Pressure Washer Advice Requested

[Ferdinand]

I am thinking about using a pressure washer to let me work at a reasonable height. 

 

One of the applications is to clean my solar panels, which are now quite "lichened" after a few years - partly because some are modestly tree-compromised. This will require me to work from a flat roof over the garage, where the roof plane begins.

 

The top of the array of panels is about 5.5m vertically high above the garage roof.

 

I have a reasonably high end Nilfisk Excellent E160.1 model, which has a 10m hose so may well be suitable even sitting on the ground to avoid taking weight up even a short ladder to the flat roof, and can be fed either from a hose, or a barrel (ie wheelie bin) of water.

 

An alternative is to look at a portable item. I am a Makita setup, and they have a good portable item which costs £400 (!) without batteries. The alternative portable would be something cheap and cheerful.

 

I'm after experience as to what other people have done.

 

Thanks for any comment.

Ferdinand

 

 

[Carrerahill]

5 minutes ago, Ferdinand said:

I am thinking about using a pressure washer to let me work at a reasonable height. 

 

One of the applications is to clean my solar panels, which are now quite "lichened" after a few years - partly because some are modestly tree-compromised. This will require me to work from a flat roof over the garage, where the roof plane begins.

 

The top of the array of panels is about 5.5m vertically high above the garage roof.

 

I have a reasonably high end Nilfisk Excellent E160.1 model, which has a 10m hose so may well be suitable even sitting on the ground to avoid taking weight up even a short ladder to the flat roof, and can be fed either from a hose, or a barrel (ie wheelie bin) of water.

 

An alternative is to look at a portable item. I am a Makita setup, and they have a good portable item which costs £400 (!) without batteries. The alternative portable would be something cheap and cheerful.

 

I'm after experience as to what other people have done.

 

Thanks for any comment.

Ferdinand

 

 

My high level pressure washing experience was for prepping the walls for dry-dashing and cleaning up a roof area at the end of the build and I just used a long hose for the lance, I have a very similar, if not the same, Nilfisk to you and I just used an extension hose on the HP side. 

Edited June 1, 2022 by Carrerahill

[Temp]

I had a nice Karcher until I left it in the garage over winter. Whatever water was left in it froze 😞

 

[markocosic]

El cheapo mains Karcher with a short hose. Hang it from the incoming LP hose. They weigh nothing and cost a disposable amount.

 

For solar panels specifically forget the pressure washer. Scouring sponge, cream cleaner, and a regular hose is what you want.