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GET GOING!
OK, now were ready to spend some money and get on with making more
money Here is a list of the basics equipment you are going to
need:
- Of course a Pressure Washer
It's easy to go out and buy a pressure
washer but not so easy deciding which one you need. Regardless
of what kind of work your going to do the concept is the same -blast
away dirt and make stuff cleaner. How much dirt you blast away
and how much cleaner it gets is a matter of pressure, flow and
time. If you have lots of pressure and flow, then you don't
need so much time. If you have lots of time the pressure and
flow don't matter so much. Now, you can take this to extremes
and say 20,000 PSI with 20 GPM will clean a few square feet in a few
seconds. Whereas 1,000 PSI at 1.5 GPM may clean the same area in
more than a few minutes.
So what's practical? If you decided earlier to clean rust off
bridges then that $100K machine with 20,000 PSI at 20 GPM is just
right. But, don't try cleaning bridges with a residential
$100.00, 1,000 PSI, 1.5 GPM machine. However, many people do
clean their driveways with a $100.00 machine they purchased at a big
box store. It may be practical for them but is it practical
for you? Well, if you want to make $10.00 per hour for the 5
hours it will take to clean the driveway then, yes. But, with
the right machine, which is practical, you can make $50.00 per hour
or more.
Somewhere in between the extremes is a machine that fits the
budget. But wait! Before you buy a machine lets talk
about how the machine, and you, are going to get it to the
job. If you have a car and want to fit everything in the trunk
and back seat, which many people do, then consider something a
little smaller. If you have a pickup or van then something
bigger is no order.
There has to be a compromise between the best machine for the job
and your ability to get it there. A 5 HP to 7 HP machine is
easy to lift and fit in a trunk while a 13 HP unit is is better
suited to roll onto a truck or van. There is no doubt that you
will get more jobs and make more money with the bigger
machine. You are more limited with the smaller machine but be
realistic in what you can pack around. Don't forget you also
need to get hoses, wands, gas cans, tools and rain gear into that
space.
Assuming you have a van or truck my recommendation is for a 3000 to
4000 PSI machine. Prices are reasonable and the unit is not
overly bulky or heavy. This size, with a 4 GPM pump, will
satisfy most of your cleaning requirements and allow you to make a
good income.
What engine, what pump? When you go shopping for a pressure
washer these days it's amazing what variety you have to choose
from. Four different engine manufacturers, with gas or
diesel. Four or five different pump manufacturers with 3 or
more different configurations. All these choices combined with
ten, or more, different pressure washer manufacturers. Oh
Bother, what's a person to do?
Let's start with the least important of all - the
manufacturer. What, you say, how can that be least
important? Well simply, in my opinion, it is! Nobody
really manufactures a pressure washer. Most
manufacturers simply assemble a motor, that they don't make, with a
pump, that they don't make on a cart, that they don't make and add
some accessories such as hoses, guns and wands, which they also
don't make. Then, they put their label on it and sell it as
the best machine on the market. It may be the best, not
because it's theirs, but because they assembled the pressure washer
with the best components available.
Many manufacturers assemble their washers using the best, and
consequently the most expensive, components. These
manufacturers are selling into the commercial and industrial market
whose buyers understand the long term value of the higher cost
components and are willing to pay for it.
Many manufacturers use the worst components, and consequently the
least expensive, to assemble a pressure washer. The difference
in component cost, on a wholesale level, can make a huge difference
to the sticker price. These manufacturers are selling into the
more price conscious market of home owners and part time commercial
users. There is nothing wrong with these units other than many
people don't realize they are buying lower quality which may result
in early failures and the possibility of not being able to get parts
and service. Ever asked for parts or service from a big box
store for a pressure washer? It doesn't exist in most
cases. If brought to our shop we can fix it, if we can get
parts, but in many cases parts don't exist. The marketing
strategy seems to be "throw it away and buy a new
one" How long do you think your new business will last
using this type of equipment?
The pressure washer is your most important asset, besides you.
On the job it's your partner and it needs to be reliable so don't
cheap out at this stage. Spend the extra money and buy
something made from quality components. Spending the extra
money at this stage will serve you well into the future.
OK we have talked about the least important part of a pressure
washer now let's talk about the most important:
- PARTS AND SERVICE
All equipment, no matter what quality or price, eventually
needs parts and service. First, ask the seller what the
service and parts policy is. Whatever you buy make sure
there are parts available for it. If not locally, then on
the internet. Look at the model number of the pump and do
a search. You will soon see if parts are available.
