Sometimes spare parts and household accessories, even the ones that seem simplest, can be tricky to get the hang of. Pressure washer hoses are no exception, which is why we’re here to give you a rundown.

From maintenance to common errors to avoid, here are the things you should know about purchasing a new pressure washer hose and keeping it in tip-top shape.

Needless to say, pressure washers hoses are the necessary middle-man for getting water from your pressure washer to spraying it out of your pressure washer gun. Whether you’re spraying your patio clean or freshening up your outdoor furniture, pressure washer hoses help get the job done. They also come in varying forms, depending on your cleaning needs, so it’s always a good idea to know exactly what you’re looking for before you go ahead and buy one. Our visual guide above is a good starting point to show you what to look out for… but let’s a take a deep dive and look at each spec in more detail, shall we?

Length

This one is pretty straightforward. When buying a pressure washer hose, you’re going to want to make sure it’s the right length for whatever tasks you have in mind. For example, if you’re only going to use a pressure washer to clean your driveway, a shorter hose will do the trick. However, if you’re going to be carrying out cleaning tasks all around your property’s exterior, you’ll want a longer hose instead.

That being said, it’s important to note that hose length can also have an effect on the overall power of your pressure washer. The longer the hose, the more power is going to be lost as water has a greater distance to travel, so make sure you prioritise length and strength and know which one is more important to you before making your purchase!

Pressure

When looking for a new hose, it’s also important to make sure you get one that’s capable of handling the pressure of your pressure washer. Otherwise, the hose won’t last and you’ll soon be back to square one again. A pressure washer’s pressure is usually measured in either Bar or PSI, so you should look out for this figure when buying a new hose and make sure it can handle the same amount of pressure.

Here’s a tip; in every Bar, there is 14.5 PSI. This is helpful in case your pressure washer’s pressure is measured with a different unit to the hoses you’re looking at, and you need to convert one into the other.

Connectors

Connectors, also known as fittings or couplers, are the parts that connect your pressure washer hose, handgun, extensions and the like. These are something else to be wary of, as you’ll want to make sure the connectors at both ends of your hose will fit your pressure washer, handgun and extensions. It’s worth noting that you can buy adaptors to connect different kinds of connectors… but ultimately, this will take more money and effort than simply making sure the connectors are the right ones for your pressure washer to begin with.

Common damage (and how to avoid it)

The most common kind of damage for pressure washer hoses comes from bends and kinks in the hose itself. Whether this is due to forcing your hose around corners that it just isn’t flexible enough for, storing it improperly or generally just handling it more roughly than it can handle, kinks can spell the end for your pressure washer hose. Such damage will gradually weaken the hose’s spraying power, and once this happens there’s no going back. While we always urge our customers to repair their appliances whenever possible before opting to replace them, no amount of duct tape or TLC can get a pressure washer hose back into good shape once the damage is done. Instead, you’ll simply want to bite the bullet and get yourself a new hose.

Fortunately, such damage is actually very avoidable, and you can massively extend the lifespan of your pressure washer hose by following a few simple steps;

• Make sure you store it properly instead of folding it or carelessly looping it around and casting it aside. Hose reels are perfect for this, allowing you to safely wrap up and put away your hose without damaging it.
• When storing your hose for winter, you should also make sure you empty it of any water beforehand. If not, the water inside your hose will freeze and expand, causing damage to the hose.
• Heed the advice given earlier in this blog post about making sure you know what you need from your pressure washer hose before you buy it. Getting hold of a pressure washer hose that best suits your needs will result in less damage because you won’t end up trying to get more out of your hose than it can handle.

And there you have it, all you need to know about pressure washer hoses! We hope that this blog post has given you all the insight you need for choosing and caring for your hose. While you’re here, don’t forget to check out our blog on 6 Tedious Chores Made Simple with Your Pressure Washer!

Tags: Pressure Washer, Pressure Washer Advice, Pressure Washer Attachments, Pressure Washer Maintenance, Pressure Washer Tips