Recently borrowed my brother's electric Power washer to clean the boat.2000 psi. Satified with results ,hope it didn't blast too hard on gelcoat. Looking at buying my own,wonder if a 1600 or 1800 psi would work just as well.
What strength power washer.
- Thread starter DAVA390
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Just don't aim it at teak, decals, port seals. or anything else you want to stay around. ;^)
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I have a relatively low pressure Karcher pressure washer (maybe 1400 psi). It works fine for my boat, however it is slow for really cleaning some hard, spotty, black crud that seems to form on our non-skid. The main reason it's slow is because the spot size is so small before adequate pressure is delivered. It's like cleaning the boat with a pencil eraser. I just discovered an accessory for the Karcher that I bought from Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DGKVQQC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
It spreads the cleaning area out over about 11 inches with rotating nozzles and with the perimeter bristles contains the overspray to a minimum. After one try so far, it worked well on the deck surface and hull and then cleaned all the bird poop off the dock. It has an adjustable pressure setting built in. You might want to consider this as an extra accessory if you buy a Karcher.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DGKVQQC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
It spreads the cleaning area out over about 11 inches with rotating nozzles and with the perimeter bristles contains the overspray to a minimum. After one try so far, it worked well on the deck surface and hull and then cleaned all the bird poop off the dock. It has an adjustable pressure setting built in. You might want to consider this as an extra accessory if you buy a Karcher.
I bought the Ryobi 16oo PSI electric. It works well for the deck on my 41 Islander. My neighbor who had one with much higher pressure managed to put a hole in his dinghy when he allowed it to get to focused. For us it worked well without being so strong I worried about it damaging things like teak, decals, etc.
It also helps that it will fit inside a cockpit locker so i can keep it on the boat.
Good luck
It also helps that it will fit inside a cockpit locker so i can keep it on the boat.
Good luck
it is also available at Lowes or Home depot. it is used for cleaning concrete
I got the 75 dollar model from Harbor Freight. It is strong enough to work but weak enough to not cause any damage as long as you are careful. Keep it away from ports, deck hardware, or anything that joins or goes through the deck for that matter. Very easy to cause a leak. It is on its third season and still works.
I had a 1800 Electric unit. My main complaint was that it you either had the turbo washer thingy which spins around and has a damaging needle affect, or you had the adjustable spray, which because it forced the water through the baffle, significantly reduced the force. The hose eventually burst, so I replaced the hose and handle with a conventional handle with replacable tips. As it turned out, that actually cleaned much better than even the turbo nozzle, and was much less prone to damage the surface. The pump eventually burnt up - meaning it overheated and ruined the check valve springs. SO I replaced it with a 3200 PSI gas unit. That unit is tons better than anything else I've used including my brothers 3000 PSI unit. I use a wide fan from a significant distance. This means it cleans fast with no damage. Spring cleaning that would normally take the better part of a day, now takes about a 1/2 hour, and the boat is cleaner when I'm done.
SO my opinion is, if you buy an electric, throw away the hose, and get one that you can use detachable nozzles. Or if you want to get serious, buy a 3200 or more gas unit, and just use it from a farther distance away, and take 1/10nth the time to do the job.
SO my opinion is, if you buy an electric, throw away the hose, and get one that you can use detachable nozzles. Or if you want to get serious, buy a 3200 or more gas unit, and just use it from a farther distance away, and take 1/10nth the time to do the job.
To compare pressure washers, multiply the pressure by the volume. pressure alone doesn't tell the story.
I also use an electric for the boat just because it's way lighter and easier to manhandle. It would be faster if I took the big gasoline one down there for sure. I once rented a 1200 psi unit that amazed me how well it worked. While it was only 1200 psi it had a large volume of water which required a big engine to do the job.
Ken
I also use an electric for the boat just because it's way lighter and easier to manhandle. It would be faster if I took the big gasoline one down there for sure. I once rented a 1200 psi unit that amazed me how well it worked. While it was only 1200 psi it had a large volume of water which required a big engine to do the job.
Ken
I use a 4000 psi Pressure washer with 13hp Honda and a Cat pump. this volume and pressure available allow the use of many different tips and attachments like preasure brooms and disc cleaners. I can adjust the pressure down so that it can wash the deck/dock without damage while using a wide tip for greater coverage.
I am even thinking about getting a cavitation cleaning head for bottom cleaning.
The risk is blowing the bedding out from under fittings and getting deck / core leaks. You can do just as good a job, just as quickly, using cleaners, if you pick the right chemistry. Wet it, spray with the chemical, light brush, and rinse.
No possible way it is worth the risk IMO. Is one tiny leak, which will go undetected for years, worth it? No. But go for it. I would never let someone powerwash my topsides, not for free. Do keep your distance from any joint... which is pretty much everything except the sides, which really don't get dirty, and they pressure wash the waterline when they haul you out, no (and it does not remove the stain).
And yes, I've done and been around lots of power washing and seen the damage. The most common problem I observed was leaks in refinery equipment insulation caused by loosening the sealant. The damamge under the insulation was the expensive part.
No possible way it is worth the risk IMO. Is one tiny leak, which will go undetected for years, worth it? No. But go for it. I would never let someone powerwash my topsides, not for free. Do keep your distance from any joint... which is pretty much everything except the sides, which really don't get dirty, and they pressure wash the waterline when they haul you out, no (and it does not remove the stain).
And yes, I've done and been around lots of power washing and seen the damage. The most common problem I observed was leaks in refinery equipment insulation caused by loosening the sealant. The damamge under the insulation was the expensive part.
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My electric pressure washer came with an assortment of tips from narrow to wide. Also one for soap
That alone causes me concern. We spend lots of time and boat bucks sealing up the fixtures. Destroying the bedding makes no sense.
On the other hand a low powered sprayer does make the work go quicker. Feels like a "You can pay me now or pay me later" type of proposition.
I will fail to answer the question you asked, but...
My 1996 Catalina 28 is one of the cleanest and shiniest boats in our 240 slip marina. I use a mild cleaner and a soft brush on the shiny areas, and a mild cleaner and stiff brush on the non-skid. Very clean, and not a lot of effort, really. Can't tell you how annoying it is to go down to the marina to have a beer on the boat, and do a quick wash and rinse while someone is making a racket for at least a couple hours with their power washer. Did I mention my boat is cleaner than theirs?
If you're going to use it in the yard prior to launch, sure, but in the marina?
My 1996 Catalina 28 is one of the cleanest and shiniest boats in our 240 slip marina. I use a mild cleaner and a soft brush on the shiny areas, and a mild cleaner and stiff brush on the non-skid. Very clean, and not a lot of effort, really. Can't tell you how annoying it is to go down to the marina to have a beer on the boat, and do a quick wash and rinse while someone is making a racket for at least a couple hours with their power washer. Did I mention my boat is cleaner than theirs?
If you're going to use it in the yard prior to launch, sure, but in the marina?
Dave, be careful what you wish for! After you purchase that pressure washer there will be tons of projects that will eat into your sailing time. Someone will suggest that you pressure wash any or all of the following: driveway, vehicles, sidewalks (including grass between the pads), house siding, garage, deck and deck steps........ Additionally, with all those assorted tips your brother will want to borrow your pressure washer!
