Pressure washers are reliable equipment for cleaning your house at any time of the year. Still, that doesn't mean they don't get affected in extreme weather conditions, especially the cold weather. If your pressure washer is not well handled at this time of the year, the appliance might get faulty, and you might end up spending money to fix it.
If you don't want to deal with a faulty pressure washer, it's a great idea to know the best way to handle it when the weather is cold.
Read on to find out how you can do this. We might not be able to cover all you should do, but these few tips are more than enough to get the best out of your pressure washer:
Keep your washer from freezing
Keep pressure washers inside enclosed vehicles (vans, bobtails, trailers) and in small garages, if possible, to help them keep warm. Enclosed vehicles protect your machine from both cold weather and theft. Make sure your vehicle's interior is insulated against the cold weather. Many garages and garage doors are uninsulated, and insulating garage doors and garages offer additional protection. Styrofoam panels are easy to attach to garage doors because they are lightweight. Note that you shouldn't place combustibles or items that can melt near your heat source.
Hot Water Washing
You can wash with hot water at 15-25 degrees Fahrenheit in calm air. It is also possible to clean with hot water until about 34 degrees Fahrenheit in windy conditions. You can also wash in direct sunlight to benefit from thermal heating. After ten o'clock in the morning, once the sun has heated up all your items, you can start your washing.
Do not wash in the shade
Exposure to direct sunlight causes the skin to heat up quickly, so try to have your washing done in the sun. The hottest time for deck cleaning is between 11:00 am and 3:00 pm.
Protect Yourself
Wear spiked shoes or boot chains if you're walking on a lot of ice. Ice is very slippery. The surge of pressure produced by a pressure-activated unloader can knock you down or slide you backward on ice. You may also slide backward if the force hits you at the trigger gun. Also, protect yourself from falls when on a roof. If there's snow or ice on your roof, you may want to hose it down and melt it.
Handle Frozen Pressure Washer With Caution
In case your pressure washer has frozen, proceed with caution. You can do the following:
- See if your pump can be rotated freely by hand. You should practice this in warm weather to feel the resistance and recognize a frozen pump when it occurs. When doing this, make sure the spark plugs are disconnected to avoid the engine starting automatically.
- Once water is flowing, turn on the burner only after the water is flowing. Frozen controls may cause the burner to fire without water flowing. When this happens, there might be a steam explosion.
Conclusion
It's pretty simple to keep your pressure washer working well in the cold weather. All you have to do is follow the steps above, and you're good to go.
