A few decades from now, cleaning a house or a vehicle was a time taking and tiresome task. Thanks to our scholars and scientists, now we can do that in a matter of minutes by the help of a pressure washer. We have brought an electric vs gas pressure washer guide for you that will help you with the selection of pressure washers.
Now just as any other home accessory, buying a pressure washer also needs some research. When you get into a pressure washer store, the first question you will be asked is whether you want to buy a gas pressure washer or an electric one.
Electric VS Gas Pressure Washer Guide
Both have their differences, pros, and cons and in this article, we will help you decide which pressure washer you need.
What is a pressure washer?
Before we move forward you need to know how pressure washer works. A pressure washer is either run by gas or electricity. It has an inlet that is connect to a garden hose on a tap. The incoming water is accelerated by the pump to produce high pressure. When we pull the trigger of the outlet hose, the water mixes with air and comes out at a great speed wiping away any dirt or stain that comes in its way.
Electric pressure washer
A pressure washer that is powered by electricity is called an electric pressure washer. There are two types of electric pressure washer i.e. best corded electric pressure washers and best battery powered pressure washer.
Water Pressure Rating
When it comes to pressure amount, electric pressure washers are not that powerful but powerful enough to carry out any residential cleaning task. The water pressure of a pressure washer is measured in terms of PSI i.e. Pounds per square inch. Most electric pressure washer have working PSI between 700 and 2000.
Cost
When it comes to cost, electric pressure washers are cheaper than gas pressure washer. They are easy and cheap to maintain and are far more budget friendly than gas pressure washer. The cost of an electric pressure washer ranges from 100$ to 200$.
Durability
Although electric pressure washers are cheap, they do not last that long. But if you maintain your pressure washer with time, it will last longer. Electric pressure washer are usually very difficult to repair that’s why their durability is low.
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An electric pressure washer is perfect for cleaning decks, patios, house, drive ways, garage and vehicles as well
- Convenient and User-friendly
Electric pressure washer are easy to use, easy to maintain and easy to store as well.
- Affordable
Electric pressure washers ranges from $100 to $200. You can also buy a battery powered pressure washer that costs less than $100. Another best thing about electric pressure washer is that it have no hidden costs i.e. you won’t have to pay for fuel or any other accessories after you buy the pressure washer.
- Environment Friendly
Electric pressure washer produces less noise, they don’t leak any kind of fluids, and hence they are more environment friendly as compared to gas pressure washers.
Electric pressure washers also have some flaw and disadvantages which are as follows
- Low cleaning power
Electric pressure washers have low cleaning power as compared to gas pressure washer. They use little water and have low water pressure.
- Not So Durable
Electric pressure washers are cheap and that has its own price i.e. they are not durable. Electric pressure washers have low quality body parts that don’t last longer that’s why these pressure washer won’t outlive gas pressure washers.
- Your movement and range will always be bounded
As electric pressure washer are powered by electricity, you will always need to be around an outlet that will result in limiting your movement and range.
Gas Pressure Washer
Gas pressure washers are well known for their durable structure and power. If you are looking for a heavy duty pressure washer that has a lot of cleaning power and can last for a long time then you should buy a gas pressure washer.
Gas pressure washers are the best commercial pressure washers and they can also be used for residential purposes as well.
Water pressure ratings
Gas powered pressure washer are powerful pressure washer with high pressure ratings. Water pressure of a gas pressure washer ranges from 2500 PSI to 5000 PSI. The water flow rate is between 2 to 5 GPM (gallon per minute). Cleaning power of a gas pressure washer ranges from 5000 cleaning units to 20000 cleaning units.
Cost
Gas pressure washers have a more durable construction and are way more powerful than electric pressure washers that’s why they are also more expensive that electric pressure washers. The price of a gas pressure washer ranges from $150 to $500.
Durability
Gas pressure washer are way more durable than electric pressure washer. Most gas pressure washer are made of heavy duty metal that can last for a very long time.
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Gas pressure washer are more powerful than electric pressure washer which makes them perfect for commercial use. Hence the best commercial pressure washers are powered by gas.
- Higher cleaning power
Gas pressure washers generates high water pressure which mean more cleaning power, which means you will be able to clean harder stains and dirt without using any kind of detergent solution.
- Highly portable
Gas pressure washers have a heavy and durable structure but they also have an ergonomic and easily maneuverable design so you can take them anywhere easily.
- Durable
As we mentioned earlier, gas pressure washer are made for heavy duty cleaning tasks that why they are also built with high quality and durable material that can withstand any kind of abuse in daily use.
- Noisy
Most gas pressure washers are noisy so you or your neighbors might not like the sound of a gas pressure washer.
- Gas pressure washers have running costs
Unlike electric pressure washers, gas pressure washers needs maintenance every once in a while that includes changing pump oil, nozzles and other important accessories.
- Expensive
Due to the fact that gas pressure washer have high quality and powerful machinery, they are more expensive than electric pressure washers.
Which one to buy?
Well if you are looking for a residential pressure washer you should probably buy the best electric pressure washer. Gas pressure washers can also be used for residential purpose if you take certain precaution but if you buy a gas pressure washer for residential use you will be wasting a lot of money.
If you are looking for a commercial heavy duty pressure washer for your office, factory, or workshop you should buy a gas pressure washer. Gas pressure washers have higher water pressure and more cleaning power that makes them perfect for tackling hard stains and hardened dirt on the concrete floor so if you can also use a gas pressure washer for cleaning concrete floors as well.
you may also like How to winterize pressure washer.
FAQs About Electric VS Gas Pressure Washer:
Is Gas pressure washer better than an electric?
It depends on what you are using it for, if you are using it for tackling heavy duty cleaning jobs than yes otherwise no.
What is a good PSI for pressure washer?
For electric pressure washer, the PSI should be around 1500. For gas pressure washer PSI should be not less than 3000.
Do gas pressure washers last longer than electric?
Yes gas pressure washers are way more powerful and durable than electric pressure washers.
Can you use a gas pressure washer for residential purposes?
Although we wouldn’t recommend it, but technically you can use a gas pressure washers for residential type cleaning tasks which is also too risky.
Can electric pressure washers be used for heavy duty cleaning tasks?
No electric pressure washers cannot be used for heavy duty cleaning tasks, they do not generate enough cleaning power.
Final Verdict
We hope you have read the article carefully and now you know the differences between gas and electric pressure washers. Before buying a pressure washer, we would recommend you to buy a pressure washer that best suits your needs.