Can I Use 2000PSI To Wash Car？

High pressure washer can make even the dirtiest surfaces easier to clean. This trusted pressure washing machine can be used to effectively clean different surfaces. However, different cleaning tasks require different PSI levels to safely and effectively clean surfaces without causing damage.

When you wash your car with high pressure washer, you should make sure that the high pressure washer has a safe PSI for washing the car, which is around 1200 to 1900 PSI.

But washing your car with high pressure washer is risky. They can cause a lot of damage to your vehicle if you're not careful. So please use with care.

How much damage can high pressure washer do to your car?

The most common type of damage to pressure washer if used incorrectly is surface scratches and should never be used on painted surfaces or areas of excessive pressure. For example, if you have a painted car, high pressure washer may remove paint from the surface of the car, making it look dull and faded. Cars left uncapped have been known to dented gasoline surfaces, exposing internal parts and leading to vehicle damage and premature scrapping.

How much PSI is safe to wash a car?

As I already said, high pressure washers in the 1200 to 1900 PSI range are best for washing vehicles. With this pressure limit, you can easily wash away all the dirt, oil and debris from your car; thus restoring its shiny appearance.

Plus, it's ideal for use without moving or damaging any sensitive parts of your vehicle, such as paint or glass panels.

If you have a lower powered pressure washer, such as 900 or 1000 PSI, you can still use it to clean your car, but it will be powerful enough to remove loose grime.

On the other hand, pressure washers have a maximum PSI of 2200. WADE does not recommend that you put any stress on this when washing your car. It's not a noticeable improvement over 1900-PSI, but it could damage your car's paint.

There are various types of pressure washers. But the most common types on the market are electric pressure washers and engine pressure washers. Of the two types, electric pressure washers are better suited for pressure washing car.

An electric pressure washer is more than enough to clean your car thoroughly and safely. It sprays water with just enough water pressure to wash a car without scratching the car's finish.

Engine spacers, on the other hand, are very capable. It can spray water at very high pressure and velocity, which can damage a car's paintwork. Therefore, you must avoid this type of pressure washer when cleaning your vehicle.

You can go to the WADE high pressure washer list to choose a suitable model.

How to Lower the PSI of high pressure washer?

If you already own high pressure washer with over 2000 PSI, you might want to know some tips and tricks for reducing the pressure on its work. 

Usually WADE electric pressure washers mainly work in the range of 1200-2000 PSI. They usually don't have any PSI settings that you can adjust.

On the other hand, if you have an electric pressure washer, be sure to check the owner's manual and adjust the PSI to be safe when washing your vehicle. Electric pressure washers are great, but they are always too powerful to wash your vehicle and you should adjust the PSI to a "safe" range. this

Of course, you can also control the spray pattern by adjusting the nozzle angle to help control the water flow from the pump, thereby reducing the amount of PSI hitting the surface and spreading the spray at the desired angle.

Choosing the Right Nozzle for Your Car Wash

High pressure washers typically come with four different color-coded nozzles, each with its own capacity. The nozzles are also detachable, so you can switch to the correct one depending on the area you want to clean.

Of the four different pressure washer nozzles, only the 25-degree and 40-degree nozzles can be used to wash cars.

25 degree nozzle

25 degree nozzles are usually green. This is the lowest nozzle spray mode you can use to safely wash your car. Because the lower the spray pattern of the nozzle, such as the 15-degree and 0-degree nozzles, the narrower the sprayed water flow and the higher the sprayed water pressure will cause damage. This nozzle is suitable for cleaning tire rims. It can also be used as a pre-rinse if the car is very dirty, as it effectively removes mud and grime embedded in the surface of the car. But pay attention to spraying from a safe distance, do not use it to wash the whole car, so as not to cause damage.

40 degree nozzle

The 40 degree nozzle is white and can spray water over a large area, with just enough pressure to safely spray the surface of the car. It allows you to quickly clean your car without damaging the paint.

Once you have the right pressure washer and the correct PSI to wash your car, you also have to make sure you use it properly so you don't cause any damage to your car's paintwork. Here are some tips from WADE on how to properly use your car pressure washer.

Tips on How to Properly Use Your Car Pressure Washer

Check ground water pressure

Before spraying the car with water, do a test spray on the ground. This step allows you to see if your power washer is spraying water at the correct pressure before spraying your car, and to adjust if the pressure is too high or too low. If sprayed directly on the car, it may damage the surface immediately.

To do a test spray on the ground, spray water three to four feet above the ground. Then gradually get closer to the car to see how far you can safely pressure wash the car without causing damage.

