Pressure washers are very convenient for people who want to quickly and easily clean their homes, yards, cars, and other things. The pressure washer uses intense pressure to spray water all over the place where you point it. Most pressure washers have pressure as intense as 2000 PSI.
But what happens if you do not have a pressure washer at home? Is there anything else you could use to get the same effect?
In short, YES! Making a DIY pressure washer using an air compressor, garden hose, and pressure washer attachment is possible. The whole process will take you only a few minutes to complete, giving you soft washing water you can use on anything you need to clean.
Sound interesting? Stick around for the rest of the guide if you want to learn more about using an air compressor as a pressure washer and whether you can use them the other way around!
Can An Air Compressor Become A Pressure Washer?
If you do not have an actual pressure washer at home, but you do have a good enough air compressor, you can always use the latter to create your own pressure washing device. It might not give you the most powerful jet stream, but it will suffice for some at-home cleaning.
You can use an existing air compressor as a pressure washer by using a pressure washer attachment on a garden hose that you connect on one end to the air compressor and on the other to a faucet. It might sound complicated at first, but do not worry. There will be a detailed step-by-step guide down below, so you can check it out for an overview of each step.
Now, let's get back to the air compressor!
The most significant issue is that air compressors are less powerful than pressure washers. A maintenance pressure washing machine put out a pressure of 2000 pounds per square inch. Regular pressure washers start at 1300 PSI and can reach a maximum of 1500 PSI.
I cannot say the same about air compressors. Their maximum PSI will be around 70, reaching about 100 only in rare cases. That is because the standard garden hose is not really a powerful jet stream tool, so it will not be able to generate the same amount of pressure.
A power washer can pressure wash the dirtiest mess in a matter of seconds. An air compressor washer might need twice or thrice the time to do the same. So, this is something to consider when deciding between the two.
When Can You Replace A Pressure Washer With An Air Compressor?
I have already mentioned that you can replace a pressure washer with an air compressor, although the pressure will not be the same. That said, using an air compressor has some benefits you need to know.
If you do not need a pressure washer for day-to-day work, you might not want to invest in one. Professional pressure washers cost a bit more than air compressors but have fewer uses. They are larger, heavier, difficult to transport, and need frequent and detailed maintenance.
If you invest in a compressor instead, you will be able to use it with various air tools for many different things. You can use it for inflating tires, blowing leaves from your porch, sanding or painting vehicles, etc. There are tons of uses for this tool that is not that expensive, to begin with!
To add, an air compressor can help you save garage space as it is not considered bulky equipment. It is lighter and portable, so you can easily take it wherever necessary. There are no larger motors to worry about, but the high pressure is there!
To top that off, air compressors are relatively easy to maintain. A bit of oiling here and there will do the trick. When you think about it, air compressors as pressure washers make a lot of sense for at-home use.
How to Use a Pressure Washer Attachment With An Air Compressor? - Step-By-Step
If you have an air compressor at home, you can easily turn it into an electric pressure washer with only a few attachments. The device will provide a water supply that will allow you to clean even some excessive build-up of dirt or grime.
There are various pressure washer attachments on the market right now, so it should be easy to find one that will work best for your situation. You can choose between attachments for pressurized air or pressurized water. Whenever you decide on the type of attachment you need, you can start assembling your DIY pressure washer. Here is the best way to go about it:
Step 1 - Gather your equipment and tools
Before you start doing anything, you should gather all the necessary tools to transform your air compressor into a pressure washer. That will save you a lot of time running around looking for the things needed. It will also help you assemble the new pressure washer at the right place, next to the needed water line connection.
So, get a pressure washer gun or some other kind of pressure washer attachment you want to use. Then, get a garden hose and ensure it comes with an adjustable hose nozzle, as you will need to attach it on both sides. Also, ensure you place these things and the air compressor close to a faucet or other water line.
You can move on to the next step when you have all this ready.
Step 2 - Start the air compressor
First, you need to check the type of air compressor you have. There are battery-powered, electricity-powered compressors, or those small ones you can attach to a power outlet in your car.
The best one, in this case, will be the compressor that uses electricity. You will need to plug the compressor in and turn it on so that it has enough time to build pressure on the inside. This type of compressor uses electric energy to create air pressure, so you must ensure it stays plugged in at all times.
Step 3 - Attach the water hose
Now, get your garden hose. On one side, connect it to the faucet. Depending on your needs and preferences, you can use cold or hot water.
On the other side, you should connect the garden hose to a water jet cleaning gun or pressure washer attachment. This also comes to your preferences. But ensure that the attachment you are using can handle higher pressure.
Step 4 - Ensure everything is tightened
Now, check to see if everything is tight enough. You need the attachment, garden hose, water faucet, and air compressor to be tightly connected. Otherwise, when you start the compressor and water, there will be spraying water from every part that is not tightened due to the high pressure.
Step 5 - Run the water
When you are sure everything is okay, start the compressor and water.
You can use your new pressure washer to clean whatever you need. You can also use a scrub brush to clean the extensive dirt while putting some dishwashing soap to remove stuck dirt.
All in all, you should be able to easily clean anything around the house just like you would with an actual pressure washer!
Wrap Up
Using a pressure washer as an air compressor is not that easy to do. Instead, you can try using an air compressor as a pressure washer with the help of a garden hose and a more powerful jet stream tool for high pressures.
If you have any experience with pressure washing, please share it in the comment below. I would love to know if you have ever tried to convert an air compressor into a pressure device and how it all went, so do not hesitate to share your stories!