Cost of Jet Washing water and elec costs compared to chemicals

Leodogger

We have a lot of block paving and a slabbed patio area plus landscaped sandstone across the garden and it is filthy after the winter.  I seem to remember using our Jet Washer a couple of yrs ago and it sent the water bill sky high.   Does anyone know if it cheaper to use the Jet Washer on it all or one of these 5L chemical products that you just put on with a watering can?

molerat

You still have to wash the chemical off.

Even with the electric and £1 to £2 for 1000 litres of water I suspect it will be a lot cheaper than the chemicals at £20? for a 5 litre bottle.  The chemical cleaners basically save time, spray on, leave to work, rinse off.

Leodogger

molerat said:

You still have to wash the chemical off.

Even with the electric and £1 to £2 for 1000 litres of water I suspect it will be a lot cheaper than the chemicals at £20? for a 5 litre bottle.  The chemical cleaners basically save time, spray on, leave to work, rinse off.

I didn't think you had to wash them off, I thought you were supposed to leave the rain to do that !

Nobbie1967

Jet washers don’t use a lot of water if you use the dirt blaster lance. It’s high pressure, but relatively low volume, a lot less than a hose pipe running. Suspect the high water bill was due to something else.

Albermarle

Nobbie1967 said:

Jet washers don’t use a lot of water if you use the dirt blaster lance. It’s high pressure, but relatively low volume, a lot less than a hose pipe running. Suspect the high water bill was due to something else.

That is what I thought as well.

Ganga

Of course you could collect a couple of drums of rain water and use that ,most pressure washers will suck water up once they are pumping.

TELLIT01

Nobbie1967 said:

Jet washers don’t use a lot of water if you use the dirt blaster lance. It’s high pressure, but relatively low volume, a lot less than a hose pipe running. Suspect the high water bill was due to something else.

Don't us a dirt blaster lance on block paving as it will blast the sand out from between the pavers.  Best bet is to use what Karcher call a T-racer (no idea why they call it that), https://www.kaercher.com/uk/accessory/t-5-t-racer-surface-cleaner-26440840.html  It's an enclosed spinning head with brush around the circumference.  Extremely effective.

Leodogger

Nobbie1967 said:

Jet washers don’t use a lot of water if you use the dirt blaster lance. It’s high pressure, but relatively low volume, a lot less than a hose pipe running. Suspect the high water bill was due to something else.

Actually I didn't think you had more than one attachment for the Karcher Jet Wash but I will have to check tomorrow.   We used it last time during a summer time a few years ago but the extra water we used that summer may have been the watering of our garden plants but that was generally with a watering can, not a hose, so I didn't think that that would use anywhere near as much as a Jet Wash cleaning patios etc.   We now have two water barrels and so don't need to use tap water for plants.

Leodogger

TELLIT01 said:

Nobbie1967 said:

Jet washers don’t use a lot of water if you use the dirt blaster lance. It’s high pressure, but relatively low volume, a lot less than a hose pipe running. Suspect the high water bill was due to something else.

Don't us a dirt blaster lance on block paving as it will blast the sand out from between the pavers.  Best bet is to use what Karcher call a T-racer (no idea why they call it that), https://www.kaercher.com/uk/accessory/t-5-t-racer-surface-cleaner-26440840.html  It's an enclosed spinning head with brush around the circumference.  Extremely effective.

Actually hubby says we have one of those and never knew what it was for (LOL), so he is going to get it out tomorrow and see how it goes together but perhaps that would use a lot more water and we would be back to square one!  

EssexExile

I've never noticed any great increase in water usage when I've used a pressure washer and T-racer.

Leodogger

EssexExile said:

I've never noticed any great increase in water usage when I've used a pressure washer and T-racer.

You may be right and it is much faster with the T-racer (I have just watched a video on You Tube compairing the 3 methods, chemicals, the dirt blaster and the T-racer).   The dirt blaster came out on top because it gets into the pitted areas but the T-racer was much quicker if you have a large area and much less messy.    I will leave it to hubby to decide which one he wants to use     I would imagine both of them use a similar amount of water.   The one that came out last for cleaning the patios was the chemicals but it was better for getting rid of algae etc. so still worth doing probably after cleaning it.