Best Hot Water Power Washers for 2023
If you are someone who does pressure washing regularly and needs to clean off difficult contaminants, hot water power washers can make the difference between an easy clean up on a project or spending hours trying to get the surface to look ready for your project. Whether you're prepping a product for painting, removing stubborn contaminants like grease and oil from surfaces, or simply looking for a most sufficient way to clean surfaces, hot water power washers offer easier cleaning of surfaces compared to cold water power washers. So with that in mind, let's go over some of the reasons you may choose a hot power washer, important things to consider when choosing, and our top picks for the best hot water power washers in 2003.
Why Choose a Hot Water Power Washer?
A hot water power washer is more effective and efficient at cleaning than a cold water washer, especially when it comes to contaminants like grease and oil and chemical that may be adhering to a surface. Hot water power washers also offer greater cleaning effectiveness because hot water acts as a greater detergent compared to cold water.
What are the Important Things to Consider When Purchasing a Hot Power Washer?
The engine.
The engine design and brand can matter in the performance and warranty period you receive on your power washer. Honda engines are well known as a brand in the market. Kohler's are also popular and often offered on hot water power washers. Often Kohler power washers have a longer warranty than their Honda equivalents. This is often due to the fact that the brand is not quite as heavily recognized yet, and so you may often get a similar performing engine, with a longer warranty by choosing a Kohler. Overall though, both Kohler and Honda are top line engines that'll last for years of service with regular maintenance without many problems.
The pump.
When it comes to hot water power washers, there are two designs of pumps that are commonly offered. One is called a direct drive pump. In this design of a hot water power washer, the pump is directly connected through a drive shaft to the engine. These are often less expensive than other style hot water power washers, but do not tend to hold up as well when it comes to high volume use. If you're going to be using your power washer often, more than two hours a day, year in and year out, a belt drive power washer, hot water power washer will be a longer lasting, better performing option.
The pump design.
In addition to the style of pump, whether it's direct drive or belt drive, you should also consider the pump's design. There are axial and triplex style pumps. Triplex style pumps and power washers tend to last longer and hold up to wear and tear better than a axial style pump. For the most part, when it comes to hot water washers, they all use a triplex pump. So we're looking more at the direct drive versus belt drive idea, than the pump design.
The pump brand.
The brand of your pump can matter and does have certain performance build qualities for certain lines of pumps. For example, many in the industry seem to think the General, CAT, or Annovi Reverberi pumps have great quality aspects that allow them to last for years, with minimal to no service. For us, we typically suggest that the most important factors are whether it's a direct drive or belt drive design, and then the manufacturer of the power washer itself, because a lot of it comes down to how everything's put together at the factory, more so than the individual item that goes onto the machine.
PSI and GPM.
A final factor to consider when choosing a hot water power washer is the pressure and GPM output of the washer. The chart below will show you the PSI recommended for a variety of surfaces. Then choose the maximum GPM you can afford to purchase, to maximize the cleaning potential of that surface. Just realize with a hot water power washer, you will have to spend a bit more for higher GPM because the heater will have to be able to handle heating the volume of water being used quickly enough to allow it to operate properly.
Use chart from this page.
Electric or gas heating elements.
You'll also want to consider whether you're going to use an electric heated coil or gas operated coil in your heater on your hot water power washer. Electric coils are great for indoor use and don’t require duel fuel tanks, however you can need a lot of power to be able to run a higher GPM unit. Gas heating elements are more portable and can also be used indoors if you vent the exhaust of the washer outside.
Top Picks for Hot Power Washers in 2023
1. Easy-Kleen 4000 PSI Pressure Washer
Hot power washer number one, the easy clean 4,000 PSI gas hot water pressure washer, with the General Pump and electric start Kohler engine. This model of hot water washer is extremely popular because it provides 4,000 PSI, making it readily usable and effective for any surface you want to clean, from the most stubborn of concrete to heavy equipment. The General Pump is a strong brand that's well known in the industry for longevity and performance, and the Kohler engine has the electric start, making it easy to not have to pull your motor in the cool weather to easily start it up and run. It features 3.5 GPM of water output, with a triplex style pump. It uses an oil fire burner, with an adjustable thermostat to allow you to set the temperature at whatever you want it to be. The Kohler engine has a three-year warranty and the pump has a five-year warranty.
