If you run a pressure washing business it is a must that you understand and take care of your equipment. It is your livelihood. Proper maintenance is a must. If your equipment does not work; you make no money.
Your steam cleaner machine is really called a hot water-pressure washer. There is a difference although the public is unaware of this fact. Even the phone book will list it as a steam cleaner. Equipment is listed under ‘steam cleaning equipment’ and hot water pressure washing will be listed under ‘steam cleaning-industrial’ or ‘steam cleaning service’. You should be familiar with your equipment and that’s why we started with an explanation of the name. A steam cleaner puts out steam while a hot water pressure washer puts out a stream of water under high pressure, which has been heated. Steam cleaners are used for carpet cleaning so you do not flood the carpet, they also work good for cleaning jewelry and other things. Cold water pressure washes are those little things on a cart you can buy at the home depot, many people buy one for use around the house. A hot water pressure washer has a coil to heat the water and a system to spray the water out.
Your hot water pressure washer has a number of components you should also be familiar with. First of all there is a gasoline or diesel powered engine about 16 to 20 hp that is at the heart of the machine. It has two cylinders. It’s a four-stroke engine similar to a car. In a four-stroke engine you use gasoline unlike a two-stroke engine that uses an oil/gas mixture. The engine on your machine is extremely reliable if you change the oil and clean the air filter regularly. Regular maintenance on your machine is also important to insure that your warrantee stays in full force.
You should follow a regular schedule of inspection and service based upon operating hours. We recommend that you keep an accurate logbook of maintenance services performed. Therefore, you will not have any problems if you need warrantee service. If you do need service and for some rare reason you don’t get satisfaction from your vendor, call the manufacturer help line. I’m sure if we call you will get a much different story. You must remember, any machine regardless of design or type will only perform in relation to the service it receives’. So remember, regular scheduled maintenance lowers operating costs. Think about it.