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How often have you tried different types of soaps and dangerous chemicals to clean your drives, patios, lawn furniture, and grills? Sometimes, you must have also tried scouring and scrubbing for the same purpose without any success. A good and safe alternative is to use a pressure washer. As the name suggests, these are super powerful washer hoses that can easily blast various things clean with the help of water jets. The water comes out of the washer at a pressure that is around 100 to 200 times greater than the air around. This equals to around 1500 pounds to 3000 pounds per square inch.
A pressure washer hose can sometimes get damaged due to extensive usage. They tend to wear down so much that they eventually need to be replaced. When you decide to replace your water pressure hose, always remember to choose a replacement hose that can easily withstand the great pressure. A good quality and durable hose will not easily curl and kink like any other simple garden hose.
Things to Consider While Replacing Your Water Pressure Hose
Choosing any water pressure hose may not fulfill your needs. There are certain factors to keep in mind in order to choose one of the best hoses for your personal use. Some of the key factors have been discussed below.
Diameter
When it comes to the diameter of a water pressure hose, these are categorized under three sections, small, mid-sized, and large. The small hoses are most commonly used and come with a diameter of ΒΌ inches. These are mainly used for small gas power and consumer-grade electric washers with a pressure of up to 3200 psi.
The mid-sized hoses come with a diameter of 5/16 inches and are not very commonly used. These can withstand pressure ranging from 2700 psi to 3600 psi and are designed for prosumer-grade gas pressure washers.
Lastly, the large hoses come with a diameter of 3/8 inches and are made for some prosumer-grade pressure and professional model washers. These can easily withstand pressure up to 10000 psi and are also thick enough to allow a greater volume of water.
Length
The length of the hose that you choose depends on a number of factors. Whether you are going to use it for washing around the entire house or just the driveway, whether the washer you use is electrically powered and needs to be placed near an outlet, and whether you also need to clean the second story of your house are some of the factors that determine the length of the hose. If you choose a hose of the right length, you will not have to cart your entire setup all around the job site. You can simply walk freely to the place where you need to work.
Connections
When it comes to a water pressure hose, every hose comes with 2 connections. One connection helps the hose to connect to the spray gun and the other connection helps the hose to connect to the pump. Even when it comes to connecting the hose, there are 2 possible ways. You can either snap them together or twist it.
If you talk about connecting the hose with the spray gun, there are multiple ways for you to go about it. Female M22, Male, M22, Female QC Plug, Male QC Plug, as well as a female 3/8 inch NPT. It will be a good thing to take a closer look at your spray gun. Most of the spray gun models come with a threaded male connector that sticks out. However, some are females and some also come with quick-connect plugs.
If you notice that your spray gun has a male thread, all you need to do is get an ordinary replacement hose that comes with two M22 threaded female connectors. One end will screw into the gun and the other end will screw into the pump. However, if the spray gun has a male quick-connect plug, you just have to get a professional-grade hose that comes with a 3/8 inch female snap coupler.
Material
It is important for you to know that high pressure water hoses are normally made from 3 different types of materials. These are rubber, polyurethane, and PVC plastic. When you decide upon a hose material, it will basically determine the degree of durability and flexibility of the hose, along with the possibility of the hose leaving markings on your deck or driveway.
Rubber hoses are normally more flexible and heavier than any other ordinary plastic hose in the market. These do not curl or kink that easily. Nonetheless, rubber hoses do tend to leave a mark on the surface you are working on with black streaks while you slide it across a concrete surface.
PVC Plastic hoses happen to be the most common of all the three types. These are quite hard and do the job of cleaning rather well. However, when it comes to flexibility, the PVC plastic hoses fail miserably. You may often find yourself getting frustrated fighting with your hose around. In such a case, you should upgrade to a polyurethane or rubber hose.
Polyurethane hoses are comparatively new at the stores. These types of water pressure hoses come with a clear and bendable plastic casing. It is usually seen that professional love to use this type of water power hose since they easily provide the flexibility of rubber without the risk of marring.
Do Not Repair
It is needless to say that high pressure water hoses are designed to withstand great amount of pressure for a long period of time. If you use such a hose regularly, there is a big chance for the hoe to get damaged with time. If you ever notice that your water pressure hose is not being able to withstand pressure any more, the best solution is to get the hose replaced. Repairing the damage will solve the problem. No amount of duct tape or sealant can overcome the real integrity of the hose pipe material.
source/credit: truetop5review.com