2. Pressure-Pro Pro-Super Skid Series 4000 PSI Pressure Washer
Pressure Pro, 6115 Pro 10G, 4,000 psi, gas hot water, belt drive, skid mounted power washer with the Honda GX 660 engine and the General Pump. This model comes on the convenient skid, making it very popular for those who need a hot water and power washer mounted in a truck bed or in the back of a van, for projects like duct cleaning or other field work. The belt design makes it well suited to stand up to years of frequent use without any troubles or need for service. The electric start engine is also easy to use in cold weather to get the unit running, and comes with the Honda GX 660 engine, which is popular and well known for its size and performance. The burner on this is a gas powered burner, so you can run it in the field without needing any separate electric sources. It features 5.5 GPM of water flow, making it very effective at cleaning large surfaces rapidly and efficiently. It also has two fuel tanks on board, 15 gallons each, one for the gas for the pump, and one for the diesel for the burner. The engine features a two-year warranty and the pump has a five-year warranty.
3. Simpson Big Brute 4000 PSI @ 4.0 GPM Pressure Washer
Our third recommendation is the Simpson Big Brute 4,000 PSI, with the Comet Pump and Electric Start Honda GX 390 engine. This model comes with the popular Honda GX 390 and a Comet Pump, which is often known in the industry for its longevity and performance. This unit is a direct drive but comes with the top of the line pump Currently priced at 4,899, it gives you full pressure for any surface you may want to clean, while also offering an electric start and the popular GX 390 engine. With four GPM of flow and a wheeled design, this unit is perfect if you want it to be more portable, to allow you to get in and out of job sites. It has a 11 gallon fuel tank, which makes it suitable for ease of maneuverability and easier work in the field. The pump has a five-year warranty and the engine has a three-year warranty.
4. Simpson Mini Brute 3000 PSI @ 2.8 GPM Pressure Washer
One final gas powered option for those looking for hot water cleaning but on a budget is the Simpson Mini Brute. The Mini Brute offers 3000 PSI of pressure with 2.8 GPM of flow. The pressure will let you clean stubborn surfaces. The pump is a direct drive design with Simpson’s privately made pump design. This hot water washer provides heat at a great price.
Most Popular Picks for Electric Hot Power Washers of 2023
While these are our top three picks for gas powered hot water electric power washers, next we'll go over our most popular picks for electric powered hot water power washers.
Cam Spray Professional (2700 PSI) Electric-Hot Water Pressure Washer
First, for an electric hot water power washer, we have the Cam Spray Professional 2,700 PSI, 230 volt electric hot water power washer. This model offers an electric source on wheels, making it ideal for portable in shop work. It also runs off 230 single phase power which many electric washers require 3 phase power to run. If you have a few areas in your shop you may need hot water for cleanup or prep of product, this unit is well suited for your work. While it only has 2.5 GPM, you cannot opt for up to three GPM for a little bit more, and the coil runs off of complete electric, making it simple and effective at cleaning. In general, indoor washers have less GPM output because of the power needed to create the flow of water necessary.
Mi-T-M 3000 PSI @ 3.9 GPM 8.0 HP, 460V, 3Ø General Hot Water Electric Pressure Washer
The Mi-T-M industrial hot water power washer, the HAE-3004-OE-4G is an extremely popular all electric powered hot water unit. At 3,000 psi, this unit offers plenty of pressure to clean anything from vehicles to steel and more. With the popular General Pump, you get a seven-year warranty, and with the electric motor, you get a one-year warranty. Comes with the myriad of optional upgrades, like auto off triggers on unit, as well as remote boxes to operate. This makes this unit popular and useful for anything from a wash bay in an indoor application, to something you would install semi permanently outside of a booth for product prep. Unlike the other units mentioned, there's no portability to this unit, but if you're looking for high powered cleaning in a compact and dedicated design, this would be a perfect option. It features an adjustable thermostat and can raise the water temperature 120 degrees from the intake waters temperature, often allowing you to have 180 to 190 degree water in just three to five minutes.