No matter how big or small your Billy Goat pressure washer is, it can make it easy to clean almost any surface. However, it can also easily damage those surfaces and even cause serious injuries. Here’s what you need to know to use your pressure washer safely and effectively.
Safety
Even a residential power washer can spray water at pressures that you won’t see even at a DIY car wash, so extra care should be taken when using these devices.
Always wear protective eyewear, gloves, and non-slip shoes when operating your pressure washer.
Never point the nozzle at a person. The high pressure can allow the water to penetrate skin causing blood poisoning. On that note, if you see any leaks in the hose, gun or wand, shut down the pressure washer immediately. A small leak can very quickly turn into a dangerously high-pressure spray.
Alkaline and acid cleaners should never come in contact with bleach. The resulting chemical reaction can cause fires, release poisonous gasses and create high pressures that can destroy anything trying to contain them, including parts of your pressure washer. Always flush the detergent system before shutting down the pressure washer to prevent accidental mixing of dangerous chemicals.
Getting the Most Out of Each Nozzle Tip
Billy Goat includes 5 nozzle tips with their pressure washers including 0 (red,) 15 (yellow,) 25 (green) and 40-degree (white) tips as well as a soap nozzle (pink.) The pressure is the same coming out of every tip, so the wider the angle, the gentler the spray will be.
For the best results, the same distance between the nozzle and the surface should be maintained throughout the cleaning process. To find the right distance, start about four feet away and slowly move forward until you find the right balance between the force and spread of the spray. Working from the top down will help prevent streaking.
The 40-degree tip works well on delicate surfaces like siding, stucco, and wood. Cleaning a deck? This is tip is gentle enough to clean without damaging the wood. If you do accidentally get the tip close enough to fur the surface, you can sand it back with a fine sandpaper or steel wool.
The 25-degree tip is the best choice for washing cars and boats as well as cleaning off bricks and patio furniture. It’s also great for sweeping surfaces, pulling off leaves and mud from sidewalks and driveways.
The 15-degree tip is for heavy duty cleaning including concrete, roofing, and drains. It can be used like a chisel: simply spray at a 45-degree angle to the surface, and you’ll be able to peel back layers of dirt. Using it this way is great for taking off graffiti.
The 0-degree tip is so powerful that it can easily damage most surfaces. It should only be used to remove caked on dirt and mud from concrete and metal surfaces, remove weeds from cracks in paved surfaces and take off the layer of compacted grass clippings on the inside of mower decks.
Using Soap and Detergents
Billy Goat pressure washers are fitted with a downstream detergent injection system, adding chemicals drawn from the detergent hose after the pump, preventing damage to the pump’s seals. This system only functions if the soap tip is fitted to the spray wand. This tip has the widest spray pattern, making it safe to use on any surface.
There are many options for cleaning chemicals, including formulas designed for washing cars, heating coils, aluminum and vinyl siding. Some metal cleaners and de-liming agents can also be used to remove stains from concrete. Whatever you decide to use, make sure it’s designed specifically for pressure washers.
Check the instructions before use to see if the detergent needs to be diluted. Most liquid concentrates are designed to be drawn directly into the pressure washer where they’re diluted by the incoming water, while most powder concentrates are designed to be mixed with water, typically at a 10:1 ratio, before being drawn into the pressure washer.
Starting the cleaning process by presoaking the surface with the detergent will make dirt easier to remove, but the cleaning chemicals should be sprayed off before they’re allowed to dry. To find the right mixture concentration, start with the metering valve 1/4 open, then gradually increase the mix until you get the results that you want.
Where to Get Parts for Your Billy Goat Pressure Washer
www.billygoatparts.com is a certified dealer for Billy Goat as well as the companies that make the engines and pumps used on their pressure washers. That means we can provide you with any part you need for your equipment, and we can ship that part to any location in the U.S. and Canada.
