Need a pressure washer, but don’t own one?
For sporadic projects, buying a pressure washer may not make sense.
Spending money on an expensive piece of equipment you then have to store for months on end isn’t very wise. The cost and hassle of renting a power washer can really add up, as well.
The answer to this dilemma is to make a garden hose power washer.
How do we do this?
Stick around to learn the steps on how to take your ordinary garden hose and convert hose to pressure washer status.
Best High Pressure Hose Attachments | Summary
- Little Big Shot Super Nozzle
- Dradco Heavy Duty Brass Fireman Style Hose Nozzle
- Hydro Deep Jet Power Washer Wand
- Sani-Lav Spray Nozzle
How to Turn Your Garden Hose into a Pressure Washer
Follow these steps to create enough pressure from your garden hose so you can:
- Clean dirt and mildew from your home’s exterior siding
- Brighten cement walkways and driveways
- Clean wood decking, bricks and landscape stones
- Wash your vehicles
SEE ALSO: Best Hose Reel Cart With Wheels
Step 1. Inspect your hose
Be aware that adapters made to convert your hose into a pressure washer won’t generate as much PSI as gas-powered pressure-washing equipment.
On the other hand, these nozzles do produce enough force that could blow out old, cracked, or weak garden hoses and fittings and cause injury or property damage.
To be safe, inspect all fittings, washers, and the full length of your hose for damage before using a high-pressure water nozzle on your garden hose.
Related | How To Measure Hose Size
Step 2. Attach your high-pressure nozzle
Attach the high-pressure nozzle of your choice to the other end of the hose. These affordable nozzles are readily available online or from home improvement stores.
Our favorite nozzle is the Little Big Shot Super Nozzle because it’s extremely small and can be adjusted to produce 40% more pressure with 40% less water.
There are firefighter-style nozzles that deliver up to a 250-psi rating, which is much higher than the pressure coming directly from your garden hose.
For everyday garden hoses, the Dradco Heavy Duty Brass Fireman Style Hose Nozzle is one to consider although it can’t deliver a strong pressure washing cleaning when using a weaker source pressure.
Wand-style nozzles can boost your home’s water pressure enough to clean outdoor furniture, patios, and even upper story windows and siding quickly.
Squeeze-handle nozzles can increase pressure up to 150 psi that deliver great results when cleaning off built-up dirt.
Step 3. Keep the distance short
To keep water-pressure as high as possible, keep the length of your hose as short as possible.
The longer the hose, the more distance the water needs to travel (and more surface that could have small leaks), which will reduce PSI levels.
Related | How To Put A Hose On A Hose Reel
Step 4. Adjust the nozzle
Most high-pressure nozzles have adjustments for water flow and the shape of the spray coming out of the nozzle, so you can alter the settings for cleaning different surfaces.
For best results, open up the water-flow lever slowly to find the perfect amount of flow to clean off the surface without wasting water.
Adjust the sprayer nozzle to either a compact fan or pinpoint shape to really bust up grime from surfaces like concrete or stone.
Make the spray wider for more delicate surfaces like vinyl siding or windows that could crack under too much pressure.
Related | Best Garden Sprayer
In Summary
I own a pressure washer but find I’d much rather use my garden hose power washer adapter to complete most of my home improvement cleaning tasks.
Using the hose is so much easier than lugging around a bulky, heavy power washer. I also like that I am not using electricity or gas and the noise level is lower.
It’s very affordable to convert hose to pressure washer, and the results are impressive, so give it a try and see for yourself!
