Consumables
Choosing a nozzle
You cannot change the pump. You can change the nozzle, and that changes the force at the surface far more than any machine upgrade.
The nozzle is where pressure becomes force, and it is the only part of the system you can change in ten seconds.
Fan angle
A wide fan spreads the same energy over more surface: gentler, slower, safer. A narrow fan concentrates it: faster, and capable of damage. Most domestic machines fit a variable lance that covers the useful range, and that lance is what you should reach for by default.
The rotary nozzle
Hard mineral surfaces only. It is a stripping tool, not a cleaning tool, and the damage it does to decking and render happens in one pass.
Size matters, and it is not marked helpfully
Nozzle bores are matched to a machine’s flow. Fit one from a larger machine and pressure falls; fit one too small and the unloader cycles. When buying a replacement, buy by machine model, not by looks.
When to replace one
When pressure drops gradually over months, or when the fan develops a gap or a wandering edge. Nozzles wear from the inside and nothing about that is visible. It is the cheapest fix on the machine and the first one to try.
Which washer does your job need?
- You are cleaning a hard, tough surface
- A narrower spray angle, used at a sensible distance.
- You are cleaning paintwork or wood
- A wide fan, because a narrow jet carves rather than cleans.
- You are applying detergent
- The low-pressure nozzle, because detergent only draws through at low pressure.
- Your spray pattern has changed
- The nozzle is blocked or worn, and it is a consumable rather than a fault.
Picking by the surface
General cleaning
Where a medium fan does almost everything and where most people never need anything else.
Stubborn spots
Where a narrower angle helps, used briefly and at distance rather than held close.
Detergent application
Where the correct low-pressure nozzle is the only way the detergent will draw.
Delicate surfaces
Where the widest available fan, at distance, is the right starting point.
What to measure, and what to ignore
- Spray angle
- The narrower the angle, the more concentrated and the more damaging. Wider is safer and usually cleans just as well with a little patience.
- The zero-degree jet
- A pencil jet that cuts. It has few legitimate uses and damages most surfaces, and many people are better off never using one.
- Rotary and turbo nozzles
- A spinning jet that combines impact with coverage. Effective on hard surfaces and still capable of marking soft ones.
- The detergent nozzle
- Low pressure by design, because detergent only draws through the system at low pressure. Without it, nothing comes out.
- Wear
- Nozzles are consumables. A worn one loses pressure and spreads its pattern, and it is a cheap thing to replace.
Which figure for which surface
| The surface | The nozzle | The distance |
|---|---|---|
| General hard surfaces | A medium fan | Comfortable |
| Paintwork and wood | A wide fan | Further back |
| Stubborn concrete | Rotary or narrow | Test on a hidden area |
| Applying detergent | The low-pressure nozzle | Close enough to wet evenly |
What to avoid doing
- Using a zero-degree jet on anything soft
- It carves wood, strips render and cuts through paint. It concentrates the entire output into a point.
- Wondering why detergent will not draw
- Detergent only draws at low pressure. With a high-pressure nozzle fitted, nothing will come through however full the bottle.
- Holding the lance too close
- Distance is as important as nozzle choice. Damage almost always happens at close range.
- Persisting with a worn nozzle
- It loses pressure and spreads unevenly. Nozzles are consumables and replacing one is cheap and immediate.
By how hard you will work it
- The general user
- Uses a medium fan for nearly everything and a low-pressure nozzle for detergent.
- The patio cleaner
- Uses a surface cleaner mostly, and a rotary nozzle for the edges.
- The car washer
- Uses a wide fan at distance and never a narrow jet.
Servicing, storage and working life
Nozzles block with grit from the water supply and wear from the water passing through them. A changed spray pattern is the symptom of both, and it is worth acting on because a partial blockage raises pressure elsewhere in the system.
- Clear blockages with the pin supplied rather than anything that will enlarge the orifice.
- Keep the inlet filter clean; grit reaches the nozzle from the water supply.
- Replace worn nozzles; they are inexpensive and performance recovers immediately.
- Store nozzles where they cannot be dropped onto concrete, which deforms them.
Safety
Nozzle choice is a safety decision as much as a cleaning one.
- Never point any nozzle at people or animals; concentrated jets injure through skin.
- Release the trigger and relieve pressure before changing a nozzle.
- Test on an inconspicuous area before cleaning a whole surface.
- Wear eye protection; narrow nozzles throw debris hard.
The questions we hear
What is a rotary nozzle actually doing?
It spins a single pencil jet in a cone, so you get the concentrated force of a zero-degree jet spread over a circle instead of a line. On concrete it roughly halves the time. On timber, render or a car it removes material, and no distance is fully safe.
Why do the same bar figures feel different on two machines?
Because force at the surface depends on flow through the nozzle, not on the pressure at the pump. A worn nozzle passes more water at lower pressure and feels weak; a nozzle sized for a bigger machine will drop your pressure outright.
Which nozzle should I use most?
A medium fan covers almost everything. Narrower angles are for stubborn spots, used briefly and at distance.
What is a zero-degree nozzle for?
A concentrated pencil jet for very specific stubborn deposits. It damages most surfaces and many users are better off without one.
Why is no detergent coming out?
Detergent only draws at low pressure. With a high-pressure nozzle fitted, nothing will come through regardless of the bottle.
Are turbo nozzles safe?
On hard surfaces, generally. They still mark soft materials, so test on an inconspicuous area first.
How do I know a nozzle is worn?
The spray pattern spreads and pressure drops. Nozzles are consumables and replacing one restores performance immediately.
Can I clean a blocked nozzle?
Yes, with the pin supplied. Do not use anything that could enlarge the orifice, which would permanently change its behavior.
What this page is based on
The washers above come from the catalog of this site. Specifications are those the manufacturer and the Amazon page publish; prices are what Keepa reported for the date below, and both move. The order follows declared specifications, stated strengths weighed against stated limits, and price. No machine here has been put to work by us, and nothing on this page pretends otherwise.
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