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Writer's pictureTalton Roberson

Pressure Washing Water Supply: Who Is Supposed To Provide Water?

Thinking about having your home or driveway pressure washed but not sure if you are supposed to provide water or not. Then this blog will enlighten you with who is supposed to provide water for your pressure washing project. This blog will also touch base on where pressure washers get water, and why pressure washers have those big tanks on their pressure washing trailers.



pressure washing water supply cover photo

Who is supposed to provide water?


The client is typically responsible for providing the water used for the service. A pressure washer will bring his pressure washer and a water hose to hook up to your water source. Of course they should have the appropriate pressure washing equipment such as pressure hoses, wands, nozzles, and proper soaps and detergents. In addition, the pressure washer performing your service may have a tank that can be used to store water but it should never be considered a primary source for large jobs without an additional supply because even a 200 gallon tank will be drained quickly from a commercial pressure washer.



where do pressure washers get water from?


Pressure washers typically get water from a spigot located on the property getting washed. In some instances, a water supply is going to be coming from the clients well. Wells sometimes can be a weak source for pressure washers if the well pump isn't designed to go for hours at a time. Pressure washers can get an ample amount water from a well but caution should be used when pressure washing for hours on end. The last place that pressure washers may get water from is the city. Some cities will let you tap into the fire hydrant to fill up your tank. They may require you to get a certification and a meter to monitor the water usage. Some cities usually require you to pay for water based on an honor system.



Pressure worx team member screwing a hose onto a water spigot

How Much Water is used to pressure wash a house?


The average amount of water needed to clean most homes will vary from about 250 to 500 gallons. The amount of water used to wash a house will depend entirely upon the size of the house, how dirty the house is, the gallon per minute rate of the pressure washer and the skill level of the operator. Pressure Worx can wash a 2000 square foot house in about an hour of continuous spraying. Our most used pressure washer is a 4 GPM machine which is perfect for most residential properties. With that logic, we are using approximately 240 gallons for a relatively common size home.



Why do pressure washers have tanks?


Pressure washers may not use their tanks as a main water supply, but they will use their tanks as a buffer between the main water supply and the pressure washer. Pressure washer have tanks for many reasons, but the main reason for having a tank is to be able to spray at the pressure washer's gallon per minute rating. Water sources at residential homes can only pump but so much water at a time and are not designed to be able to keep up with large pressure washing pumps. The water can be stored in a tank to create a buffer between the water source and pressure washer to ensure that the pressure washers' pump will not starve if it is rated faster than the pump from the house will allow.



pressure washing water tank

Conclusion


Pressure washers will come out and service your property using your water, and you are expected to provide water for them. In the event you dont have water, you should contact the company to let them know. We know that the average house takes 250 to 500 gallons of water to pressure wash. Lastly, we know that pressure washers have tanks to be used as a buffer between the pressure washing pump and the main water source in order to prevent the pressure washing pump from starving and becoming damaged. Now that you know the expectations of the usage of water, you can confidently know what the answers should be when you ask the questions when hiring a pressure washing company.

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