So you want to know if hot water will damage your pressure washer.
Maybe you realized that your pressure washer isn’t performing as well as you’d like, and you want to know if adding hot water to it will help boost its performance.
Or maybe you heard about hot water pressure washers being better at getting rid of dirt than a cold water pressure washer, but you don’t have the budget to purchase another pressure washer.
Whatever the reason, many people end up asking, “will hot water damage a pressure washer”?
If you’re reading this article — great! That means you haven’t tried to figure it out for yourself without doing prior research and possibly irreversibly damaging your pressure washer in the process.
In this article, we’re going to help you find the answer to this question and everything else you need to know about pressure washers. Let’s get to it!
Can you use hot water in your pressure washer?
The short answer is no. You can’t use hot water in a pressure washer that isn’t made to withstand high temperatures.
In case you aren’t aware, there are actually two kinds of pressure washers available in the market. The most common pressure washer is the cold water pressure washer. And if there’s a cold water pressure washer, you bet there’s going to be a hot water pressure washer too.
If your pressure washer is the standard cold water pressure washer, it’s definitely a bad idea to try and put hot water into your pressure washer. Cold water pressure washers are not built to withstand temperatures higher than 140 degrees Fahrenheit, anything higher than that will absolutely destroy your pressure washer.
Is warm water safe to put into your pressure washer?
Now that you know that anything higher than 140 degrees is going to damage cold water pressure washers, you’re probably thinking, “is it possible for warm water to be safe to put into pressure washers?”
Yes, most cold water pressure washers can withstand warm water, as long as it’s less than 140 degrees Fahrenheit. But to make sure, it’s best to look at your pressure washer’s manual and see what temperatures your particular model can withstand. Just try not to exceed the maximum temperature and it should be fine.
One problem is that you might not be able to monitor the exact temperature of the water in the first place. If you’re getting water from the tap, you can try to feel whether the water is warm or hot through touch, or you can try to measure the temperature with a thermometer. But if you’re hooking up your pressure washer directly to the tank, it might be more complicated.
What’s the difference between a hot and cold water pressure washer?
A lot of people are aware that there are gas-powered pressure washers and electric pressure washers. But did you know that there is a hot water pressure washer and a cold water pressure washer as well?
Cold water pressure washers aren’t made to withstand high temperatures because hot water pressure washers were already made for that exact purpose.
So what makes hot water pressure washers different from cold water pressure washers?
Cold water pressure washer
Cold water pressure washers are the most commonly used pressure washers in households. It is usually more cost-efficient and works great for light cleaning. Light cleaning refers to getting rid of dirt, mud, sand, and other debris. It is not ideal for getting rid of greasy or oily stains and smudges.
Cold pressure washers are often smaller in size and lighter in weight making them easy to move around and store at home. They also have simpler functions making them easy to use and often need little to no maintenance.
Hot water pressure washer
Most of the time, cold water pressure washers have a high enough pressure level to do most clean-up jobs. But if you need something more heavy-duty for professional commercial or industrial use, a hot water pressure washer is more ideal.
It’s a common misconception that hot water pressure washers are irrelevant when you have cold water pressure washers. But that really isn’t the case. In fact, a hot water pressure washer can do everything a cold pressure washer can — and more.
The only problem with hot water pressure washers is that they are often more expensive than cold pressure washers because they have more components. They are also bigger and heavier than their cold-water counterparts and need a higher level of commitment due to maintenance.
What are the advantages of using hot water pressure washers?
Remember when we said a hot water pressure washer can do everything a cold pressure washer can and more? Well, it’s true! A hot water pressure washer can outperform a cold pressure washer in a couple of different ways.
Gets rid of dirt faster and easier
A hot water pressure washer can get rid of dirt much faster than a cold pressure washer. You’re probably wondering how that’s possible. Let’s look at it from a molecular level.
Hot water molecules are scientifically proven to have more active and faster-moving molecules than cold water. Because hot water molecules move faster, it actually affects the molecules of dirt by jiggling the dirt molecules loose.
Combine hot water with detergent or soap and dirt is bound to disappear way faster and easier than with cold water.
Better for removing grease and oil
A hot water pressure washer not only gets rid of the usual dirt, mud, sand, and other debris much quicker and easier. It also does a better job getting rid of grease and oil, something that cold pressure washers just can’t seem to do.
Grease and oil are hard to get rid of with cold water because it really takes a high-temperature level to remove greasy stains. A hot water pressure washer has a high enough temperature to loosen grease molecules. Once the grease molecules loosen up due to the fast-moving molecules in hot water, the grease becomes just as easy to remove as any dirt.
Kills any bacteria or germs
The great thing about hot water pressure washing is its capability to sanitize surfaces. That’s right! Hot water can kill bacteria and germs.
Different kinds of bacteria die at different temperatures, but the World Health Organization says that most bacteria can die at around 149 degrees Fahrenheit. That makes hot water pressure washing even more ideal because the temperature levels of the hot water pressure washers can go anywhere between 50 degrees Fahrenheit to up to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
That’s more than enough heat to kill germs!
Why hot water pressure washers are worth the investment
There are two kinds of pressure washers because they serve different purposes. You shouldn’t put hot water inside a cold pressure washer because that’s why a hot pressure washer exists.
It’s understandable that most people will purchase a cold pressure washer because they are cheaper. But if you want a pressure washer that uses hot water because you know it will meet your needs better, then you should know that it’s definitely worth investing in hot water pressure washers instead.
Spending a little more cash on a hot water pressure washer is much better than attempting to use hot water on a cold pressure washer, ruining it, and having to spend more money on a replacement.
Hotsy Equipment: The #1 Brand for Pressure Washers!
If you’re considering buying a hot water pressure washer, we know just the place to get highly effective, reliable, and durable pressure washers that are definitely worth the investment!
Hotsy commercial pressure washers in San Antonio are some of the best out there, and our hot water pressure washers are no exception. We also have one of the largest selections of pressure washers and offer both gas-powered and electric pressure washers. You can choose from over 80 different models of hot water pressure washers!
If you still don’t think you can make a full-time commitment or invest too much money into a pressure washer, don’t worry because we give you the option to rent their pressure washers!
Whether you’re on a budget or aren’t really in need of a pressure washer on hand all the time, you can rent a pressure washer from Hotsy Equipment!
Browse through our wide selection of hot water pressure washers today, and find the pressure washer that best fits your needs!
