– a quick look inside the flame-powered heat source of a hot water pressure washer…
Roger, our esteemed engineer recently gave me a tour ‘under the hood’ of an Aquila Hot Water Pressure Washer. Roger has been involved in the development and maintenance of mobile pressure washers for over 20 years and has helped design them from scratch.
I’m familiarising myself with the pressure washing equipment so I had lots of newbie questions that Roger patiently answered. There are several key components of the machine that I want to learn about. This time, the diesel-powered hot water boiler especially caught my attention. The plain-looking black cylinder conceals a lot of activity and clever engineering!
Mobile hot water pressure washers, or power washers, work by pumping cold water through a diesel-fired boiler to produce hot water up to 150°C. This heat, combined with the high pressure, helps clean surfaces by removing everything from chewing-gum to graffiti, and lots in-between! There are a lot of different pressure washers out there. Tensid UK supplies and maintains Aquila pressure washers, which are known for their exceptional power and long life.
Lifting the hood of an Aquila mobile pressure washer, the boiler can bee seen as a black metal cylinder. Encased at the top of the boiler cylinder are the electrodes and fuel injector nozzle. When activated, diesel enters the top of the central chamber, a spark created by the electrodes then ignites the fuel and produces a conical-shaped flame.
A Kubota engine is the power plant providing the required electricity and driving the CAT pump to create water pressure of 350 bar / 5000 PSI at 20 litres per minute. The water flows through a coil inside the boiler chamber collecting heat on it’s way to the high-pressure spay nozzle.
With all the energy going on in such a confined space, I was interested to know what protects the boiler against overheating when the flow of water stops, i.e. when the trigger is released on the spray gun. Roger explained that there is a flow switch that senses the water pressure and shuts off the boiler when it is not needed. In addition, there are two safety thermostats.
It’s good to know that these powerful machines are so thoroughly-designed for efficiency, safety and strength. When you buy an Aquila Pressure Washer from Tensid UK, you are getting a long-life machine. Every inch of the equipment has been designed for robust professional use at the best pressure and heat levels to get the job done right, first time.
If you’d like to learn more, call us direct at 01932 564 133. We’re always happy to answer questions and will make sure you have the right tools and supplies for the job.
~Michele