Most important are valves and seal kits, which are a regular
maintenance item. If you can do your own service, so much
the better. There are lots of resources on line for troubleshooting
problems and servicing pumps. Engines are the same
way. If you stick with the most common engine for pressure
washers, Honda, you will have no problem getting parts and
service.
- THE PUMP
What brand? The Italians have been making pressure washer
pumps for many years. The major Italian manufacturers
commonly available in North America are General/Interpump, Comet
and AR. HOTSY make a pump, or have it made for them, but
parts are expensive because they are usually only available from
Hotsy dealers. CAT pumps, which are made in Japan, are often
referred to as the Cadillac of pumps and, in my opinion, they
are just that. If you see one pulled apart on the bench it
is apparent why they are the best pump on the market. This
quality comes with a price though. Not only are the pumps
more expensive but parts are as well. Compare prices on
seal and valve kits and you will see the difference. If
you have lots of work and running your machine all day, every
day then by all means spend the extra money and get a CAT
pump. Otherwise all General/Interpump, Comet and AR are
great pumps so shop around and see what's available. I'm
prone to General/Interpump and Comet because they are readily
available, easy to service and have good availability of
reasonably priced parts.
You would think that once you have decided on one of the best
pump that would be it. Not so! All these pump
manufacturers offer different versions of their pump.
First off lets understand the basics. There are two basic
kinds of pump, hollow shaft and solid shaft. The
difference in the drive shaft is significant and makes a big
difference in how the pump is connected to the engine and
complexity of the system. For this discussion I will
restrict the information given to gas engines.
Solid shaft pumps, also known as belt drive, are generally for
more heavy duty systems. The solid shaft is just that, a
solid shaft with a keyway cut into it. It allows for
connection to different power sources in different ways. A
solid shaft allows for connection to an engine by using a pulley
and belt system. A pulley on the pump drives a pulley on
the engine a using a v-belt. In this setup the pump
and motor are mounted separately on a common base frame. A
belt and pulley setup allows for a variety of pumps to be driven
by any motor. On the plus side, belt driven pumps are usually
more robust and last longer than direct driven pumps as they are
larger and turn at slower speeds. The downside is that
they are more expensive, heavier and bulky, which has to be
considered when purchasing and packing around.
Hollow shaft pumps, also known as direct drive. are just that, a
solid shaft that is bored out with a hole and a keyway cut into
it. In addition to the hollow shaft the pump is fitted
with a flange. The flange is designed to bolt to the
output shaft flange on the engine. On the plus side, motor
shaft slides into pump shaft, pump flange bolts to engine
flange. The pump and engine become one. Simple, easy and
cheap. On the downside is that these pumps have to turn at the
speed of the engine. Since a typical gas engine's peak
performance is at 3400 RPM, the pump needs to turn at 3,400
RPM. Faster equals more wear and tear on the internal
parts. Generally speaking direct drive pumps wear out
faster, need more cooling and servicing.
Got that? Now you decide on what type of pump to
get. For further discussion I am assuming your looking
toward a direct drive pump, which is my recommendation.
Now there are a few other decisions to make before your
finished!
Now that you have decided to go with a direct drive pump you
need to decide on a plunger/piston style pump or an axial style
pump. What! Yes, there are two very different styles of
direct drive pumps available. Plunger style and Axial style. As
usual, there is one that's less expensive than the other and
again, one is better than the other.
Axial pumps operate on the principle of a spinning disc which is
on an angle. Simply put, push rods, which are attached to
the pistons, are held tight against the plate are moved in and
out as the plate turns. As the push rods are moved in and
out the plungers pump the water. The way they
work is much like the action of the camshaft, which operates the
valves in your car engine. Compared to plunger pumps this
style is simpler but subject to more wear and tear, more
expensive to service and they are cheaper to make.
Plunger pumps operate on the principle of a spinning crankshaft,
with offset connections to push rods, which in turn are attached
to plungers. As the crankshaft turns the plungers are
moved back and forth, pumping water. The way these pumps
work is much like the action of the crankshaft, which moves the
pistons in your car engine. Compared to axial pumps
plunger pumps are more complex, last longer, are easier to
service and they are more expensive to make.
