How long do electric pressure washers last?


How long do electric pressure washers last?

An electric pressure washer is an excellent investment for household cleaning chores, particularly if you’re looking for a low-maintenance machine. It is lightweight and portable, and you can carry it around the house to wash your pool area, car, and even your patio. 

But the real question to ask is: how long do electric pressure washers last?

The life expectancy of your electric pressure washer depends entirely on its quality and capacity. It’s quite simple: you get what you pay for. Most low-cost pressure washers feature substandard quality pumps, which reduces their life expectancy to 60-100 hours of usage. 

On the other hand, a pressure washer of premium quality comes with a high-powered pump, and its life expectancy is around 500 hours. However, determining the life expectancy of an electric pressure washer requires you to take multiple factors into account, such as usage, quality grade, features, and potential damages. 

In this article, we will walk you through the factors that determine the life expectancy of electric pressure washers. 

Usage Hours 

Homeowners typically use their pressure washer for no more than 50 hours each year. With that figure in mind, if your investment comes with a manufacturer guarantee of 500 hours, it should last for around ten years with adequate care and maintenance.

  How do I choose an electric pressure washer?

On the other hand, an affordable brand with a lower-grade pump would barely provide a year or two of utility before breaking down. 

Your usage requirement is a crucial factor for choosing an electric pressure washer and determining its life expectancy. For instance, if you run a car wash or household cleaning service, it is ideal to choose a brand that offers at least 2000 hours of utility or more.

Buying a more oversized pressure washer would also be a good strategy, as it will last longer. Many powerful pressure washers offer around 2000 PSI and come with various attachments to increase their utility. 

Quality Grade 

People often compare electric pressure washers with gas and oil-powered washers to examine their life expectancy and quality.

An electric washer is considered a cheaper and more affordable investment because it’s a low-maintenance machine. You don’t have to supply it with gas or oil, which is an added expense. More importantly, it doesn’t require any replacements or upgrades. 

However, this low-cost investment is also cheaper in terms of quality. Most electric pressure washers are disposable, and you cannot expect this investment to last for the next 5 or 10 years. If you’re choosing an electric pressure washer over a gas washer, be prepared to buy a new washer after 3 years or so. 

  What is the best electric pressure washer?

Overheating 

As the name implies, these machines are designed to supply high-pressure water as soon as you squeeze the trigger. They continue to maintain this pressure until the trigger is released or the machine is turned off.

So, what happens if you release the trigger while the electric pressure washer is still running? 

The water is unable to penetrate out of the washer, triggering the pump into bypass mode. The bypass mode redirects the path in continuous circles, and it maintains this pressure in a circular path until the trigger is squeezed again or the machine is switched off. The friction created by the continuous circulation of the water within the machine can trigger overheating, causing the water to become excessively hot. 

This process doesn’t take very long. If the pump remains in bypass mode for over 45 seconds, it can cause the washer to overheat and break down. This is a prevalent issue that can drastically diminish the life expectancy and performance of your electric pressure washer and make it prone to damages and breakdown.

Most people believe that an electric pressure washer is very low-maintenance, but even the slightest bit of negligence can cause the machine to break down. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Will a low-cost electric pressure washer last up to 2 years? 

The longevity and utility of the electric pressure washer primarily rely on the quality of its pump, and low-cost machines are designed with cheaper fixtures and equipment. However, if used with adequate attention to maintenance and minimal usage, it can last 2 years. But if the pump breaks down or overheats, it is likely to become disposable. 

  Are electric pressure washers any good?

Can excessive usage reduce the life expectancy of an electric pressure washer? 

If used with care, a premium quality electric pressure washer will provide up to 500 hours of utility. However, it is crucial to pay close attention to its maintenance and avoid keeping the pump in bypass mode to prevent overheating. 

Can overheating reduce the life expectancy of my electric pressure washer? 

Overheating can create various malfunctions within the machine, such as damaging the water circulation or the trigger. It can drastically reduce the lifespan of the pressure washer. 

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