Spray water down

Never spray water directly onto the surface of the car as it will strip the paint. The proper way to pressure wash a car is to point the nozzle down, not directly at the surface of the car. A downward spray of water will allow you to clean the car evenly without causing any damage.

Keep a safe distance

Always keep your distance when high pressure washing your car. Getting too close could cause damage.

HOW MUCH PRESSURE WASHER PSI DO I NEED?

If you’re new to pressure washers, you might not be familiar with what PSI is. It stands for“pounds per square inch”and is the unit of measurement for pressure. The higher the PSI, the stronger your pressure washer is.

The reason why people love pressure washers so much is that they ’re powerful enough to get rid of almost any gunk. But without proper knowledge and use, your pressure washer can easily damage your property instead of cleaning it. To avoid damages and effectively get your cleaning job done, we’ll be helping you choose the right pressure washer PSI for you.

As you’ll soon discover, pressure is just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to selecting the right power washer. So, we’ll even go over all the other factors you must consider before you go about selecting your power washer. 

Why It Is So Important To Consider How Much Pressure Washer PSI You Need?

If you buy a pressure washer without considering how much PSI you need, there are two possible outcomes. If you buy a pressure washer that puts out too low of pressure, you end up cleaning inefficiently.

But if you buy an overtly powerful pressure washer—too powerful for your particular project—you could end up damaging your property. In this second instance, you also may waste your money on way more equipment than you actually need.

Some people like to say that if you aren’t sure how much PSI you need, you should start small and work your way up to a higher PSI. Although this advice is valid to a certain extent, this could just lead to overbuying, which is a waste of money.

So – How Much Pressure Washer PSI Do I Actually Need?

Different cleaning projects require different PSI. Some surfaces are only capable of handling very low pressure. Then, there are others that require extremely high pressures to be fully cleaned. Still, some surfaces and materials can take all kinds of pressure from 500 to up to 3000 PSI.

It’s easy to see how this can get really complicated, really quickly. We haven’t even begun to address situations where you need different PSI for different jobs!

To make this as simple as possible, here are the different PSI ratings and the common cleaning jobs suitable under these ratings.

Light Duty 1500-1900 PSI

For regular maintenance and light household cleaning jobs, a light-duty pressure washer will do. These feature PSI ranging from 1500 to 1900 and would be enough to get rid of dirt and mild stains. This is the safest pressure washer PSI rating for all surfaces, but it isn’t ideal for getting rid of tough stains.

Low pressures are best for cleaning delicate surfaces around the exterior of the house. The gutters, and windows tend to be more fragile than your deck or driveway, for example. As such, they require more attention and care than the rest of the house’s exterior.

A light-duty pressure washer is also ideal for cleaning trash cans, cars, vans, and trucks. These pressure washers are also great for cleaning outdoor patio furniture, particularly wooden and wicker ones, without causing the wood to splinter or warp.

Medium Duty 2000-2800 PSI

Medium-duty pressure washers do a better job at cleaning dirt buildup and oil stains than low-duty pressure washers. This classification ranges from as low as 2,000 PSI to as high as 2,800 PSI. You can use a medium-duty pressure washer for almost any surface. They’re great for cleaning concrete, brick, and wood. They work especially well for cleaning patios, sidings, roofs, decks, and fences.

The medium-duty power washer is best for getting rid of stubborn stains and dirt that a low-duty pressure washer can’t clean. You can also use this on wooden surfaces without chipping the wood and creating splinters. Do not use a medium-duty pressure washer on your windows or vehicles as this may crack your window or cause a dent in vehicles.

Heavy Duty 2900-3200 PSI

Moving on, you can also consider a heavy-duty power washer with PSI ranging from 2,900-3,200. If you own a boat or yacht, a heavy-duty pressure washer is great for blasting away any algae and barnacles that might’ve got stuck on the bottom of your boat.

These are also the most commonly used pressure washers for cleaning driveways, sidewalks, and pathways. They are also used to prep different surfaces for painting.

Extra Heavy Duty 3300 and higher PSI

For heavily stained driveways and caked-on dirt, you might need an extra heavy-duty pressure washer. If you plan to use this on painted fences, walls, or floors, do take note that at around 4000 PSI, a pressure washer can strip paint off of surfaces. Although this is a bad thing if that’s not your intended use, these pressure washers work perfectly for getting rid of graffiti on walls.

If you’re looking for an industrial cleaning solution – whether you’re in the construction, food service, trucking, or any other industry – this is probably the right option for you.

In summary

When you plan to use high pressure washer for any situation, you must take care to understand what is a good PSI for high pressure washer for that cleaning task. WADE hopes you can use safe PSI for car washing and other best automatic pressure washing practices discussed in this article.