We are looking at adding pressure washing to our list of services offered. My question is do you go to your jobs self contained, carrying the water you need in a storage tank on your truck/trailer or do you use the customer’s water? If you carry your water, how big is your water storage tank?
Thanks in advance for all of your help.
I dont do a lot of pressure washing, but when I do, I plug into a customer’s hose bib.
Someday, maybe, I’ll up the ante on the PW side of my biz and invest some money into a better PW setup, but I would probably still use the customer’s water.
Even guys with big water tanks usually hook up to water if available. Most are using it to make up the difference between output of house spigot and their higher flow machines.
You can but don’t have to.
Always hook into the customers water
I tap in the house, never had an issue, in fact i think homeowners expect it. It can be a issue if you are contracted through a Property Management company or Homeowners Association, then the would expect you to bring your own tank if you doing a row of town homes etc.
I hook up to the customers water…I try to never haul more than 200 gals.
Thank you all for your answers. This has been a big help.
If they complain that they’ll have to pay the cost of their water with you pw’ing, don’t sweat it. I’m pretty sure that them supplying the cost of a cubic meter of water (256 gallons, about 64 hours of pressure washing at 4gpm) costs them about $3. Sewage, isn’t much more.
Should be 64 MINUTES. Most of the time, if you only have a 4gpm machine, you can hook up directly to the customers’ water. The tanks are primarily used as a buffer for larger machines, giving you a higher flow rate than a faucet can provide and allowing the water to fill even when you’re not on the trigger. With a high output machine, you’ll find yourself eating a sandwich while you wait for your tank to fill up on some jobs even if you bring a full tank with you.
What if youre soft washing a house can you use the customers water?
Yes!
We run large units and small units. On our large units 8/8+ gpm we have several hundred gallon tanks. If you are going to do commercial work you will need tanks and hot water. For homes you can get away with no tanks and no heat. However, it will make life a lot easier for you having tanks for Softwash and for saving time with hook up and breakdown. Just getting started with residential you don’t really have to have tanks but expect you will want them if you grow to any real usage.
If you plan on doing mostly residential you can get a 4gpm at 4000 psi unit & hook up to the H.O. water. Anything above 4 GPM you would probably need a buffer tank. If that’s the route you want to go, then do your homework as to what to buy. I have never had a complaint about using their water. I guess they expect it. Good luck to you
I’m thinking about residential pressure washing. what size pressure washer would be good to clean patios, decks, siding, things of that nature.
