The difference between the pressure produced and water flow amount in a pressure washer
As you choose your pressure washer, there are many things that you need to consider. Besides the size, price, and other accessories, you need to consider the GPM and PSI.
The difference between pressure produced and the amount of water flow
When selecting pressure washers, GPM and PSI are all critical. PSI is the pressure amount produced by the machine. GPM is the water flow amount. The design of the SIMPSON Pressure Washer has the correct combinations of GPM and PSI to address all cleaning needs.
Pounds per square inch (PSI) is a machine’s pressure to clean a surface. The Gallons Per Minute (GPM) is the water amount from the machine. The SIMPSON machine uses the combination of PSI/GPM to make Cleaning Units (CU).
FOR EXAMPLE, the CU is the product of multiplying the GPM and PSI., for example. Machine A has a PSI OF 3000 and a GPM of 2.0. The Cleaning Unit for this machine is thus 6000 cleaning units. The 6000CU figure is the product of the multiplication of 3000PSI and 2.0GPM.
The CU gives the machine performance measurements (efficiency) in comparing one machine to another.
Check the GPM values if the CU is the same between the two machines. The higher the GPM of a machine, the faster it will clean regardless of the PSI value. For example, a bowling ball and a baseball fly at 50mph towards the earth’s surface. The bowling ball will hit the surface with the most significant impact between the two because of its size, even if the speed is the same. The bowling ball, in this context, is the machine’s GPM that cleans faster.
In general, professional cleaners or contractors prefer machines with a higher GPM over PSI because they use the cleaning solutions to loosen the grime. They don’t rely on PSI entirely since their job is to rinse the dirt away. A machine with a higher GPM is faster in cleaning any surfaces you have.
Since there is an overemphasis on GPM, it doesn’t mean that the PSI is not an essential factor to consider when choosing your pressure washer machine. You need to ask your professional guide what machine will fit your job specifications well before making your final decision.
When making your purchase of the machine, understand the task ahead of you. Do you need a portable machine that you can move around? In this case, you will choose smaller machines that can easily change positions or fix on your back. Regardless of the pressure machine Cleaning Unit (CU) power, it needs to have the best nozzles to help in the cleaning process. The nozzles are either red or white in color. The red one is zero degrees, meaning that it produces a single spray at very high pressure. The white one is between 20 to 40 degrees, producing less pressurized water than the red one.
If the stains are stubborn, then the red one is the ideal option and vice versa. If the surface for cleaning is fragile and delicate, then the white nozzles are ideal. When using two nozzles, don’t move more than six inches towards the surface to limit the damage.
