"Follow me into the back yard" - immediately closes the gate in your face. Screw it, I'm going back home.

I primarily use my pressure washer for car detailing. The first rule, no gas power washers, too powerful. So I chose a unit I can use in car detailing, as well as multiple uses around the house. The unit I chose is the Greenworks 2300 psi with 2.3 gpm. Trust me a powerful unit to clean driveways, decks, siding and yet not too powerful for detailing. The unit cost $230 (US) and comes with a 10 year warranty. So if you're in to detailing, this could be the unit for you?

Thank you for this. I'd have never considered the output from the house! Excellent video!

There is an easier way without wasting so much water or taking so long. Just measure the time (in seconds) it takes to fill a 1-gallon bucket. Then divide 60 by that number and you have GPM. You can do the same thing for Liters. Example... 20-seconds to fill a 1-gallon bucket. 60/20 = 3 GPM. If 15-seconds for a 1-liter bucket, 60/15 = 4 LPM. :-) Good advice on the manual, I always try to review the online manual on most equipment before purchase. In a lot of cases they will reveal some secrets not listed in the advertisement.

Good information GP. The bucket method is useful for sure. We've even used it to measure hydraulic flow in the past. The bigger the bucket, the more accurate the measurement. Cheers, Jason

If I can add; if you plan to use frequently/very frequently your pressure washer, from a longevity point of view choose a triplex pump over an axial pump. As well as for generator, choose a copper winding over an aluminium winding for long run and longevity. Thank you again for your very valuable video. Regards.

You say "we should check the pressure coming from our house" but what you mean is we need to check the flow from our house. However, great video.

Great video GP, you work well under pressure!.. Great point on supply. Every type of pump needs an adequate supply of water (or whatever) to meet the rated gallons and head pressure. The laws of physics still apply even for pumps.

Excellent advice, GP! The first time I used a pressure washer, I rented it, not knowing anything about the volume of water my well pump could supply. Guess what!? I quickly found out just what you told us, my water supply volume was too low for the washer I rented. But that was 30 years ago. I am way smarter now! Much credit to you, and KZfaq!! Cheers!

Wow Gord, with houses that close together I see why you spend so much time out in the woods. Another informative GPO video. Thank you!

Outstanding video! Great points. I will check my house's spigot flow rate. Thanks for sharing this. I would have never have thought of this.

Wow, I am so glad I found your little video! It explains why so many reviews are contradictory for the same product--specifically regarding the actual pressure of the machine. I'm going to use your little test, which will help me make the right choice. Also, you are so calm and friendly! Thanks.

Good video Gord. Real good job in explaining pressure washer functions and their uses. I liked the CTC plug, thanks.

Your right GP, nobody talks about your hose bib pressure or flow when considering a pressure washer purchase. Great information! Thanks

Thanks for the video and the info. Never knew how to measure the output from the house. Thanks again.

Wow. That was so informative. I have been looking for something like this. Thank you very much.

Thanks for the video! I've destroyed 4 or 5 pressure washers in the last 24 years, some of which I used for business (RV). Some I killed by freezing, some by too much pause time with engine running, and one or two died mysteriously. Maybe I was starving them for water!!! Shopping for a new unit now, but I'll check GPM first 👍👍

Great information, people only think its what comes out of the pressure washer. Have a Safe Day

Good advise Gp. I bought a smaller machine than I wanted because of my gpm output. Have a good week.

GPO, GPM, GPW, so many acronyms!!!! Great info on the intake. I never once thought of them as being important.

Thanks for the tip on the flow rate out of the water outlet at the house. Wish I would’ve seen & researched this prior to buying. Luckily I just assembled but haven’t ran it, so I will check to make sure.

Funny you put this out today. I did some power washing today. Good info thanks for the video

Thanks for the knowledge, everyday I learn something new. Appreciate the video.

I've never used one of these and my brother sent me some gadget from China they call a power washer. The water source is a bucket full of water. yeah. I didn't understand nor were interested in the previous videos I have watched. this really helps. It answered my questions. Thank you.

Great job Gord. That’s some great information you shared and is a good helpful reminder for everyone. Thanks for sharing with us. Fred.🙏🏻🙏🏻👍👍👏🏻👏🏻👋👋

once again a great overview GP. I have a well and sometimes during the fill cycle for the pump holding tank the flow drops leading to surging. I've learned to stop spraying to allow the holding tank to fill then it handles the demand. I only figure that my flow must be close to good enough because that works and I can minimize surging. Have a great week. cheers

Such an excellent video! My washer was doing exactly that, going up and down in the idle. Now I know why! New sub here!

