| Pressure washers direct a high-pressure stream or | | | | efficient in electrical energy costs compared to |
| jet of water against a surface to clean, descale, | | | | intensifiers, but at high pressures (>20,00 psi) seals |
| degrease or prepare a surface. Pressure washers | | | | must be periodically replaced. Crankshaft driven |
| may use either cold water or hot water and steam | | | | plunger pumps also provide a virtually ripple free |
| to perform their function, and the water is often | | | | pressure source in comparison to intensifiers. An |
| mixed with various cleansers, detergents or solvents. | | | | accumulator may be required to smooth out pressure |
| They are used for cleaning, or for the demolition of | | | | fluctuations if an intensifier pump is used. |
| products made of metal, wood, concrete, stone, | | | | Dust collection or filtration systems remove fine |
| plastic, glass or other building materials. | | | | particle sizes of abrasive, swarf, grease or other |
| Pressure washers are available as complete machines | | | | blasting waste (removed scale or stock in the form |
| or systems, or they can be purchased in component | | | | of dust or fine swarf) that would otherwise |
| form and built from the ground up, or to replace | | | | contaminate the environment. |
| worn out parts. Specific available parts include the | | | | Pressure washing cabinets are glovebox-like vessels |
| gun or lance, the pumping unit, separators or | | | | that hold the workpiece and the blasting process. |
| reclaimers, filtration system, blast cabinets and blast | | | | Wash cabinets usually consist of a chamber with |
| rooms, water blast wheel, and water storage tank. | | | | glove ports, viewing window and internal lighting. The |
| The gun or lance directs the stream fluid (air or | | | | workpieces rest on an open grid that allows used |
| water) through a nozzle and at the appropriate | | | | wash fluid to drop through for recycling. The |
| region of the workpiece. Some pressure washers | | | | operator may hold the washing nozzle on the end of |
| have wear resistant nozzles and optional abrasive | | | | a lance. The workpieces rest on open grid flooring |
| injectors to provide wet sandblasting capability. | | | | that allows used water and/or cleanser to drop |
| The pumping unit is the pressure generator used to | | | | through for recycling or treatment. |
| force out the carrier fluid at high velocity. | | | | The water blast wheel propels and directs a wide |
| Plunger-type intensifier pumps are commonly used to | | | | stream of abrasives and carrier (water or air) at the |
| generate high-pressure water for water jet cutting | | | | appropriate region of the workpiece. |
| and wet or water abrasive blasting for non-abrasive | | | | Water tanks or hoppers are used by pressure |
| pressure washing or rinsing. Crankshaft driven plunger | | | | washers for the storage of dry abrasive grains, |
| pumps are commonly used for pressure generation. | | | | blasting media or abrasive-water slurry mixtures. |
| Crankshaft driven plunger pumps may be more | | | | |