For a small car wash, choose the washer first and plan the water supply second. Car and bike bodywork needs pressure, so the JP Kissan Electric High Pressure Washer, rated 70 to 100 bar on a three pin plug, is the usual machine where you have a socket and a tap. A plunger pump set moving 13 to 22 litres a minute is the better tool for the bay floor, tractors and trolleys.
Which pressure washer suits a car wash bay?
Pressure breaks the bond between dirt and the surface. Flow carries the loosened dirt away.
| Model | Pressure | Flow | Drive | Weight | Best job in a wash bay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electric High Pressure Washer | 70 to 100 bar (7 to 10 MPa) | Not listed | 1.5 to 2.2 kW, three pin plug, 2800 rpm | Not listed | Car and two-wheeler bodywork |
| JPK-QF-B1.5 | 20 to 40 bar | 13 to 22 L/min | 1.5 HP electric motor | 27.5 kg | Floors and loose dirt over a large area |
| JPK-QF-C2 | 20 to 40 bar | 13 to 22 L/min | 1.5 to 2 HP motor | 28 kg | The same work, light enough to lift onto a pickup |
| JPK-160L | 20 to 40 bar | 13 to 22 L/min | 6.5 to 7.5 kW | 68 kg, 160 litre tank on a trolley | A yard or workshop that washes every day |
Do I need the electric washer, a pump set, or both?
If the bay washes only cars and bikes, the electric washer does the job and plugs into a single phase socket. A bay that also takes tractors, trolleys and implements caked in soil, or that hoses down its own floor every evening, gets far more out of the flow of a plunger set.
Your supply decides the rest. A three pin socket limits you to the electric unit. A pump set needs a motor or engine drive and a tank or channel it can draw from. Our complete sets are offered on petrol engines as well as electric motors, so ask which drive suits the model you choose.
How should I set up the water supply?
More washers fail from starvation than from overload. A plunger pump that draws air runs its plungers dry, and the seals are gone in minutes.
- Feed the machine from a drum or an overhead tank, not straight off a weak municipal line.
- Keep the suction strainer clean.
- Do not run the machine with the trigger shut for more than a minute at a time, because the bypassed water heats up fast.
- If the jet feels weak, check the gun and nozzle before the pump. A worn nozzle widens and spreads the jet.
What else goes on the equipment list?
- Gun, lance and hose. These are quoted separately, because a wash bay needs a longer hose than a farmyard. Cleaning guns and nozzle caps are in our spray guns and nozzles range.
- Nozzles. A 25 degree tip is the general choice for vehicles, a 40 degree tip for paintwork and rinsing, and a low-pressure soap nozzle for detergent. Our pressure washer guide covers nozzles in detail.
- Brass fittings. Brass cocks and joints at the pressure connections survive vibration that cracks moulded fittings.
- Spare seals and plungers. The three plunger sets use the same 22 x 16 mm pump as our HTP power sprayers, so HTP pump spare parts fit both.
How long will the pump last in a busy bay?
That depends on running hours and water quality, not on peak pressure. Seals and plungers wear by the hour, so a washer used for twenty minutes on a Sunday and one used for six hours a day in a commercial bay are different machines, whatever the rating plate says. Tell us your hours per day and the water you draw from, and we will recommend the pump size and the seal replacement interval to plan for.
Where can I see the models and get a price?
Every model is on our car wash pressure washer range page, with the plunger sets also listed under complete power sprayer sets. We do not publish prices for these machines. Send the model, the gun and hose you need and the quantity, and we will send a quotation the same working day through your nearest dealer.