After all of that my recommendation is to buy the plunger
pump. The cost is not that much greater. The extra
cost of a plunger pump will soon be made back by less
maintenance and service. If you are a homeowner and don't
intend to make a living with your pressure washer, go ahead and
save the up-front money. Just remember the more you use it
the sooner you will come to the break even point if you had
spent the extra money up-front. Usually this happens at
the first service as a failure in axial pumps is generally
terminal.
OK now presuming you have decided on the plunger pump, like I
would, you need to make another decision. One of the most
important parts of the pump and pressure wash system is the
unloader valve. All axial pumps have a built-in unloader
so there are no decisions to make if that's the pump you decided
on.
Firstly, the unloader valve is critical to your pressure washer
pump. Basically what happens is your pump is what is
called positive displacement. This means every time a pump
turns it moves water. This water needs a place to
go. When you have the trigger pulled on your gun water
gets pushed through the nozzle, making pressure. When you
release the trigger the water needs a place to go. The
unloader valve is what takes care of the water being pumped by
bypassing it into the low pressure (inlet) side of the
pump. So when in bypass mode the water being pumped is
circulated, at low pressure, around the pump. The problem
with this setup is that water being continuously circulated
builds up heat. Left in bypass for more than a few minutes
the pump will overheat to the point that seals melt and plungers
crack. The rule is to either shutoff the machine or pull
the trigger once in a while when in extended bypass.
Lately, piston pump manufacturers have been selling pumps with
built-in unloaders. These are cheaper to make because the
valving is built into the head of the pump, meaning fewer
fittings and less brass. This is generally a good
idea. Except if the brass seats or machined surfaces in
the head get damaged, you are faced with a very expensive
fix. If this happens you will probably need to replace the
pump. A separate bolted on unloader is susceptible to the
same damages but can be replaced without having to replace the
head of the pump
Many plunger pumps come with a separate unloader and you should
consider this type to put on your pressure washer. The
reason being is so that you can control your bypass water. If
say you are working a long distance away from your machine it is
not practical to go to it every time you need to release the
trigger for more than a few minutes. Many contractors will
make a simple conversion to their unloader which allows bypass
water to go elsewhere, either to a tank or garden or simply on
the ground under the machine. With this setup you can
leave your unit on bypass for extended periods with no damage
from overheating.
- THE ENGINE
Hands down the most popular engine on
the market is Honda. They are an excellent engine.
We have changed pumps on pressure washers that have a 25 year
old Honda engine that is still going strong. If you buy a
Honda and look after it, it will give you many years of
service. That's not to say other engines are bad.
Many manufacturers build top-quality engines, which generally
cost less. I have a 30 year old Toro lawnmower with a
Briggs engine that sits in my shed, with gas in the tank, all
winter. In the spring it starts with just a few pulls of
the cord.
A word about Chinese made engines. A few years ago there
appeared some engines are the market that looked exactly like
Honda engines. In fact they were so much alike that parts
were interchangeable with Honda. But that's where the
similarities ended. Quite frankly they were junk and many
ended up in the scrap heap after only a few hours of
use.
Since then a few North American companies
used their influence to convince Chinese engine manufacturers to
build higher quality products. Many pressure washer
companies were reluctant to use them but eventually they have
improved and are being offered by some major
manufacturers. BE Pressure Supply, one of the world's
foremost pressure washer manufacturers, now have a line of
washers with Chinese made engines and pumps. Our company
have been selling these units, mostly to non-commercial
companies. We are pleased with success we have had with
them and now offer the engines and pumps separately.
- THE REST OF IT
The rest of your basic startup system
consists of the cart, hose, gun, wand and a selection of
nozzles. This is pretty standard stuff and generally you don't
have a choice. If you go with a a quality pump and engine
you can be pretty sure that you will be getting better quality
accessories. Check the hose and make sure it's wire braided and
not thermoplastic. Remember, all manufacturers are well
aware of the competitive nature of the pressure washer
market. While they may use quality pump and engine
components they may not necessarily use the best quality
accessories.
