How much water does a pressure washer use? Save 75% water with smart Use
Whether you are a homeowner or a pressure washing business, you may have wondered, “How much water does a pressure washer use?” Understanding water consumption can help you save water and optimize its usage while significantly impacting the costs. If water consumption is your concern, you must understand that water consumption varies from one pressure washer to another depending upon the GPM and PSI of the particular model you purchased.
Mostly, the pressure washers you use as a homeowner use around 1.2 to 1.5 Gallons per minute, accounting for 75-90 gallons per hour. However, for commercial and professional purposes, you may find pressure washers that consume 4 gallons a minute or even higher. The 4 gallons per minute pressure washer consumes 240 gallons of water per hour.
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Pressure washer vs. garden hose: which of them consumes more water?
An average pressure washer typically uses 1.5 Gallons of water per minute, while a garden hose can use up to 8-9 gallons per minute. It implies that a regular garden hose consumes water seven times higher than a pressure washer. Why? There are two main reasons.
- The pressure washer does not only use water; it takes the power of compressed gas in the pressure washer that unites with the water to create a jet stream of water that makes cleaning efficient and fast.
- The Nozzle of a pressure washer is narrow, which allows the high-pressure water to form jet streams needed to wash away tough stains, dirt, grime, and other impurities.
However, pressure washers, especially heavy-duty ones, still use significant water. Conclusively, a garden hose can use up to 20 gallons per minute, while a heavy-duty pressure washer uses significantly less, such as a 4 GPM pressure washer. Investing in a 4 gal per minute pressure washer can save more water than a standard garden hose.
Besides this, a garden hose can generally be used for car washing or watering your garden at the most. It can never be implied to heavy-duty tasks such as cleaning your driveways, sidings, patios, and other outdoors. It implies pressure washers provide much more efficient cleaning while saving 75% water than regular garden hoses.
How much water does a pressure washer use to pressure wash a house?
The answer to “How much water does a power washer use” is simple. To continue with this, let us consider that you are using a 4 GPM pressure washer, and you will complete the cleaning task in 1 hour. It means you will consume 240 gallons of water with your 4gpm pressure washer. Typically a 1500 sq.-foot house requires 45 minutes to pressure wash. For an area of 2000 sq. feet or more, it might take 90-120 minutes. With experienced personnel, you may significantly reduce the time needed to power wash a house.
The cost of water used in a pressure washer
The cost of water varies from region to region, but on average, the cost of 1000 gallons is about $1.50. If your pressure washer uses 4 gallons per minute (pressure washer 4gpm), you’d spend around 6 cents for every minute of use. Check cost of water in different regions in United States.
How to minimize water consumption?
To minimize water consumption using a pressure washer, you can follow some essential tips to save a significant amount of water for a pressure washer.
· Invest in a Low GPM pressure washer
If you’re concerned about water usage, consider purchasing a low GPM pressure washer, such as a 1-5 – 3 gallon per minute pressure washer. These models are designed to maximize cleaning power while minimizing water use.
· Use Hot water pressure washer
Hot water pressure washers can clean more effectively than cold water models, meaning you may need to spend less time washing and, therefore, use less water.
· Apply smart & efficient cleaning
Plan your cleaning path to avoid overlapping, and always rinse in the direction of gravity to avoid wasting water. Laying off the trigger when inactive and adjusting PSI according to the task can reduce water wastage.
Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs
1. What is a good gpm for a pressure washer?
For homeowners, a 2gpm- 3gpm pressure washer that accounts for 120 to 180 gallons per hour is the most suitable for most cleaning tasks. A standard bucket holds around 80 gallons of water, which accounts for 1.5 to 2.5 buckets.
2. What size garden hose for pressure washer is the most suitable?
For the most vital water flow, buying a 1.25 inches garden hose is recommended.
3. How much psi is a garden hose?
Light-duty garden hoses are usually around 200 PSI.
4. Does gpm affect water pressure?
The higher the flow rate, the greater the pressure of water.
5. How much water does a pressure washer use in liters?
A pressure washer typically uses 400-600 liters of water.
