Pressure Washers - Good or Bad?

chris_bass

Hi

i remember a while ago reading that pressure washers can damage bikes but cant find it now.

does anyone know if this is true?

if not, who uses them and are they good?

.blitz

Water - bad
Pressurised water - very bad

anjs

yep will strip grease from all your bearings

rhext

anjs wrote:

yep will strip grease from all your bearings

...and replace it with the grit which it forces past the seals.

Mind you, having said that, it's a convenient and quick way of cleaning your bike if you don't mind servicing/replacing bearings now and again.....

jairaj

As long as you don't point the high pressure jet directly at the bearings, ie bottom brackets, wheels hubs etc you'll be fine. Normal hose pressure is OK so if you can get a adjustable pressure washer and turn it down for the sensitive parts.

.blitz

^^ don't listen to him, he sells pressure washers

jayson

I use a hose to clean all the big stuff from inbetween the sprockets on my cassette then to rinse off the soapy water when ive finished washin my frame but other than that i wouldnt use one.

rhext

I don't use one generally: there's no doubt that they knacker your bearings if you're not really careful about where you point it or spend a lot of time on maintenance. I use a bucket of hot water, rags and cleaning brushes.

Mind you, if I'm in a trail centre faced with a really muddy bike and a long trip home, I reckon a short careful spell with the pressure washer beats having to chip dry clay off the bike any time.

*AJ*

I always use a pressure washer to clean my bikes....

As said above, dont spray into the BB, Hubs or Headset and all will be fine. My Karscher doesnt really seem to be that powerful unless its dead close anyway.

chris_bass

hmmm......

might just stick to my sponge and soapy water!!

was looking for a bike friendly way of cleaning without taking the skin off my knuckles when trying to get in amongst the gears and things!!

rhext

Chris Bass wrote:

hmmm......

might just stick to my sponge and soapy water!!

was looking for a bike friendly way of cleaning without taking the skin off my knuckles when trying to get in amongst the gears and things!!

Brushes are the answer.....especially the really narrow one:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Muc-Off-3-x-Bru ... 293&sr=8-2

Cheaper than a pressure washer too. If you're using one on your drive-train, make sure you use degreaser and then wash in hot soapy water afterwards or it'll clag up on first use.

leaflite

After accidentally spraying my front hub and having it squeaking all round cannock chase I can tell you that pressure washing is not a good idea

supersonic

I pressure wash mine. If you are careful, causes no problems.

Clark3y

I often use a pressure washer, i blast it around with little care, directly at the hubs/bb/headset and never have any problems with them.

dreads6

I use a pressure washer (just don't get too close to the bearing's etc..
Mind you i have fitted ceramic bearings that don't rust or corode and a regular service and clean up helps!

I would rather spend 5 mins after a long ride with the pw than have to start getting buckets of water and spend ages trying to clean all the niggly bit's!!

chris_bass

there is a review of a hand powered one on the front page, this would be less powerful wouldnt it? therefore safer?! maybe?

its only £30 too, so might give it a go and be careful!! anything for an easy life!!

rhext

Chris Bass wrote:

there is a review of a hand powered one on the front page, this would be less powerful wouldnt it? therefore safer?! maybe?

its only £30 too, so might give it a go and be careful!! anything for an easy life!!

Check out the price of garden sprayers first. That's all that is. Not saying it's a bad idea, but you might be able to get it cheaper!

Another alternative would be a hose-pipe. And if you're considering a pressure washer, don't you already have one of those?

rudderboy

ditto on the garden sprayers, if you're talking about the kind you use to spray paint fences and the like. They're great, with enough pressure to get the mucky stuff off with out stripping off the good stuff. You can shove them in the boot of the car to use after you've been riding out in the boonies.

BlueAdvocate

I use one; have no problems but I try to be careful.
May be I'll come unstuck at some point.
Its a marmite subject this though.

Duggan13

Jake151 wrote:

There are bike specific ones such as the mobi pressure washer, I believe the highest pressure it can go up to is 130PSI and 30PSI being the lowest, they say that they are designed to be as bike friendly as possible

This is my thought- are we talking about pressure washers you find in garage forecourts here or bike-specific ones? I can see how the ones in garage forecourts could be bad for your bike but surely the bike specific ones like Moby Washers and Nomad etc are OK?

I'm thinking of buying one as I live in a second floor flat and cleaning my bike is a massive pain.

joshtp

they have their place, and used from a distance, so its more like a fast moving mist they can be effective AND safe. great for really cleaning drivetrain bits too... nothing cleans a chain like a jet wash. But, as others say, keep away from bearings and suspension seals...