Pressure Washer Education
Welcome to Pressure Washer Education 101!
At Midwest Pressure Washers, we like to help educate our loyal customers. That’s why you’ll find important inside information here that you likely won’t find anywhere else. The tips shared on this page come as a result of some of the many questions we’ve been asked over the years and just want to share with you! Consider us your pressure washer professors! Check back on this page often as we’re always sharing new information. Have a question about something you don’t see here? Give us a call! We’ll be happy to help!
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Pressure Washer Spray Nozzle Tips
Spray nozzles are one of the most important items but the most misunderstood. Today, I will give a very brief overview of why using the correct nozzle is critical for the proper function of your pressure washer.
There are four basic colors of nozzles. The color coding only indicates the spray pattern. Red indicates a zero pattern. Red indicates a zero pattern, which is a straight shot focusing all of the pressure and flow in a highly concentrated area. Yellow indicates a 15 degree fan pattern. Green indicates a 25 degree fan pattern and white indicates a 40 degree fan pattern. Choosing the right nozzle color for the right job will give you a better end result with a faster cleaning rate.
Now that you understand nozzle colors and spray patterns, I will discuss the most critical and overlooked and misunderstood part of the nozzle; that is the sizing. This refers to the actual orifice size. When replacing a nozzle, it is extremely important to get this part correct. Choosing the wrong size can decrease your pressure if you choose too large of one, choosing to small of one can reduce the flow output and cause premature pump, unloader and engine or motor failure. When replacing nozzles, it is best to consult a dealer if you do not understand which size to buy.
Sizing is calculated for each pressure washer based on pressure (PSI) and flow (GPM). Most pressure washers have a marking indicating pressure, flow, nozzle size, part number and serial number. Nozzles have numbers either stamped or laser-etched in them to indicate the spray pattern and size. Sizing is so important, they increase a half of a size at a time.
There will be five digits on the nozzle. The middle digit is always a zero- that is nothing more than a space. Typically, the first 2 digits are the fan pattern, then the size. A typical nozzle number may look something like this: 25055. This tells us that it is a green 25 degree pattern and size of 5.5. Here is what that number looks like and where you may find it.
If you still are not sure, please call us for more help. Thank you for watching!