Best Electric Pressure Washer

The Best Electric Pressure Washer

Have you experienced how easily a pressure washer removes dirt and grime from almost anything you use it on? I’ve used it to clean my driveway, car engine bay, mold and mildew on outside windows, and even stonework outside in my patio.

It’s a great tool to have in the spring to clean up the house, cars, or patio areas. Which one is the best? Let’s take a look and find out!

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What Do You Use an Electric Pressure Washer For?

If you are already looking for an electric pressure washer, then you most likely already have a project you want to use it for. However, there are some cleaning projects that you may not have thought about.

You can also utilize it for for cleaning house siding to prep it for a fresh coat of paint, freshening up your decking, clearing the garage floors of debris and to wash your car.

All of these jobs would involve using much more effort without one of these really handy devices. Try using elbow grease to get stains off the garage floor and see how difficult it is! Pressured water can be a great help sometimes.

What is a good PSI for a Pressure Washer?

Gas pressure washers output between 2,000 to 2,750 psi. Electric pressure washers typically range between 1,300 to 1,800 psi. The greater the PSI the greater the cleaning power. However, if the power is too great you can damage the material you’re cleaning.

What is the Best Pressure Washer for Home Use?

My pick is the Sun Joe SPX3000 because of it’s strong warranty, solid feature set, and ample accessories.

How many PSI Do I need to clean concrete?

You’ll need a minimum of 3,000 PSI and flow rate of at least 4 GPM to clean concrete. Much more than that and you’ll begin to damage the concrete.

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How to Use an Electric Pressure Washer

After you have purchased an electric pressure washer, you will need to know how to use it. They are pretty self-explanatory but, you do need to know the difference between the nozzles and electricity requirements. 

First of all, some come with a GFCI built in to the cord. If not, you may want to plug it in to an outlet with a GFCI or a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter. The GFCI will interrupt the circuit if there is a ground fault anywhere in the electrical circuit.

So, on to the nozzles. 

There are 5 different colors for various tasks. 

  • The red one (0 degrees) is used to clear off dirt or oil that is extremely stubborn. 
  • The yellow nozzle (15 degrees) is used to strip your decking or house siding to prepare it for a new coat of paint. 
  • The green one (25 degrees) is best used on driveways, cars, boats and concrete to clean dirt and other debris.
  • The white nozzle (40 degrees) is for the more fragile areas. Like what for example? Anything that can be dented easily or glass fixtures like windows will need this gentler one.
  • The black one (65 degrees) is used to spray the detergent over the object to be cleaned. However, you can use it with another lower degree nozzle once you have put the soap on. 

Now, before you hook up the pressure washer to your water supply, you need to check that your water pressure meets the needs of your device.

Typically, it will need 1 to 1.5 gallons per minute of pressure. The easiest way to know if your source is correct, you can fill up a 5-gallon tub and measure the time it takes. 

When it comes to connecting the it to the water, you will need to attach a hose first. Then, all you have to do is put the end of it into the water inlet on your device. Ensure you tighten it as much as possible.

Now, turn on the water and make sure the electric pressure washer is turned to the lowest setting. Press the trigger to initiate the water flowing through the pipes and don’t be alarmed if spurts of air come out to begin with, this will subside in about a minute.

Why do I encourage you to start on the low setting? So you don’t incur a lot of kickback right away! You’ll get used to it after the first time trying it.

After you have got the feeling of it, you can stop holding the trigger and make adjustments.

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What Should You Look For in an Electric Pressure Washer?

Initially, you should decide whether or not you want a hot or cold water pressure washer. The cold water versions are far less complicated and are easier to transport, however, they need more pressure. The hot water ones do clean faster and more efficiently but, as I’ve mentioned, they are sometimes more complicated.

You will need to think about the differences in the machines’ warranty coverage. What exactly does it ensure? Does it extend to the pump and motor or is it just the framework? How long does it last for? All of these questions are important and you’ll need to read the fine print.

Then, consider the power of the pressure washers you are deciding between. Unless you find the CU statistic (Cleaning Units), it will be hard to figure out which one is better.

Lastly, the portability factor is crucial. You need to know how effortless (or how difficult) it is to store it and wheel it around. If it won’t fit somewhere in your home or shed, it will just get in the way and hinder rather than help.

Features and Benefits of The Sun Joe SPX3000

  • Super powerful (1800-watt motor and 1.76 GPM)
  • Water inlet maximum temperature = 104 degrees
  • Suitable for different cleaning projects (buildings, cars, decks, patios, trucks, campervans, etc)
  • Two removable, onboard detergent tanks
  • TSS (Total Stop System) included
  • Two-year warranty from the day you buy it

Aside from the brilliant features that are actually on the machine, the one that deserves a special mention is (in our humble opinion) the two-year warranty. As we said, the warranty is one of the aspects you need to consider and this guy comes with a great one! 

Basic Pressure Washing Tips for Beginners

Sun Joe Company Profile

Sun Joe and Snow Joe were founded in 2004 and they came into being with only one product in their repertoire. This was the electric snow shovel they aptly named the Snow Joe. 

Nowadays, they have a wide range of products including portable generators, air compressors, pressure washers and lots more. Plus, they are continuing to develop increasingly innovative outdoor equipment to make their customer’s everyday lives easier. 

Curated Independent Reviews

I’ve been pretty happy with mine, but I’m also not a heavy user. I wash the cars every few weeks, and that’s it for the pressure washer.

CeeDotA on reddit

I’ve had the SPX3000 for a couple years now. I just use it to pressure wash sidewalks, driveway and patio once a year. Just washed some wooden patio furniture prior to re-oiling them. I’m reasonably happy with it.

My previous one was a more expensive gas model that didn’t last more than a couple years, so I went with a cheaper one this time around

RabidlyLazy on reddit

I’ve had my SunJoe spx4000 for 2 years and never had an issue. Works great and I love it.

gsxr_squirrel on reddit

In Conclusion

While you could spend hours researching tons of different electric pressure washers after reading this, we guarantee that we have already looked at all the options ourselves!

The Sun Joe SPX3000 comes with ample features to tackle any type of cleaning or stripping project you need to do. Not to mention that the two-year warranty will keep you protected for a great amount of time should something go wrong. 

It is a truly win-win situation when you purchase this pressure washer. 

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