The #1 thing I would suggest to a new buyer is to buy a disc attachment head for cleaning your flat surfaces (driveway, sidewalk, etc...). I cant tell you how many times I see people cleaning these with a normal say 30 degree spray head... back and forth, back and forth and extremely uneven (and pretty physically taxing). When you by the disk, cleaning these surfaces is like vacuuming a floor and is 100% uniform. Best $40 I ever spent.

this is a wonderful video, never looked at it that way, thank you.

Excellent point that I like most people I'm sure never considered.

Thank you very much for the info. It opened my eyes because I just purchased a home that needs a lot power washing work. Do you have a video suggesting brands also I need to get a lawn mower

Greetings Gord, Lee here, excellent video and information there, one of the reasons your channel is growing,you always put out helpful and useful information. You and your family keep well. later.

Ah crap Gordy! You reminded of all the projects I need to get going on, thanks a lot, I guess I better put the coffee down and get to it. And Gordy, congrats on 51k subscribers! Lol cheers

I want to mention something for clarity: what you are measuring with the bucket is flow rate. Gallons (bucket) per minute. Volume over time. That's flow. Not pressure. Your hose bib doesn't put out pressure, nor does the pump draw pressure. Flow is what is furnished and what is demanded. You did a good job of highlighting that the pump is always trying to pump 2.3gpm. Which means it's trying to draw at least 2.3gpm from the house and trying to push 2.3gpm through the nozzle. The pressure is just a measure of restriction that the pump must overcome to pump that 2.3gpm. So as pressure rises, the flow doesn't decrease much at all (not with these positive displacement pumps), but the load on the pump (and the motor driving it) DOES increase. Now, the flow coming out of the house has some pressure behind it (that's why it flows-- the flow is induced by trying to equalize a pressure imbalance). But this pressure will vary with flow. If the pump is drawing as much flow (or more) than the house can provide, it will drop the delivery pressure in the hose so low that it might go into suction. This can cause pump cavitation and damage. Since these kinds of pumps are typically 85% efficient, having about 15% more flow than the rated flow of the pump will be sufficient. So if you want to run a 2.3gpm pressure washer pump, be sure your hose bib can supply about 2.65gpm. Most USA hose bibs can supply at least 3gpm (mine vary from 7.5 to 9+ I'm lucky).

Never even considered that, but it makes total sense. Great tip...thanks Gordon!

Absolutely Awesome presentation, like a pro sales person but mainly concerned about customers honestly. Thank you.

Hi GP. Great information. Pressure washers are so useful. Here in Southern Maine we are in the cusp of a drought again, so no wasting water washing equipment. Sponge baths.

My machine operates off of a rain barrel that has a submersible pump in it. The pump delivers water to the machine (through two debris screens) and the machine pumps it the rest of the way. Also, keep in mind that hose diameter and length are also something to consider. I try to run my machine on hoses with a diameter of 5/8" and as short as possible length. Although the machine I currently own is an old Homelite brand powered by a Honda GXV140 clone with a 2800 PSI pump. The suggestions from others about time of use are also incredibly handy.

good tip with the gpm cuz i rent in nyc and we have a valve and i dont wanna f things up when i wash my car too thank you so much mate

Great video Gord...especially important if you rely on a pump for water. You said it too...city water is no guarantee that you will have the correct pressure. Also, those gas units can cause a dangerous situation...they are so loud that you can't hear the missus yelling about all the spots you missed. If we all just did it right the first time. 😂😂😂 Best regards Gord.

Great information thanks for taking the time to educate

Another great information video from you GP! Great job. Cheers ☕️

Very helpful.Thanks!

Thank you Gord. I’m looking for a pressure washer and I’m sure that I would buy the wrong one. Now I know what to look for.

GP - first time I'm making a criticism of your informative videos. 1) The pail is 5 gallons, not 4. We';ve given up on Imperial units in Canada -its either metric or US Gallons. 2) You keep using the term "pressure" from city tap. You should say flow. A pressure washer's job is to boost the pressure of the inlet water from typically about 30 psi to 3000 psi. You are right that a tap flow that is too little for the flow rating of the washer will not allow it to work properly.

