Frequently Asked Questions

How do power washers work?

When water comes out of your garden hose, it flows naturally. Push that same water through a smaller nozzle, however, and it pressurises — the pump compresses the flow and the machine releases it as a concentrated, high-energy stream.

That concentration is what does the cleaning. A pressure washer’s stream cuts through grime where a hose would take all afternoon, so it’s meant for large, durable surfaces — paths, walls, vehicles, equipment — not delicate flowers or soft timber.

The pump itself is driven by a motor. Electric models plug into a household socket, while petrol and diesel machines run off an engine for outdoor mobility. Different drive types suit different jobs.

Once you have the machine, the pressure you apply depends on the task. Lighter washes call for less pressure than stubborn stains. Add power washer accessories like extendable lances, turbo nozzles or drain-cleaning heads to match the tool to the surface you’re working on.

What can power washers do?

Pressure washers clean using a highly pressurised water jet. Add the right accessory — a foam cannon, a brush, an extending lance — and the same machine handles dozens of different surfaces.

With a quality unit and the right kit, you can clean hard-to-reach places like gutters, outdoor furniture, your car, or the walls of the house itself. The end result feels like the property has had a full rinse-down.

There are a lot of things that power washers can clean. Here are some of the common ones:

• Vinyl or brick house exteriors
• The floor of your garage
• Driveways
• Concrete
• Tile
• Your front door stairs
• Outdoor walkways
• Wood decks
• Fences
• Cars
• Lawnmowers
• Boats
• Trailers
• Dirt bikes

Power washers aren’t limited to this list. If you’ve got something specific in mind, ask a member of our Triace team — we can tell you which of our power washers will handle the job.

Why buy a pressure washer?

Pressure washers are specifically designed to clean using a high-pressure jet. That makes cleaning a lot of awkward items easier than scrubbing them by hand.

Chances are you’ve got a patio, gutters, fencing or windows. You may own a car or even a boat. These are the items that get overlooked during spring cleaning or take hours to do properly. A power washer makes them faster and more thorough — no more careful scrubbing of each window pane when you can rinse the whole thing in minutes.

Power washers also push you toward a cleaner, safer environment. Once you own one, you start spotting all the places around the property that could use a good cleaning.

Take garden furniture. You may forget the original colour of your outdoor pieces after a few seasons. A good power-washing shows you just how dirty they were — and gives you reason to keep them in better shape going forward.

Which power washers are the best?

When you’re choosing a power washer, you want one that lasts and that handles whatever job you point it at.

Here are the things worth checking before you buy:

• Power. Match the machine to the job. Light pavement and car washing doesn’t need the same pressure as mould or mildew removal. Pick the washer that fits your usual cleaning load.
• Quality. Look for products built with high-quality components. Triace power washers are specified around quality pumps, lances and trigger guns from established manufacturers.
• Dealer. A specialist dealer can answer your questions, recommend the right unit, and back you up after the sale.
• Affordability. The power washer market runs from cheap units that under-perform to over-specced machines you’ll never use the full capacity of. The right buy sits in the middle — enough power for your needs, at a price that makes sense.

If you want a place to start, here are three Triace flagships — one petrol, one diesel, one electric — that cover most of the work people buy a power washer for:

The good news is that accessories can extend the capability of almost any washer — so if the machine isn’t quite doing what you need, the right attachment often gets you the rest of the way.

Which is better, petrol, diesel or electric?

There’s no single answer — the right choice depends on what you need the machine to do.

Electric washers are great if you’ve got easy access to a household socket. They give you plenty of power for patios and driveways without the running costs of fuel.

If you need mobility — sites without power, farmyards, forecourts — you’re looking at petrol or diesel. Petrol is cheaper to buy upfront but costs more to run. Diesel costs more initially but is cheaper over the long term, which is why most professional users go diesel.

Electric machines have advantages beyond cost. There are no fumes, so they’re safe to operate indoors. They’re quieter. And without an engine, there’s less to service.

So the call comes down to where the machine will live, what fuel makes sense, and how much pressure you actually need. Check the working pressure of any unit closely before you buy.

What power washer for cars?

When you’re washing a car, you want a relatively low-pressure machine — 1000 to 2500 PSI (100–160 bar) is the safe range. Anything higher risks damaging paint, trims and tyres.

If you normally use accessories that raise pressure further (a turbo nozzle, for example), take them off for car work. The wrong setup will mark the paint before you notice.

For a proper clean, the detergent does as much work as the water. Use a car-specific shampoo, give it time to lift the dirt, and follow up with a rinse. A foam cannon makes that step a lot easier.

Both electric and petrol power washers work fine for cars, provided the pressure is right.

What power washer for patios?

