Hot water pressure cleaners are referred to by many names, including hot and cold pressure cleaners, steam cleaners and diesel fired pressure cleaners.

Cold water pressure cleaners are machines that pump cold water at a particular flowrate, depending on the size of the pump, under pressure through a nozzle for many different cleaning applications. Normally, the larger the delivery flowrate of the pump, the bigger, better and more productive the pressure cleaners are, but when you start talking about hot water pressure cleaners, this rule does not apply.

The hot water pressure cleaner reigns supreme in the stakes between cold water pressure cleaners and hot water pressure cleaners purely because the cleaning result and the time factor changes completely when using hot water. One cannot compare pressure cleaners which are the same technical specification because of the huge difference in cleaning performance when using hot water machines as compared to cold water machines.

Hot water pressure cleaners have come along way since the days of having to heat the water yourself first, then using that heated water to supply the pressure cleaner which would do the cleaning.

A hot water pressure cleaner works these days by having water pumped and pressurized through the pressure pump, the heated via a diesel petrol heater before being discharged out of the machine through the nozzle.

The heat of the hot water does most of the cleaning as compared to a cold water machine which relies solely on pressure to clean. In regards to hot water machines, the heat along with the pressure provide the strength behind the application of cleaning.

A fairly common question posed by customers looking to purchase a pressure cleaner for a specific job is, "Does hot water make that much of a difference over cold?" One cannot truly appreciate the differences in cleaning results and the speed at which it can be done unless you have used a hot water machine.

It is fair to say that this applies to a majority of cleaning applications but is not the case for all particular projects. Having said that, it is also fair to say that in the majority of cases, a hot water pressure cleaner produces a much better result regardless of the particular cleaning task compared to a cold water pressure cleaner regardless of the cold pressure cleaners water flowrate or operating pressure.

Do you generally clean your dishes in cold water, or do you set your dishwater to use cold water? Why would you think that this same principle would not apply to pressure cleaning in general?

So for large industrial applications that require removing heavy dirt, grease or other materials, hot water pressure cleaners are the clear choice to use.

Sometimes when looking at pressure cleaners you can find there is a large range to choose from. Choosing what machine is right for the application you want is very important, so the more information you're armed with when purchasing, the better.

First of all water flow (referred to as liters per minute or LPM) that the machine pumps is one of the most important things to look at. The more liters per minute gives an indication of the time it would take to do a job. As an example, you could compare the water flow from a garden hose as opposed to a fire hose. Therefore the time you want to take to do the job is governed by the liters per minute the pressure washer pumps.

The higher the water flow the better cleaning effect and end result you will get as water is the element that actually does the cleaning. It is a common belief in the market that the bigger the pressure the better the machine is and the better cleaning performance is achieved, however this simply is not the case. Pressure cleaners delivering 10 liters of water per minute at an operating pressure of 1600 PSI will clean a lot better in less time while achieving greater results than a machine delivering 7 liters a minute at 2000 PSI. The story with a pressure cleaner is really about the water flow rate.

The second element to look at in combination with flow rate is the pressure which is needed to remove whatever it is you're cleaning e.g dirt, grease, mould. Whilst we've talked about flow rate being important, it is the combination of flow rate and pressure which gives you the results you are wanting. A pressure cleaner delivering a flowrate of 10 liters per minute at 1500 PSI will not clean as well as pressure cleaners delivering 10 liters at 2000 PSI which is different again to a cleaner delivering a flowrate of 7 liters at 2000 PSI.

The next thing to think about is how much work you have for the pressure washer for example cleaning around the house car and boat or in a business using the pressure washer three or four hours a day. This is where the manufacturing parts of the motor and pump need to come into consideration so you get what is suitable to you.

Typically, there are two types of motors which are used on most machines. There is the brush motor and the induction motor. Brush motors are found in cleaners which should be used for light application and not be run for hours on end. If heavy application and usage hours are what is required, the induction motor is a must as its built for robust usage.

Pump construction should also be considered when looking at machines. There are generally three different types of pump constructions found within the industry.
Constructions to consider are

Motor type and size e.g brush motor or induction motor
Brush motor for small domestic use
Induction motor for more heavier usage e.g large concrete areas and industrial use

Pump construction
Fibre anti lime - light domestic use
Alluminium - heavier usage
Brass - industrial

Be sure to buy the right machine for the right application not just on price.