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A pressure washer is a fantastic tool and it's exactly what I need to clean this dirty black
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brick patio. But pressure washers can harm the surfaces you clean and even yourself if you're
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not very careful. Hi, I'm Tim Carter from AskTheBuilder.com and I'd like to show you some of the basics
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about how a pressure washer works. A pressure washer takes the low-pressure water from a garden hose
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and boosts the pressure way up with a special pump. The pump is powered by either a gasoline engine or sometimes an electric motor
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The business end of a pressure washer, it's the spray wand. You attach special tips that concentrate or spread out the high-pressure stream of water
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Before you turn on a pressure washer, be sure to read the entire owner's manual
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It contains very important safety information. You can either hurt the pressure washer yourself or things you're trying to clean
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This pressure washer can be equipped with five different spray wand tips
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The red one is zero degrees and produces the most concentrated stream of water
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Be really really careful when you use a zero degree tip The yellow tip produces a 15 degree wide spray pattern I like to use it for heavy cleaning The green tip is a
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25 degree tip. It's best for general cleaning. The white tip produces an even
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wider spray pattern about 40 degrees. Use it for light-duty cleaning. The black tip
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is the safest one to use. It produces a really wide spray pattern of 65 degrees
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I like using this tip when applying the special cleaning detergents to surfaces just before
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I get ready to pressure wash. You've got to make sure that when you're using a pressure washer that you're wearing
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all kinds of protective gear. You need safety glasses or goggles, you need earmuffs and of course work gloves
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You've got to protect your eyes, your hearing, and your hands from this machine
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And remember, be careful. I'm Tim Carter for AskTheBuilder.com. I hope you enjoyed the pressure washer basics
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If you want to discover more home improvement tips, go to AskTheBuilder.com