, make sure that your homes electrical wiring is compatible with the unit.
How to Know if You Will Need an Industrial Quality Car Wash System
If you use a car wash system for fund raising or in a home business, you may need an industrial quality car wash system. Consumer-grade car wash systems are less expensive, but are only built to last for around 250 to 400 hours of use. When deciding what kind of pressure washer car wash you need, consider how many hours per year you'll use the system, keeping in mind that average self car wash use is only about 20 hours a year. That's two hours per weekend in the summer and a few hours more in the off season. For those purposes, a consumer-quality pressure washer car wash will do, but for extended use, a heavy-duty system is best.
How to Prepare your Car Before Pressure Washing
When you are preparing your car for pressure washing, you should follow some simple guidelines.
1. Hold the hose with both hands and test the pressure washer on a small area first to get used to the feel of the jet.
2. Practice making overlapping movements so you will avoid leaving marks where the strokes start and stop.
3. Test the pressure over a small corner of your car to adjust the spray so that it doesn't damage the surface.
4. Do not use laundry detergent or dishwashing soap to wash your vehicle as these harsh chemicals will damage the finish.
5. Use a biodegradable pressure washer chemical speficially formulated to be used in power washers, such as Biocleanse. These products are natural and environmentally friendly, so they will not damage surrounding lawn or flower beds. What's more important, the backspray will end up on your skin!
Choosing the Right Automotive Pressure Washer
If you are looking for an automotive power washer to wash your car at home, an electric power washer is probably the best. They are easy to operate, portable and can be used for your other household jobs such as washing the fence or driveway.
For larger vehicles you will need a more powerful unit, an industrial pressure washer, otherwise the job would probably take you too long. For a car washing business, a cart high duty pressure washer offers the advantages of durability, portability and economical water consumption.
Safety Guidelines for Pressure Washing a Vehicle
Before starting to car pressure washing keep a few safety guidelines in mind.
* Remove all jewelry, watches and rings from your hands to prevent scratching or injuring yourself.
* Do not use a ladder since the back kick of the pressure washer could knock you off.
* Never point the power washer at another person. Although the nozzle may look like a spray gun, it is very powerful and can hurt a person. * Do not attempt to rinse your feet or hands with the jet since it will peel your skin right off.
* Wear protective eyeware and wet weather clothing to stay dry while you power wash your vehicle.
Choosing the Right Product to Wash Your Vehicle
Whether you're in trucking, construction, automotive services or simply washing your car over the weekend, pressure washing has proven to be the fastest, most efficient way to wash your vehicle.
In order to avoid unsightly streaking or disappointing results it is important to choose the right cleaning product since there are different formulas according to their application, for example Super Film Remover is used for car washing to remove light road or dirt deposits.
The manufacturer of the power washing equipment will include a list of recommended automotive pressure washer chemicals and it is always a safe bet to follow these cleaners to guarantee best results.
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