Good info! Just a FYI, GPM is the units of measure for flow rate. PSI is the units for pressure.

Thanks, this is a great place to start.

Thanks GP! Have a good week. From Northwestern Vermont

How's she goin'? This is a good point GP. A lot of people take good care of their gear and it still fails. Maybe, in the pressure washer case, it's because of low supply GPM and the pump runs with no water. Not a good thing to have happen eh!!! Thanks for posting and take care!!

Excellent video. Thanks

Try to do your pressure washing when everyone is at work if possible.Or very early on Saturday or Sunday.Not during the times when most people are taking showers getting ready for work or church.

Very professional information ❤❤❤

My wife loves to pressure wash everything in the summer. Don't stand still around her when she is out pressure washing and if you do. Make sure you have a bar of soap as you are going to get wet.

Hi GP, great information, my only addition would be to very cautious if you ate going to pressure washer the engine in modern vehicles. The electrical connections are called weather pack or marine or watertight or several others and are not supposed to be exposed to 2000-3000psi. This can force water past the seal and cause future electrical issues with corrosion. This also applies to 4 wheelers on parts like the wheel bearing seals water can be force in as the seals are designed to keep grease in and water out from driving in water . Hope this helps Thanks

Thank you, had no idea about this. great review.

Great video. Good info, good quality production.

Awesome Video, thanks for advice!

Thanks for the info GP.

Thanks 😊

That man’s smart

Good information!

Well GP, I gotta hide this video from the Missus....if she watches it, my 'honey-do' list will increase badly. LOL Lots of good info for sure. We had to sometimes stretch 300' and more of hose up the walls and across roofs to wash condensors of large capacity commercial package HVAC units. Pressure drop is a major consideration as well as well as hose inside diameter on long runs. MOST residences will fall well within the 100' requirement, but a small cheap 1/2'' I.D. would still be a mistake even at or above the minimum flow requirement. As the pressure drops, a high capacity pump will literally collapse the hose as it begins the process of destroying itself internally. By the way, you sure have a way of refreshing a guys memory of all the work yet undone..... LOL. Have a great week my friend.

All good information, GP. Thanks so much!

Awesome information! Thanks a lot.

This is really a good video of info, I hobby on the side fixing small engine stuff for extra money, generators, mowers, pressure washers, and the most common reason I see people giving away free gas-powered pressure washers almost on a weekly basis is due to the lack of inlet water pressure. Nearly all the free units I find on facebook marketplace people are throwing away the pump is burned up on them due to the house not having enough water flow, or they hook it up to a water hose and it has bends and kinks in it reducing the pressure so much that the pump overheats and burns up. I developed a simple little DIY gadget you can use to overcome this issue cost only a few bucks since my properly is unable to keep up with the water flow. I took a 5 gallon bucket, on the lid I drilled 3 holes in it and with a bit of pvc glue and pipe put an inlet and an outlet pipe that runs nearly to the bottom of the bucket, then the middle hole just has a small nipple of pvc pipe on it so its easier to see the flow overfilling the bucket and has a simple pvc turn valve for priming the pump easier. I run the house hose to the inlet pipe, the outlet pipe has a short like 5 ft hose going to the pressure washer, I shut the valve off on the bucket, turn the water on and it will fill the bucket up with pressurized water, then I start the pressure washer and open the valve on the bucket. The water will spill out the overflow of the bucket when its filled, then as you use the pressure washer it will drain the bucket slowly, then you let off the handle and can easily see when the bucket is back full by the water spilling out the middle pipe. I went to this, because many buy the higher power gas pressure washers, thinking its more powerful, so it will make cleaning easier... then it outflows the house water source, then as the pump is starving for water it creates a vacuum in the hose and collapses the weak areas in the hose, reducing water flow even more.. burning it up. The bucket having a vent/spill pipe... when the bucket is fully drained, you will hear a different audible sound in the bucket from it sucking air intermittently.

Really good point, thank you.

Good video Gord like always you have done your homework good for you I never though of that but you are right I have a small pressure washer and it works like that up and down we have our own well and not the greatest pressure I will have to do the test thanks for the advice take care

Nice informative Video GP - more power does not mean unlimited washing pressure, some towns are well fed and they restrict the GPM like you said. Noticed your washing the truck - bring the jack out and check your alloy rims aren't seized to the steel brake drums, mine did it after a year and it was a pain in the A**. Cheers and stay safe during chores.