Yes, you can use power washers on patios. The trick is using the right machine and the right pressure.

There are different kinds of patios, and the surface dictates the approach.

Solid patios can take up to 3000 PSI (200 bar). But if your patio has sand-filled joints between slabs, a hard concentrated jet will wash the sand out. Drop the pressure and angle the jet away from the joint and you’ll avoid that.

Both electric and petrol washers will do the job. If you’re not sure how your patio will react, start at a lower pressure and work up.

What power washer can I use without mains water?

Most domestic pressure washers run at 3000 rpm. At that speed they need a constant water supply — meaning you have to feed them from the mains.

Heavier machines run slower (around 1500 rpm) and can draw from another source. A clean water barrel works, and rainwater works too.

Either way, use clean water. Dirty water isn’t just bad for what you’re cleaning — it’s hard on the pump seals and shortens the life of the machine.

What accessories should I buy for my power washer?

There aren’t any accessories you have to buy. A new washer will do most jobs out of the box. Over time though, the right attachment opens up jobs the bare machine struggles with.

You can add accessories whenever you need them — no rush to buy everything on day one. But it’s worth knowing what’s out there before you commit to a specific job.

A turbo nozzle is the right call for the toughest work — severe mould, graffiti, stubborn stains. For gutters, look at a gutter-cleaning kit and a longer lance. Drain-cleaning nozzles handle clogged drains. And a foam cannon transforms how a power washer cleans a car.

Triace stocks a full range of power washer accessories. If you’re not sure which attachment suits your machine, ring us and we’ll match it up.

Here are three of the most-used accessories — a turbo nozzle for stubborn jobs, a rotary surface cleaner for patios and driveways, and an extendable telescopic lance for gutter and high-level work:

What is a snow foam lance or foam cannon?

Can power washers be repaired?

The short answer is yes — pressure washers can be repaired. The longer question is whether they should be.

A higher-end machine that cost real money is almost always worth fixing. The repair extends its life and protects the original investment.

Cheaper units are a different story. The repair bill on a budget washer can quickly approach the cost of a replacement, at which point you’re better off buying new.

Either way, weigh the repair against the price of the washer before you commit.

How long do power washers last?

You may wonder whether you’ll be replacing a power washer every season. The good news: you won’t. Look after the machine and a quality pressure washer can run for ten years or more.

A few habits make the difference:

• Have the machine serviced when something starts going wrong — don’t run a failing pump until it dies.
• Use accessories the washer is rated for. Pushing the unit beyond spec shortens its life.
• Only feed it clean, filtered water. Bleach or grit will eat the pump seals.
• Protect the washer from frost. Trapped water expanding in cold weather wrecks the internals.

Not every washer is built the same. Better-built machines run longer with less maintenance — that’s why the up-front decision matters.

Are power washers waterproof?

Most power washers are splashproof — accidental spray that makes its way back to the machine won’t hurt it.

But splashproof is not the same as waterproof. Leaving a power washer outdoors in a rainstorm is a fast way to damage it.

Each specific machine has its own water-exposure spec — check the manual that came with yours. In general, store the washer in a dry place between uses, and treat any accessories you buy the same way.

Can power washers easily damage a tyre?

No — used correctly, a power washer cleans tyres quickly and safely. Misused, though, it can do damage. A few rules keep you safe:

• Use the correct pressure — ideally 100 bar or less.
• Hold the nozzle at least 20 cm away from the tyre.
• Skip accessories that raise the pressure further (turbo nozzles, for example).
• Keep the nozzle moving — don’t park the jet on one spot.

If a bare jet isn’t getting tyres clean, a foam cannon helps. The foam disinfects and lifts grime ahead of the rinse.

For more pressure-washer tyre-cleaning tips, ask our Triace team.

Can power washers damage car paint?

On modern cars, paint damage from a pressure washer is rare — provided you pay attention to a few factors:

1. The pressure. Too high and you’ll mark the paint. Stay in the 1000–2500 PSI (100–160 bar) range.
2. The water. Cold water plus the right detergent is enough for a deep car wash. Hot water can damage paint, so even though hot-water pressure washers exist, we don’t recommend hot water for car bodies. Foam-cannon use with cold water gets the same deep-clean result.
3. The car’s paint itself. Older or weakened paint may not stand up to a power wash. A modern, well-maintained vehicle, on the other hand, comes out looking better than ever.

Use the right pressure on the right surface and your car will come out cleaner — not worse.

Do you still have questions about power washers?

We hope this covered what you needed. If not, our team is ready to help.

At Triace we specialise in power washers for vehicles, property and equipment. We know which units suit which jobs, and we can recommend the accessories that match your machine and your usual workload.

Ring us, or browse the range on the site, to find out more.