Frequently Asked Questions
What is pressure washing?
Pressure washing or power washing is the growing practice of cleaning using high pressure water spraying. The high pressure water spraying is achieved by specially designed pumps. This type of cleaning is many times more powerful than the pressure that comes out of a typical garden hose. If you choose to use on concrete it removes mold and mildew, bubble gum, and other dirt stains. Also, pressure washing can make wooden decks look like new. Pressure washers are also commonly used by homeowners to improve the appearance of aluminum or vinyl siding by removing pollution, mildew, and other signs of neglect.
Are there any benefits of using hot water pressure washers over a cold water pressure washer?
When choosing a pressure washer, your application will play a major factor in whether you need a hot or cold water pressure washer. Cold water pressure washers are ideal for removing dirt on most any surface. Additional accessories like, high pressure nozzles or rotating brushes, work with cold water pressure washers to increase the cleaning power and decrease your cleaning time.
However, if you are cleaning surfaces that have grease or oil on them, hot water is a must. You wouldn’t think of washing your greasy hands with cold water and the same applies to pressure washing. If you operate cold water equipment more than a few hours a week, you should consider the labor savings you could realize by switching to a hot water pressure washer.
Should I choose a belt driven pressure washer or direct drive?
When choosing a pressure washer, your application will play a major factor in whether you need a hot or cold water pressure washer. Cold water pressure washers are ideal for removing dirt on most any surface. Additional accessories like, high pressure nozzles or rotating brushes, work with cold water pressure washers to increase the cleaning power and decrease your cleaning time.
How do I choose between a gas and electric powered pressure washer?
Gas or electric is completely up to the consumer. There are pros and cons to both.
With a gas pressure washer, you have a couple of different choices when selecting an engine. Also, gas engines don’t require a power cord which in turn allows more portability.
Electric is safe to use indoors because you don’t have harmful fumes. Electric motors are usually quieter and require less maintenance than a gas engine. Also, with an electric motor you do not have to have gas on hand and you do not need to fight the rising cost of fuel prices.
Which is more important – PSI or GPM?
PSI and GPM are both equally important when choosing a pressure washer. The PSI refers to the amount of pressure and GPM refers to the flow. You must have the correct combination of PSI and GPM to have the most ideal pressure washing system for your needs.
To clean effectively, a pressure washer must provide a “stripping” action to scrub off the dirt and “flow” to move the dirt away. Think of the pressure (PSI) as the stripping force that is applied to the surface you are cleaning and the flow (GPM) as the rinsing power that carries the dirt away.
PSI (Pounds per Square Inch) refers to the amount of cleaning pressure that the unit can produce.
GPM (Gallons per Minute) is the amount of water that is coming from the unit.
Cleaning Units (CU) is the result of multiplying the PSI by the GPM. Cleaning units gives the customer a measure of unit performance (efficiency) to compare one unit to another. Cleaning units is calculated by multiplying PSI and GPM.
For example:
A pressure washer with 3000 PSI and 2.0 GPM has 6000 Cleaning Units
A pressure washer with 2000 PSI and 3.0 GPM also has 6000 Cleaning Units but the rinsing power is greater than the stripping power.
GPM is usually more important to contractors than PSI. Since most contractors use cleaning chemicals to do all of the cleaning, their job becomes one primarily of rinsing the dirt away.
Why am I not getting any water to my pump?
If you’re not getting any water to your pump, it is possible that your water inlet screen or float box is clogged. To fix this, clean out any debris and make sure your water supply is free of any dirt or contaminants.
What should I do if my pressure washer gun and/or wand is leaking?
The best way to fix a leak in a gun and/or wand is to replace it. It is suggested to use Teflon tape on all threads to help prevent leaking.
Water Treatment Systems
How do I pick a system that best suits my needs?
You can start sizing the system by asking these questions:
- How much water do you need to treat in 24 hrs?
- Do you discharge to sewer or will you recycle the water?
- What will you remove from the wastewater?
Industrial Equipment offers several water treatment systems to meet your needs.
Biological (BIO) Treatment Series can be used either as a discharge or closed loop system. Microbes consume constituents in the wastewater turning them into carbon dioxide and water.
Water/Oil Separator uses oil attracting (oleophilic) media that separates the oil and floats it to the surface where an oil skimmer sends the oil to a decanter for easy removal.
Mechanical Filtration uses media filtration to remove particulates down to 25 microns. A cartridge filter may be added to filter to 30 microns.
Electro-Coagulation Flocculation uses aluminum rods along with electricity. The electricity passes between the rods and contaminates in the water are charged and coagulate with the free metal ions from a sacrificial anode, thus neutralizing the contaminates in the waste stream. This system is used in applications where metal removal is needed.
What do I need to comply with EPA standards?
If you have access to a sanitary sewer you have the option of using a discharge system. Our system is meant to remove constituents down to a reading that should be acceptable to local parameters. (Parameter settings are not the same everywhere. Check with your local municipality)
If you don’t have access to a sanitary sewer, you will then need a closed loop system that removes constituents so the water is recycled for pressure washing.
What is the maintenance involved in waste water system?
It all depends on the system. Water oil separators require the least amount of maintenance as only one pump is involved, whereas mechanical filtration requires more (additional pumps, media filters, slide valves, pH/orp meters, and timers). Biological treatment is also a low maintenance system. Standard pump maintenance and coalescing media cleaning, which is necessary in all systems except the ECF, is all that is required.
The ECF system does not require a great deal of maintenance either. The anodes are a replaceable part and pump servicing is the extent of the maintenance.
I have an odor problem in my wash bay, how do I solve it?
Odor can be handled a few different ways.
Ozone is an efficient way of handling odor. It is a quick kill of live bacteria. We introduce ozone on our Biological Series through a pump via a Mazzei injector into the product tank. (Note: ozone is harmful to microbes so it needs to be introduced where they are not present, such as a product tank).
Oxilink is another option for odor problems. Safe 03 is a germicide used by Industrial Equipments in our mechanical systems It is injected through a peristaltic pump and the amount is based on readings obtained by an orp probe and meter.
BPS (Biological Pit System) is another method for treating odor problems. Generally used in an existing pit, two linear air pumps provide aeration to the pit where microbes can be injected. A germicide can also be injected into the pit by two peristaltic pumps.
Can a waste system handle anything I pour down the drain?
Definitely not! Remember, sometimes we rely on living bacteria to reclaim the water. There are many substances that will create problems or interfere with their ability to remove contamination. Acids or caustic materials shorten the systems operational life as well as kill the important microbes. In high volumes animal and vegetable derived fat, oil, and grease (cooking oil, fat poured off cooked meat, etc.) can cause problems. It can block your drains and also take the microbes a long time to “eat” this material.