Guides
Practical answers to buying and setup questions, with links to the relevant choices.
- Guide15 vs 20 inch surface cleaner: what each size's maker listsHelps owners choose a surface cleaner deck size by the rating their machine can meet rather than by width.
- Guide3/8 vs 1/4 in quick-connects: plugs, couplers and rear threadsHelps you pick the right quick-connect size and gender, and read the thread behind it.
- GuideBuying pressure washer parts in Canada: duties, returns, recallsShows Canadian buyers which import costs and return rules apply to a part shipped from abroad, and what to check on a plug-in machine.
- GuideBuying pressure washer parts on Amazon and AliExpressGives you the checks to run on a marketplace listing for a hose, gun or adapter before you order it.
- GuidePressure washer extension wand safety: ladders and power linesHelps owners use a long wand within the limits its makers set, before they work near a roofline, a ladder or overhead lines.
- GuideFoam cannon 1/4 quick connect or brand fitting: which to buyHelps owners order the foam cannon connector version that physically fits the end of their wand.
- GuideFoam cannon orifice size: 1.1 vs 1.25 mm and electric washersHelps owners decide whether to keep the fitted 1.25 mm orifice or swap to the 1.1 mm, based on what their machine's maker says.
- GuideChoosing a replacement pressure washer hose: ends, rating, sizeHelps you replace a high-pressure hose with one that fits both ends and is rated for your machine.
- GuideIdentify your pressure washer's connections, end by endTurns your model number into a named fitting at every joint, so you can buy hoses, guns and adapters that connect.
- GuideKärcher bayonet gun and hose kits: which K models each one listsHelps Kärcher owners find which gun or kit Kärcher lists for their exact model.
- GuideM22 14 mm vs 15 mm: why a fitting threads on and still leaksHelps you find the M22 bore on both ends before you buy a hose, gun or adapter.
- GuideWhich nozzle size fits your pressure washer's PSI and GPMHelps owners work out the nozzle size that matches their machine's rated output instead of guessing from the box.
- GuideNPT, BSP and M22: identify a thread before you buy an adapterHelps you identify a thread on a gun, wand or adapter before ordering a matching part.
- GuideM22 to quick-connect adapters: read both ends and the ratingHelps you choose an adapter whose two ends and rating are stated, not guessed.
- GuidePressure washer extension wands: connections and ratingsHelps owners check that a lance or telescoping wand connects to their gun and is rated for their machine before they buy.
- GuidePressure washer fitting leaking: bore, O-ring or hoseHelps owners find why a pressure washer connection leaks and fix it the way the makers allow, without holding or taping a pressurized fitting.
- GuidePressure washer fitting types: M22, quick-connect, NPT and moreHelps you name the standard at each joint of your machine before you buy a part.
- Guide1/4, 5/16 or 3/8 in hose, 25 to 100 ft: size and pressure lossHelps you pick a hose diameter and length that keep pressure loss low for your machine's flow.
- GuideHose ratings: working pressure, burst pressure, water temperatureHelps you read a hose's pressure and temperature ratings and match them to your machine.
- GuidePressure washer hose reels: rate the whole water pathHelps you check that a hose reel, and the hose on it, are rated for your machine.
- GuidePressure washer injection injury, damaged hoses, depressurizingHelps owners recognize an injection injury as an emergency and follow the makers' rules that prevent one.
- GuidePressure washer swivels: live swivels and what ratings coverHelps owners tell a live swivel from a swivel nut and check its threads and rating before adding one to the line.
- GuidePressure washer losing pressure: nozzle, filter and supply firstHelps owners check the accessory-side causes of low or pulsing pressure before assuming the pump has failed.
- GuideMax vs rated PSI and GPM: reading machine and accessory specsHelps you read a machine's and an accessory's PSI and GPM figures correctly before you size a nozzle or choose a part.
- GuidePressure washer nozzle colors and spray angles explainedHelps owners tell what each colored tip is for in their maker's scheme, and why the color says nothing about size.
- GuidePressure washer nozzle size chart: the number, not the colorHelps owners read the size stamped on a nozzle and see what flow each size passes at common pressures.
- GuidePressure washer recalls, UL 1776 and ETL: what to checkShows you how to check your own machine against recall notices and how to verify a safety mark claim before you rely on it.
- GuideThe water inlet: garden-hose thread, inlet filter, supply limitsHelps you connect the water supply within the maker's limits, without using inlet parts on the high-pressure side.
- GuideReplacement trigger guns: inlet, outlet, rating and trigger lockHelps you choose a replacement gun whose inlet, outlet and rating match your hose, wand and machine.
- GuideShort gun vs gun and wand: what changes in the connection chainHelps you tell whether your gun can take nozzles directly or needs a wand, and what each outlet needs.
- GuideSurface cleaner for a pressure washer: inlet, PSI and GPMHelps owners check whether a surface cleaner connects to their wand and is rated for their machine's output before they buy.
- GuidePressure washer turbo nozzle sizes and ratingsHelps owners choose a turbo nozzle whose size suits their machine's flow and whose rating covers its pressure.
- GuideWire braid, textile braid, non-marking: decode hose constructionHelps you read hose construction claims after you have checked the rating and ends.
- ShortlistExtension wands and lances with both ends and a rating statedHelps you choose a wand that joins your gun and nozzles and is rated at or above your machine's output.
- ShortlistFoam cannons by connection: 1/4 in QC and brand versionsHelps you buy the foam cannon version that connects to your wand and comes with an orifice your machine maker allows.
- ShortlistM22 and quick-connect adapters with both ends namedPoints owners of Sun Joe and Westinghouse machines to their maker's own adapters, and shows what to check on any adapter's two ends.
- ShortlistNozzle tip sets and turbo nozzles with the orifice size statedHelps you buy tips or a turbo nozzle in the size your machine's rated output calls for, rather than by color or angle.
- ShortlistReplacement guns with stated inlet, outlet and ratingHelps you shortlist a replacement gun from makers that publish its connections and rating, so you can match them to your hose and machine.
- ShortlistReplacement hoses with both ends, rating and diameter statedHelps you pick a replacement hose whose ends match your machine and gun and whose working pressure covers your machine's maximum.
- ShortlistSurface cleaners with a stated inlet and pressure rangeHelps you shortlist a surface cleaner and check its stated inlet and range against your machine's rated output before you buy.