A pressure washer (figure A) is essentially a lawnmower engine that turns a pump, which in turn pressurizes water supplied by a garden hose. The pressurized water is then sprayed from a wand. Pressure washers usually produce 1,500 to 3,000 pounds per square inch (PSI) of pressure (figure B). A pressure washer's cleaning power is also determined by the rate at which water--measured in gallons per minute--passes through the wand. The wand uses a removable shaft (figure C) that controls the spray pattern. Be careful when using a pressure washer: the high pressure can damage some surfaces. Test a small area before you clean with full pressure. To reduce the pressure, back away from the surface you're cleaning or adjust the high/low pressure tip (figure D) at the end of the wand. The tip of the wand twists to change the pattern (figure E) from a wide spray to a pinpoint jet.
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