Electric vs. Gas Pressure Washer

Crafted Garage is supported by its readers. This post contains affiliate links, we may earn a commission at no additional costs to you. We hope you love the products we recommend

When it comes to pressure washers, a choice must be made on which one is the best.

While there are people who cannot possibly live without gas pressure washers, some strongly believe that electric pressure washers are the only pressure washers worth owning.

Here are some of the factors why it might be important to pick the best pressure washer between the two main ones: electric and gas powered ones.

The Power Ratings

When it comes to matters to do with pure pressure, electric powered pressure washers possess a higher limit of close to 2,000 Pounds per Square Inch (PSI).

The only machine that can deliver this much is the 15-amp electric motor.

Apart from the delivery of power, there are other kinds of motors that electric pressure washers are designed with.

Induction motors, for instance, are water cooled since they circulate water around the engine before having it released through the hose.

When it comes to gas-powered pressure washers, even the cheapest types outsmart the quantity of PSI that is delivered by several electric washers. For a gas-powered unit, the PSI is somewhere between 2000 to 2500.

While there are certain high-end models that deliver over 4000 PSI, most of the models deliver around 2800 PSI.

The Ratings for Water Flow

When it comes to water flow ratings, gas pressure washers score the highest. In general, electric powered washers produce about 1.4 to 1.5 gallons in one minute (GPM).

Finding a model that produces more than that would be like looking for a lake in the desert.

It is, however, possible to find a higher number of GPM in electric pressure washers, but the higher the number, the more expensive the materials will be.

A number of gas-powered pressure washers bring over 1.5 gallons per minute, but there are others that are capable of churning out more than close to 3.0 GPM.

These kinds of gas-powered pressure washers are also designed with heavy-duty pumps, powerful engines, as well as brass parts in place of steel or a plastic threaded hose that makes it the best to handle huge water flow.

Practicality

Practicality is a great factor to consider before you opt to buy a particular washer. For anybody who wants a power washer for the purposes of indoor use, then the best one to consider is an electric powered one.

This is because gas pressure washer tends to release certain harmful fumes and so they wouldn’t be ideal for indoor usage.

Since most homeowners purchase power washers for outdoor use, it becomes so hard to tell the winner in this particular category.

When it comes to the ease of use, maintenance, weight and dimensions, electric pressure washers have the edge. Besides that, they are a breeze to use, are small, and also very light.

When it comes to their portability, electric pressure washers’ only limiting factor is the fact that they have to be connected to a nearby source of electric power.

They are very quiet and do not produce any kind of harmful fumes. This makes them the best choice for indoor use.

Gas powered pressure washers, on the other hand, last long and so users would not have to worry about replacing important parts such as brass quick-connect couplers.

Since electric models normally use plastic ones, they will have to be replaced more frequently.

Since they have manual starters, gas-powered pressure washers lose in this comparison. This implies that the user would have to tug the rope to ensure that the washer operates, just as you would do when starting up a lawnmower.

However, there are still much to write about on the plus side, as they are very durable and stable.

It is, however, important to remember that the oil and the air filter must be changed to make them operate in an effective way.

In general, an electric pressure washer is the best for most types of cleaning.

They possess the power to transform even the dirtiest corners into the cleanest parts. This they can do without causing any kind of damage to the property or the user.

As earlier indicated, there are also other downsides to the main fact that the power cord would tend to dictate the kind of places the pressure washer can be taken.

This might make its usage not applicable to certain areas and a bit inconvenient. A typical case is when the owner has a fence that they might want the pressure wash to help in cleaning.

The issue of power supply might limit its usage in this regard. This is a major downside.

Lest you Forget…

Many people prefer electric machines since they are easy to maintain as compared to gas powered ones.

Once they have been bought that marks the end of paying for them. There are no major parts that might have to be replaced, and no purchase of oil or gas. But it is important to remember that cheap is quality.

These machines do not last for a period that does not exceed ten years, as they are disposable.

Last Word

It’s not actually easy to tell the kind of power washer that is best, but from the evidence provided above, electric pressure washers carry the day.

This is based on a number of factors, but key among them are their compact dimensions, the low price, the ease of use, the almost zero maintenance and their low weight.

The other factor that makes them the best is the fact that they can be used for indoor purposes.

But even so, gas-powered pressure washers are also very effective in terms of functionality. They feature high-quality parts and are much more powerful.

The best thing to do before purchasing a pressure washer is to establish the type of jobs you are planning to do with the machine.

The factors that have been mentioned in this article would still remain despite the kind of errand the pressure washer is supposed to be used for.

Apart from the fact that electric powered washers are the best when it comes to indoor use, this ultimately becomes a matter of individual budget and personal choice.

Electric vs. Gas Pressure Washer