Mini washers: types, scope, operation

Mini washers have become part of our everyday life due to their useful qualities.

A lot of time has passed since 1950, when the German Mr. Alfred Karcher developed a pressure washer, however, it is worth clarifying that the mobile version of the unit, with which we are familiar, appeared on the market only in 1984.

Since then, engineers have not wasted their time, endowing these devices with many useful functions. Thanks to interchangeable nozzles, high pressure washers are used for washing windows and walls, cleaning garden paths, washing and watering ornamental plants, cleaning swimming pools, bicycles, scooters, but the main thing is car care.

Motorists ... Motorists are different. Many motorists love technology, but do not understand, there are those who understand, but there is no money to buy, something more decent. What are you ready for for the sake of your iron horse, which (as you know) has replaced the peasant horse?

What to do? How not to outrage microns of the valuable anti-corrosion shell of steel Bucephalus? How to wash without touching the most expensive? The answer is, and this answer is contactless washing! A jet of water under pressure removes the accumulated abrasive from the surface of the car.

Remember how you washed your father's Zhiguli. A bucket of water, an old T-shirt, some washing powder, at best a hose with cold water, and then we wondered how quickly the paints of the Soviet car industry faded. A contact sink destroys the paint-and-lacquer coating, however, an illiterate contactless one does too (therefore, we carefully read the instructions).

There is an opinion that it is more profitable to use the services of professionals than to buy expensive equipment. Let's do some fun math, a few numbers offhand. We have to admit that the service sector offers a contactless car wash, both with and without an operator.

A visit to the so-called self-washing, where you can pour over a golf-class car on your own (just pour it over, so to speak, knock down the dust of the roads), will cost you 25-50 UAH, depending on the settings of the "one-armed ... one-hose bandit". But, to wash well (with wheel arches, carpets, shampoo, with discs, so as not to beat), then 100 hryvnia.

For fans of hunting, fishing, off-road driving and skidding in mountainous terrain, these costs will increase slightly. And if you are such a car enthusiast that you can repair the suspension yourself, then God himself ordered, at home, calmly, to knock the dirt off the levers, springs and struts so that it would be pleasant to work. The number and variety of mini washers on the market confirms that the ideas of self-cleaning have deeply penetrated the general population.

So minisinks are divided by drive type:

electrical with a voltage of 220 V AC (the rest are industrial designs or rare exotic)
rechargeable (literally, powered by the car's battery)
gasoline

Type of water used:

hot (heated sinks)
cold (with or without hot water)

The use of hot water facilitates the process of washing oily surfaces, and the use of temperatures close to 100 degrees Celsius disinfects the surface. Such parameters are used when cleaning stone, mossy and dirty surfaces, during restoration and other works.

Working water pressure:

The pressure for household car washes is between 20-160 bar.

small up to 110-120 bar
average up to 120-140 bar
over 150-160 bar

Professional models produce a pressure of 200 bar and above. Working pressure and productivity (consumption) determine the power of the washing stream, the greater it is, the more effective the effect on pollution, but the optimal pressure for washing a car is from 110 to 140 bar at a distance of 30 centimeters from the paintwork (read the instructions).

Productivity (flow) of water and field of application

Determines the amount of water that has passed through the minisink in an hour, the unit of measurement is liter per hour-l/h.

up to 360 l/h-field of application-washing motorcycles, garden furniture, windows, etc.
up to 500 l/h-field of application-golf-class car wash, garden paths, swimming pools, etc.
up to 800 l/h-field of application-jeeps, trucks, buses and minivans;
up to 1000 l/h-professional applications, ships, buildings, etc.

The higher the performance, the more powerful the unit and the wider the range of tasks solved during use. When purchasing a car wash, check the capacity of your own water supply system!

Hose length

The longer the hose, the more convenient it is to use the mini-washer, the higher its price. The length can be from 3.5 to 15 meters. Remember that the hose must not be subjected to mechanical stress (kinking) so as not to damage the metal cord.

Material of the working mechanism (pump)

The material used determines the performance and durability of the device. The working mechanism made of plastic is cheap and light, but short-lived and cannot be repaired, it also does not tolerate hot water and cannot be disassembled. It is used in inexpensive models for short-term use.

A working mechanism made of aluminum alloy is more durable and more expensive than a pump made of plastic, the body is collapsible, but repairs are not cheap, therefore, they are almost never used. Pumps made of brass are the most durable and durable, maintainable and practical. Ceramic and metal-ceramic valves are installed on household mini-washers, on professional devices-more durable from stainless alloys.

Lifetime

Household mini-washers are designed for a total working time of about 100 hours, with a working cycle of 15-20 minutes. Professional units are designed to operate for 1000 hours with a duty cycle of 40-60 minutes.

Replacement tips:

standard-with sprinkler control;
spot-generates a narrow stream of water to wash hard-to-reach places;
Fan-Creates a wide water torch for large surfaces and watering plants
swivel-the nozzle is equipped with a swivel head for the treatment of hard-to-reach places
sandblasting-used for cleaning the surface from old coating, rust, loose layers, etc.
mud blaster-used to clean old dirt, high impact nozzle, use with caution;
washing brush-used when mild mechanical action is required in combination of detergents;
rotary brush-a rotating device for use in conjunction with detergents;
standard nozzle-can be 2, 3, 4 positions.

Possibility of self-water intake

In the absence, in the place of intended use, network water supply, it is necessary to clarify whether the mini-sink has the ability to self-draw water from a container (barrel, pool). When operating a pressure washer, up to 80 percent of water is saved by using the kinetic energy of the washing jet, which is important in the absence of water supply.

A reel for winding a high-pressure hose, a convenient option when operating a mini-washer, as it allows you to adjust the length of the hose and avoid any dangerous mechanical impact.

Recommendations for the use of pressure washers

use detergents;
practice first douche (soggy dirt is easier to wash off)
after applying the detergent, work on the arches for five minutes while the auto chemicals dissolve the dirt
use wax to protect the paintwork;
wash the putty car with care;
water under pressure must not hit the car body perpendicularly,
do not wash your car in the sun
do not exceed the cycle time of the car wash (see instructions)

Power

The power consumption of the mini washers is measured in watts and varies from 1.1 to 2.2 kilowatts. The power shown is maximum and corresponds to the most severe duty. A useful purchase will be the purchase of a foaming agent, this will speed up the washing process and improve its quality.

To achieve a long service life of the power unit, almost all modern car washes are equipped with standard replaceable or reusable filters. Using reusable filters is where you can save money. The weight of a mini-washer with all attachments can reach 15 kilograms, so the manufacturer equips heavy models with wheels to facilitate transportation.

If you are thinking about purchasing a mini-washer, you need to decide what functions it will perform, where it will be stored at low temperatures, how to connect to the water supply network, etc.

You can buy a pressure washer in Kiev, Odessa or Kharkov in the online store 130.com.ua with delivery in Ukraine at the best prices.

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