Using the Nozzle Chart an instructional guide. I have blogged about nozzles size, how to use them and why nozzling works with a power washer. I was still asked how do you come up with that information? I tell them the nozzle chart tells you what you need to know. It is not magic or hard to see once you have been shown so I'll give it a try.
Below you will see a basic nozzle chart there are more complex one out there but this one is good for us to learn on.
Ok it all we need to know before starting is how many gallons per minute your power washer puts out. We don't care how powerful it is, what size the motor is, what type of pump it has or what brand.
For this first try let's say our washer is a 4 gpm (gallons per minute) @ 4000 psi (pounds per square inch) the only reason I'm noting the psi is you'll never make more than what it is rated at. I can not put out 5000 psi with a 4000 psi machine, even with a smaller nozzle. The machine will simply bypass water, if you size a nozzle to small, which will just over work your unloader wearing it out faster.
Now we want to clean some vinyl on a home, do we need 4000 psi the rating on the washer? No not for vinyl lets say for example, more like 1000 psi will do the job. Up to the chart find 1000 psi and go down till we find our gpm output which is 4 gpm .......... found it? If so move to the left till you find the first column. You should be on 08 if you want only to use a 1000 psi with a 4 gallon washer you need a #08 nozzle in the fan pattern you wish.
Let's go again we want to use 2000 psi for some cleaning 2000 psi down to 4 gpm move to the lst column you would need a 05,5 you saw there is no 4 gpm so we use the closest to it 3.9 in this case.
Once again, 3500 psi no 4 so what is close 3.7 or 4.2 I alway go with the smaller number since you can not create more water flow than what you have so I would use a #4 tip which is what we would also use to achieve full pressure. I did this to show you can tune your pressure just so far since nozzles come in only full and half sizes we can do only so much.
What if we have a 5 gallon out put machine? Lets try it. I want 1500 psi same thing find the 1500 column down to this time 5 to the left. You should be at? A #10 nozzle. Wanting 2500 psi you should have found a #06. The larger size lets more water pass through giving a softer or less harsh psi. I now hope you see it is not magic or that hard to use to find what you need for washing. You never have to touch your unloader like some think you do to set psi. You set it at peak psi and use nozzles to control your psi.
Our simple chart above was good for training but lets go back to washing that vinyl home I would like to use only 800 psi but our chart does not go down that far. Other Charts do though. Let's have a go at this one.
I hope this now make more sense to you. Using nozzles to reduce psi or nozzling as I call it is simple and easy. You need not worry about blasting or harming soft surfaces with a oversized nozzle and a wider fan pattern you can open up your world of clean.
High pressure is good for a few things but controllable psi is far more useful.
I wish to add since I have different machines that I use a nozzle is a nozzle so they can work in all the different machines. The tool box is full of nozzles so I can use the chart this way too. I have a #08.5 nozzle that I may want to use with my 4.5 gpm unit. What will it do? Find the nozzle size in the first column..... move to the right till I find the closest output to 4.5 then up to see what it can do. If my eyes are right looks to be 1000 psi. One more try lets say we have a #50 which some like to soap and rinse homes with. Why? What will it put out with a 8 gallon machine? Size 50 in the first column to the output to 8 gpm moving right looks like 7.1 is the closest out put, then up, shows 100 psi. That is about twice the psi of an average garden hose "soft washing". With the chart a handful of nozzles you can adjust your washing pressure to most projects. Power to soft washing it is all in the tips you use.
Does not matter what our max out put was does not matter what our motor size was, didn't matter what brand or type of pump we have. If I was using any 8 gallon (that was properly outfited, meaning it has the proper motor and running speed) out put machine with a #50 nozzle it will be putting out @100 psi of washing power. I'm a geek when it come to having the right tools and equipment. Being able to fine tune a power washer to get the best, safest, and most effect use from the water we use helps save this resorce.
Water is one of the most precious resources we have doing our part to get the best effect from it is "eco friendly" and a no-brainer. Each doing their part, to do what we can to help mother earth out a bit, is what a professional power washer does or should be doing.
Cleaned by Pete
power, pressure & soft washing
417.459.7869
for all your cleaning needs Springfield MO.
No comments:
Post a Comment