With the cart, sometimes there will be choices. You may be
able to choose from powder coated steel, aluminum or stainless
steel. Aluminum works good because it's light and does not
tarnish. Stainless is also good but is a little heavier
and most expensive. Powder coated steel is the heavier and
least expensive choice but can rust in areas where the powder
coating gets knocked off. Check to see if the cart comes
in different configurations - front wheels where you lift the
handle to move the machine or rear wheels where you push down on
the handle to move the machine. Different people find
advantages for each type based on their height, terrain machine
is being moved over or how the machine is loaded for
transport. It's a personal thing and not critical. But, if
you have a choice, at least think about it.
- ACCESSORIES
Depending on your budget you may not
want buy any accessories before you get started. With the
basic system your ready to get started and make some
money. But if you have some more money in your start-up
budget there are a few reasonably priced accessories that can
make a huge difference in the time to finish jobs. Let's
face it, if you can get through a job faster, you make more
money. Here are some suggestions and estimated cost:
-ROTARY NOZZLE ($25.00 to $175.00)
Probably the most effective accessory you can get, for the
money. The rotary nozzle is a very aggressive cleaning
tool. It's great for cleaning grease spots, gum, corners
and ripping weeds from cracks in sidewalks. A rotating
nozzle works well for rinsing or blowing debris out of the
way. Because it's so aggressive you need to be very
careful not to damage the surfaces you are cleaning. But,
once you get on to it. you will love it! Here is a tip -
the more expensive rotary nozzles have two ceramic pieces inside
them. One of the pieces, the one that spins, is loose. As
ceramics are very brittle it is important to make sure they
don't slam together or the pieces will crack and will not
spin. To prevent the ceramics from slamming together when
you pull the trigger point the nozzle to the ground when you
pull the trigger, not in the air. When pointed to the
ground the pieces are already together.
-LONGER OR TELESCOPIC WAND ($25.00 to $200.00)
A longer wand will allow you to get places your standard wand
can't get to. With a telescopic wand you can clean the
outside of second story gutters from the ground. You will
also be able to clean inside the gutters with a gutter cleaning
attachment. If your offering "whole-house"
cleaning it's important to be able to do it efficiently.
-FLAT SURFACE CLEANER ($130.00 to $700.00)
If the rotary nozzle is the most effective accessory you can get
for the money then the Flat Surface Cleaner is the most
important accessory you can get....... Period!
Think of a flat surface cleaner as a large rotary nozzle, or
should I say 2 or more rotary nozzles. Once you use one of
these for cleaning a large driveway, patio or parking lot you
will never want to go back to the old way. Not only do
they work way faster, they also get the surface cleaner, without
streaks.
The most important aspect of choosing a flat surface cleaner is
not size. The output of your machine is the most important
information you need to decide. Remember the discussion on
nozzle sizes, HP and water flow, which determines the pressure
output of your machine. Well, these factors need to be
considered when choosing a flat surface cleaner.
A 4000 PSI, 4 GPM machine's rating is based on pushing the 4 GPM
through a .04 nozzle. If you push that water volume
through a larger nozzle the output pressure will drop. Conversely,
if you push the water through a smaller hole the pressure will
increase, based on the restraints of the unloader valve and
horsepower of the machine. Flat surface cleaners have at
least two nozzles. This means the water output is being
divided equally amongst the total number of nozzles. If
for example, the surface cleaner has two nozzles, your GPM will
drop to 2 GPM per nozzle. To maintain design pressure the
total combined nozzle size needs to stay at .040.
Therefore the surface cleaner, with two nozzles, needs to be
fitted with .020 nozzles to maintain the 4000 PSI.
So, when choosing a surface cleaner don't choose one that uses
nozzles with a greater combined hole size greater than your
machines output or you will not be getting the most out of the
setup. For the 4000 PSI, 4 GPM machine, two nozzles fit
perfectly. Some surface cleaners come with 3 or 4
nozzles. If you want one of these then look into
installing smaller nozzles. However, be careful here as
very small nozzles can easily plug up, causing problems in the
field. Don't get caught up in "bigger is better"
when it comes to flat surface cleaners. Get one that is
designed for your flow and pressure. An 18 inch machine will
clean way better, and faster, at peak performance than a
24" that's not producing full pressure.
Wheels or brush skirt. Surface Cleaners come with a brush
skirt, which are supposed to glide like a hover craft on a
cushion of pressurized water. Other run on wheels and
casters. Which is important and what's best? First,
what do wheels, casters and brush skirts do? Number 1,
they keep the machine from riding on the ground so it can
move. Second, they allow the machine to be maneuvered in
any direction you need it to go in and finally, they keep the
action spay under the machine.
