Cold Water vs Hot Water: The Truth Revealed!

Pressure Washing: Cold Water vs Hot Water

Everybody knows that pressure washers are fantastic cleaning tools around the home – blasting dirt and grime with high water pressure does wonders for restoring surfaces to their former glory.

However, it must be said that purchasing your first pressure washer can be a bit of a minefield. There are so many technical terms out there, in addition to different varieties.

One of the biggest challenges is here is whether you choose pressure washing cold water vs hot water.

Temperature is one of the biggest differences between different pressure washer models, and it can greatly affect its functionality, price and maintenance process.

So, if you’ve been wondering whether you should exclusively use hot water or if you should consider cold water pressure washers, this is the article for you – read on to find out more!

Cold Water Pressure Washers: The Pros and Cons

First of all, let’s take a look at why many people choose to use cold water pressure washers. It’s a common misconception that hot water is always better – after all, hot water helps break down grime, right?

Whilst this is certainly true, cold water pressure washers are significantly cheaper to purchase, and they are perfectly suitable for many household cleaning jobs. Spending that extra cash for hot water could simply be an unnecessary expenditure. They are also significantly more compact and require almost no maintenance.

So, what exactly can a cold water pressure washer do? Well, they can basically handle any job that doesn’t involve stickiness.

The epic water pressure from your power washer will do a fantastic job at blasting away moderate levels of mud, dirt, dust build-up and debris.

As long as there is nothing that is holding the debris together like oily and sticky residues, cold water will be completely sufficient for the job.

Overall, if you’re planning to use your pressure washer around the house, cold water will do wonders at working away on the vast majority of household jobs.

However, as we will see in the next section, there are some sticky situations that cold water is simply no match for.

Pros:

–          Significantly cheaper than hot water pressure washers

–          Compact and lightweight

–          Minimal maintenance required

Cons

–          Not very effective against greasy and sticky grime

–          Generally not fit for commercial use

Hot Water Pressure Washers: The Pros and Cons

It must be said that there are some jobs that plain cold water is simply no match for.

You’ll have noticed this when doing your washing up – most of your dishes can be cleaned with regular soapy water, but for the greasy jobs you’ll need to get the water as hot as possible.

It’s a similar situation for pressure washers, they tackle sticky, greasy and oily grime where cold water simply cannot. 

You will also find that your hot water pressure washer will tackle standard jobs significantly faster than cold water.

This can make it an excellent option if you are looking for speed and efficiency out of your pressure washer.

However, all of these benefits come at a cost – you can expect to pay significantly more for your hot water pressure washer than you would for a standard cold water model.

This price difference is obviously worth it if you need to tackle grimy jobs, especially if you are working commercially and need to ensure that surfaces are immaculate. 

So, you’re going to want to have a hard think as to whether you really need hot water. If you’re planning to do some simple cleaning jobs around the garden, it’s probably not necessary.

However, if you’re planning to work on serious grime, it just may make the difference of wasting your money on an insufficient cold water pressure washer.

In addition to the cost, it is also important to understand that hot water pressure washers do come with some inconveniences.

This is all due to the heating mechanism that is found within the components of the tool – it will be heavy, clunky and require maintenance.

You will also need to ensure that you follow the instructions carefully, as misuse could damage the mechanism and result in requiring expensive repairs or part replacements.

Once again, this is a very small sacrifice for the ability to tackle the most disgusting of grime, but it’s worth considering.

Hot water pressure washers are generally large, heavier, and more time consuming due to the maintenance, but it will certainly get the job done!

It all simply comes down to whether you really need a hot water pressure washer, whether you can justify the cost and whether you have enough space to store it.

If you’ve ticked all those boxes, what are you waiting for?!

Pros

–          Excellent at cutting through grease, oil and sticky grime

–          Ideal for professional and commercial jobs

–          Quicker and more efficient at any job than a cold water pressure washer

Cons

–          The heaviness and largeness can make them difficult to store and use

–          The price tag is significantly higher than cold water pressure washers

–          The water heating mechanism can sometimes require maintenance

The Verdict: Cold Water Vs. Hot Water

We hope that we have helped clear the air regarding the differences between cold and hot water pressure washers.

In an ideal world, you would own both as they both have their pros and cons, but if you are on a budget then you will need to carefully consider which option will work best for you.

If you’re just looking to tackle general cleaning tasks on your property, a cold water pressure washer will generally be sufficient and more accessible. 

However, if you’re looking to clean stubborn and greasy grime, hot water is likely going to be necessary despite the extra costs and inconvenience.

Have a long think about which model is going to be the best value of money for you, and once you’ve made your decision don’t forget to check out some comparison tables and reviews to ensure that you find a model that will help you get your jobs done.