How hot is hot enough?

[Gavin 14]

So I've been doing new-construction clean up. That includes; garage, driveway, all porches and sidewalk (in front, if any). Sometimes there is a deck. I've been running at about 200 degrees and cleaning with mostly pretty low pressure (which seems to work much better than hi pressure) with no chemicals. Really, the only time I use full pressure (in my case about 2700psi at 6000 ft altitude) is to blow a lot of dirt or trash off the surface.

I guess this is my question. Just because you have a Ferrari that doesn't mean you have to drive it 180 mph everywhere you go. Besides.... control is everything no matter what you are doing. Just as I learned that I will use a multitude of pressures for different situations I'm also wondering about heat. I only want to use enough heat to get the job done efficiantly....no more, no less. Besides, deisel is getting expensive!!

The other question I have is in regards to my temp control. It says 300 degrees on it. I have a hard time believing it really gets that hot. I've never seen any one post on these boards saying they use over 220 - 230 (unless they are talking steam, I'm not). So what is the hottest temp I would use for what I am doing?

I realize all situations are different but I'm talking in general terms. Thanks!

Gavin

[Mike Smith 14]

Gavin, I do alot of different types of cleaning. I find for general cleaning, sidings, new concrete , etc... I don't need anything over 150 degrees. I usually use it at 125 and go up slightly if needed. I use hot water on old mildewed concrete or when Im trying to get out oil stains or gum. On decks I use mostly cold water unless I encounter a very stubborn stain Im trying to strip off. Then I use around 125 and decrese pressure to as low as possible. Hot water tends to raise more grain in the wood.

[Atlantic Power Washing 14]

Hey Gavin, we do a lot of new construction and one thing you should keep in mind is that if you are using water at 200 degrees make sure that the hose is not stretched across the lawn or it will burn the grass...The only time I use hot water is when I’m cleaning the front porch or stoop to remove the paint drips. If you are cleaning the sidewalks and curbs that are stained with mud, you can use a very light solution of muratic acid 1-20...

I hope this helps.

[Gavin 14]

Hey Mike,

I was thinking about droping the temp to about 140 and seeing what kind of results I get. My concern is speed and I realize that hot cleans a lot faster than cold. I guess I'm trying to figure out at what moment it becomes useless to go hotter because it has no effect on speed.

I also found that I don't like using hot on decks (or wood for that matter). Seems to really soften the wood a lot faster and it seems like it's easier to damage.

I'd be interested to hear what temps/pressures guys use for various applications. Might be a good pole question?

[Gavin 14]

Hi Tom,

Only about 10% of the new construction stuff even has a lawn so that hasn't been a concern but I have thought about that before. I wish they did have lawns..... my hoses gets soaked in mud and I constantly have to wash them down. Mud gets in everything. I'm also using hot for the paint on the porches. I do the garages too and these guys are SLOPPY! The other day I spent an hour on a garage that should have taken me about 25 minutes. Of course, using hot in there too. I usually only have to use hot on the first 1/4 of the driveway. The drips usually trail off by then.

Do you use a flat surface cleaner for garages? Just wondering if I should make the investment?

[Henry B. 4]

Use a surface cleaner for any sized are you can. It will increase your speed by an amazing amount. As for using hot water on decks. I've tried it on mine but only at around 90. That helps get alot of the easy sealers off but I definetly would not recomend anything hotter than that. I'm probably pushing the edges of what most people do as it is but I only do it in special cases.

[Atlantic Power Washing 14]

Hey Gavin, yes i do use a surface cleaner in the garage but not on the concrete driveways and sidewalks. The reason for this is because the garage has a smooth finish and the driveways and sidewalks have a soft top layer finish. if you use the surface cleaner it will leave over lap marks. I can teach you to do the whole job in about an hour with less than 1000 psi. but it would take a lot of typing so if you want you can contact me at www.atlanticpowerwashing.com i will be glad to help.

[Mike Smith 14]

Gavin I really think you can go down even below 140 and achieve a very good result. I usually run 125 and lower pressure and it cleans very good. Every degree you go up you burn more and more fuel. Id try 125 and see how your comming out. Lower your psi through the use of larger tips or a dual lance wand. I use the dual lance myself and cut pressure back by about half. Heat and low psi clean better than heat and high psi.

[Gavin 14]

Thanks Mike, I'll give that a shot.

Thanks to Tom and everyone else for their replies!

"the more you know, the more you grow!"

[Aplus 525]

I only crank up the heat for areas like dumpster pads and heavily soiled areas. For those I crank up to about 180.

For general concrete cleaning in a commercial setting, I use about 150. For residential settings, I try to avoid hot water so I don't burn up the grass.