Great content GP. Where were you 35 years ago when I knew everything. Be safe.

GP, as always.....good info, thanks for sharing . ...a side note: at the 6:28 mark in the video, you mentioned cleaning the "boat", you COULD save some time there by using the lake to wash it and use that fishin rod attachment ? !!! ( all in fun !... no PRESSURE!!)

Fantastic video as always...keep up the great work

Very good video! Thank you! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

Great video and information.👍👍👍

Thanks bud! Great video

Very informative GP...

Keep in mind here, Gord, that these GPM measurements are in U.S. Gallons, which is 3.78 litres ( approx.) not Imperial Gallons / 4.55 litres ( again, approx.) You are correct here though, the GPM from your water supply is absolutely critical to the top performance of a pressure washer. If the manufacturers really wanted to be truthful, they should all state clearly the 'litres per minute' required for their washers, but I'd bet they won't do that, until 'forced to' by regulations from government, this too won't likely happen. Here's another tip for wise buyers, the big deal that manufacturers show is P.S.I. but here, once again, this is fictitious as most manufacturers show a 'simulated p.s.i. that is enhanced by using vibrating water nozzles.

my oh my 30 seconds of good info... you also need the correct garden hose size !

awesome video ........ very valuable info. Thanks!

definitly safe some of my money !thank you!

Great video but should I put my wood cutting safety stuff on. My pressure washer scares me sometimes when I m washing skidded logs. Lol.

Great tip, Thanks from Georgian Bay.

great info once again. Thanks GP

informative as always GP

Thank you!!

My neighbor has a pressure washer that’s 3200 psi and 1.7 gpm it will barely clean his side walk and fence. My pressure washer is 3200 psi also but it’s 2.5 gpm. If you get to close to the fence it will start to blow a hole through it with the same tip he was using. I would say the gpm is most important data point when buying a pressure washer. I always tell everyone to get one that’s 2.0 or higher. It’s been my experience that pressure washers under 2.0 are a waste of time. They can wash a car but they won’t clean sidewalks or brick siding or fences ect ect.

Oh no GP, Carol has you back in the city.. run mate run... Guy is lost roaming in the woods with a cup of coffee while looking for you...

I feel silly now, i never thought about the gpm going in, sometimes i may not turn the hose on full blast. Could be my problem 😕 ps i hit like and the counter turned over to 2k! Thanks for the helpful advice!

For electric pressure washers you might have to go digging for the lower continuous use pressure rating when compared to the shown short burst pressure. Factor that in when looking at rating as you ideally want to be north of a 100 bar continuous.

Another item, most hoses are 5/8” diameter and can restrict water flow. I upgraded to 3/4” for my sprinklers and works better with the C1cinnamon also.

Good video GP. I would add to measure it right out of the valve on the house. You can loose flow rate to friction loss going through the hose.

Great tip GP ................ It is a great tool ............... dog is always clean............. .... ..... .......... cuzz I clean his bath tub out with the pressure wah-sha .......... he he he

Your units are all over the place which is super confusing. But great info!

G P good afternoon my softener guy told me the same thing thanks God Bless All PaK

thank you for this video.. was looking into buying a pressure washer..but also your hydro on the side of your house, where did you get the cover for the meter. you are a very informative person thanks for sharing

Good points GP. However, when filming in the suburbs I thing the name should be GP Outdoors - not so much… Smile. No comparison to the paradise you typically film in. No tractor, no lake, no cottage, no wood splitter, no riding mower, no grapple, no Guy & friends, no … shall I go on? All kidding aside, thanks for bringing up some good points. On an aside, are you allowed to pomp water from the lake for, say, garden irrigation?

I’m sorry but measuring correctly is what is important. That is not demonstrated here. If you have city water the you will get the maximum rate through a standard garden hose which is 5 gallons per minutes which was demonstrated here. If you have a well you need to run the well dry and then see how much water comes out. If you are using a garden hose to do this then you will get 5.0 gpm max or less if your well produces a lower rate. If you have static water in well column then you will have 5 gpm, that’s why you have to run a drilled well dry before testing. Love your content GP! Just giving you more info!

Gp; look into oscillating nozzles. They are wonderful and dangerous. Great channel!!!

Great info. 👍

Great video!

Good one Gord...never even considered that side of the equation!🤔