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It is important to know which of those drives will suite you more.
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All pressure washers fall into one of two categories: hot water or cold water. Because both types of pressure washers offer models with the same GPM, PSI and can clean indoors or outdoors, it begs the question: why do I need a hot water pressure washer when everything else is the same? You’ve just had a delicious spaghetti supper and it’s time to wash the dishes. Fill one sink with cold water and the other with hot water. See which cleans faster and better. Even with a heavy dose of soap in the cold water sink, hot water cleans significantly more effective. It’s a story as tiny as the molecules that make up water. We learned in our early school years how everything is made up of atoms that bond together to form molecules. These tiny molecules are in constant motion. With water, the hotter it gets the faster the molecules move, until at 212°F they become airborne and form steam. As we cool water, the molecules slow until they eventually become ice hard. Svante A. Arrhenuis (1859-1927), a Swedish chemist, researched the heat-energy relationship. In short, he concluded that higher temperatures cause molecules to collide with each other creating energy that can cause the molecules of grease and grime to break free from the surface to which they’re attached. In other words, cleaning is accomplished by lowering the surface tension. Actually, there are three key elements--heat, agitation and soap—that work best to reduce the surface tension of dirt and grime. Here’s how each works:
Because they bring together in perfect balance all three of these key elements, hot water pressure washers deliver cleaning’s most effective knockout punch. If you’re cleaning engines, automotive parts, or anything with oil or grease, you’ll need hot water. Like the dishes in your sink, hot water cuts grease and grime; cold water only pushes it around. On the other hand, if you’re simply blasting away soil, caked-on mud, or even stripping paint, a cold-water pressure washer will work just fine. Combined with detergent, a cold-water pressure washer can be very effective in many applications. The rule of thumb is simple: if cold water can clean it good, hot water can clean it better. Yes, sometimes two to three times more, due to the complexity of heating hot water while under pressure. Hot water pressure washers also require more maintenance, such as the burner assembly, coil and redundant excess-pressure protection, all of which may need repair over time. Still, hot water pressure washers easily pay for themselves in labor cost savings from faster, more effective cleaning. Water enters a pressure washer from a spigot or tank via a garden hose. It first passes through a high-pressure pump, which speeds the water on its way through a heating coil, consisting of up to 200 ft. of 1/2-inch steel pipe or tubing. The serpentine configuration allows the water to get maximum exposure to the flame (fueled by oil, diesel or natural/propane gas) as it roars through the center or core of the coil. By the time the water rushes out of the coil and through the wand and nozzle, it will have reached temperatures of up to 200° F. It’s not unusual to hear hot water pressure washers referred to as steam cleaners. While there are a few applications, such as detailing an automobile engine, that require steam, it has been proven over the years that hot water under pressure is a much more effective method of cleaning than steam. That’s because hot water washing has the additional benefit of the water volume impacting the surface. Steam has heat but very little impact force or agitation, which is one of the three key cleaning elements. Still, some pressure washers offer a “steam combination” option where the hot-water flow is restricted in order to create a “wet steam” effect for those rare applications where there’s a delicate surface and the impact of water under pressure could cause damage. About Us: We are a subsidiary of Superior Cleaning Equipment. We have built over 200 customer wash trailers over the past 17 years in our Phoenix and San Diego locations. We have over 100 years of combined experience to help you get the job done with the setup you need. We deliver all over the US and would like to be your vendor. Our Story: The founder moved to AZ from Missoula, MT in 1982 and in 1984, while in college, started a mobile pressure washing business that eventually grew into 6 trucks. While in that business, Greg purchased over 20 pressure washers, hot and cold, from the local Landa dealership and in 1991 had the unique opportunity to purchase the business from the factory. Greg has always concentrated on servicing what we sell as well as the environmental aspect of our industry. With the addition of Jim Coleman/Hanna car wash line of equipment, we are pleased to represent the top manufacturers in our industries. In the past years, SCE has been the #1 Landa dealership three times, is always in the top 5 and for the past eight years has been the #1 WaterMaze environmental equipment dealership in the world and has become one of the top car wash dealerships in the state.
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