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Steam Pressure Washer

Even pressure washers with their great capacity for cleaning off dirt, sometimes need extra cleaning power. A cold water pressure washer is great for some jobs, a hot water washer is better for cleaning oil and grease but the ultimate pressure washer would have the added advantage of steam.

Steam Pressure Washer – Operation

At its simplest the principle of a pressure washer is that water enters the machine and is put under pressure by an integral pump within. The pressurised water then passes through a cleaning lance and is expelled at force through a nozzle at the end. The force of the water is determined by the pressure exerted and the size of the outlet. In a hot water pressure washer there is the addition of a heat exchanger to raise the temperature of the water to the required temperature to aid the cleaning process. The steam pressure washer uses this system to add the cleaning power of steam to the cleaning regime. By reducing the water flow rate through the pressure washer but keeping the heat exchanger operating as normal, the water temperature is lifted beyond 100oC to create steam. The temperature of this steam would be around 140oC and is considered to be what is known as “wet steam” because of its high water content. A purpose built steam cleaner heats water to a higher temperature, up to 170oC, and is known as “dry steam”.

Steam Pressure Washer – Alternative types

There are a number of pressure washers with the additional steam facility available. Steam pressure washers can be portable or static and electric or independently powered. For instance the Edge Grimebuster is completely independent in that it has its own engine and water storage, and as it is mounted on a trailer, can be moved to the area to be cleaned. As it can be used for cold water or hot water pressure washing as well as steam, it covers all bases.

The number of options and variations available are a bit daunting, so why not talk to the experts at B&G Cleaning for the best advice before making your purchase.