Let's Look at brush skirts first because they seem to do all the
important things. Brush skirts are cheaper to make because
they don't have wheels. If you have the right pressure and
flow, they do float so can be pushed or pulled in any direction
and they do keep the spray action under the machine, To
me, the brush skirt has a serious flaw. They are not
always stable and when changing direction the skirt can drag on
the surface. I have used surface cleaners for many years
and found the best way to get even cleaning coverage is to move
the cleaner in a figure 8 movement as you go from side to side
and back and forth. If the brush skirt keeps rubbing on
the ground your going to be sore by the end of the day.
The other flaw I see is the ability of the machine to fall into
outside corners of a curb, causing damage to the rotating arm
and swivel.
Wheeled units are easy push and pull back and forth but can't be
pushed sideways to get the figure 8 action. Going back and
forth is OK but when you come to a planter or other
obstruction. Some have wheels on the back and casters on
the front. These are a little better to move around
obstructions but still can't be moved sideways.
Casters turn in every direction and a surface cleaner with
casters on all four corners gives you the ultimate in ease of
use and maneuverability. Back and forth, sideways or
figure eights are all easily done. When cleaning a curb you can
hank one wheel over the edge and the machine stays flat, saving
costly arm and swivel repair. I started with a 16
inch BE Whirlaway with 4 casters. That machine cleaned
many hundreds of thousand square feet over many years. I
made a lot of money with that machine! Only problem was
replacing casters. Casters, while being the best choice,
are the weak point. Because they run in such a hostile
environment all the time they tend to wear out often. When
the bearings in the wheel fail and the wheel falls off, it gets
awfully difficult to move the machine. So, be prepared and
have spare casters with you.
BE Pressure Supply have recently come up with a unit with
removable casters, which can be changed in a few seconds without
tools. This is a great idea because it gives you the best
of all worlds -both casters and a brush skirt. It costs a
little more but, in my opinion, well worth the extra money.
Plastic housing or stainless steel. Stainless steel units
are pretty to look at but that's where the advantage
stops. Stainless will never rust out but plastic
doesn't rust either. The plastic units are really
tough. Drop it off your truck and it bounces. Drop a
stainless unit off your truck and it dents. So much for
pretty! If you have a choice go for the lighter, cheaper
alternative -plastic.
Finally, what swivel? Generally you don't have a choice.
Flat surface cleaner manufacturers link up with a swivel
manufacturer and that's what you get. From what I have
seen most surface cleaners come with high quality swivels.
Some of the residential cheaper surface cleaners are
questionable but they are not designed for commercial use, so
don't buy one of those. Some machines are hundreds or even
a thousand dollars more expensive. Why? They say
"Better Quality" but I'm not convinced. I believe
that if you buy a middle of the road surface cleaner from a
reputable supplier, run clean water through it and maintain the
machine you will be making money with it for a long time.
-HOT WATER
When you have the budget and are committed to the
business then seriously consider hot water. Offering hot
water cleaning opens up new opportunities for business as well
as making your existing business more profitable. For
existing business you can get the same price but do the job
faster and better. For new business you can charge more
and do it faster. Some customers demand hot water and now
you will be able to bid on that work.
Hold on! Before going out and buying a hot water machine
you have to realize it changes almost everything. Your
faced with getting your bulky and heavy machine to the job,
another type of fuel to carry, additional safety concerns and
replacing or retrofitting accessories to handle hot
water.
The main difference is getting the machine to the job. If
you have a 2 man crew then getting it in and out of a truck or
van is not so bad. But, if you work on your own then
you may need to have a fixed installation in a trailer, truck or
van. This is not a bad way to go, if you have the money,
because you can start looking at being self-contained, which
opens up a whole new potential customer base.
-MISCELLANEOUS ACCESSORIES
Once you get started in your new business you will see
many new opportunities for new business. You will also see
ways to make your current business more profitable and to make
your job more easier. Additional accessories can do this for
you. Inexpensive stuff such as chemical and soap application
options allows you to get into truck and trailer fleet
cleaning, Talk to some painters because a sand blaster
will take off paint to bare metal. A sewer jetting hose
and nozzle setup opens up a new world of very profitable
business cleaning drains, working for plumbers, homeowners and
property managers. There's a myriad of work out there and
with the right accessories it can be yours.
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