| Term | Explanation |
| Steam Cleaner | A somewhat outdated term for some forms of pressure washers, especially since the advent of small hand-held steam cleaners for grouting, curtains etc. Another factor was that it used to be virtually impossible to obtain very high pressures from older pump technology, whereas nowadays it is possible to obtain pump pressures of 200 bar (and more). Thus high temperature had to be used to achieve cleaning that nowdays is achieved through pressure and flow, so reducing the damage that heated chemicals can do to the surface being cleaned. Such machines these days are more correctly referred to as Hot Water Pressure Washers. Our range of Industrial Hot Water Mobile Pressure Washers can be viewed here and Industrial Hot Water Static Pressure Washers can be viewed here. |
| FSA System | A special flow sensitive Regulator that ensures no pressure remains trapped in the high-pressure line during bypass operation or shut down mode. Most of our machines feature the FSA System. Please visit our Pressure Washer Showroom to view our range. |
| Cavitation | An extremely complex issue, both to explain and fix, that can cause major damage and even catastrophic failure in a pump and associated system. Basically, cavitation occurs when air bubbles are formed (often due to a drop in pressure and/or rise in temperature) on the low pressure (suction) side of a pump and these then implode as they travel to the high pressure side across the pump vanes. As this happens there is a massive increase in pressure and temperature, and physical damage is done to the pump vanes and vibration (both physical and sonic) occurs that can damage or even destroy other components in the system. It is therefore vital to ensure that the flow/pressure of the water entering the pump meets the pump's requirements to minimise cavitation damage. |
| WRAS | Water Regulations Advisory Scheme. |
| Type 'A' Air Gap | The regulated gap between the maximum water level and the water inlet that ensures that water (dirty or contaminated) cannot flow or be drawn back into the water supply. Most of our machines all feature the Type A Air Gap. Please visit our Pressure Washer Showroom to view our range. |
| Jet Cleaner | Similarly to 'Steam Cleaner', Jet Cleaner has become an outmoded term for Hot or Cold Water Pressure Washer. Such machines these days are more correctly referred to as Hot or Cold Water Mobile (or Static) Pressure Washers. Our range of Industrial Hot Water Mobile Pressure Washers can be viewed here and Industrial Hot Water Static Pressure Washers can be viewed here. |
| High Pressure Chemical Low Pressure Chemical |
These are two very different methods of injecting the chemical into the waterflow. Put simply, in a High Pressure system, chemical is added to the water before it enters the pump so the the whole mix is passed through the pump and then through any heater and out to the lance. In a Low Pressure system, the chemical is added after the pump and often after heating and allowed to enter the water flow typically by adjusting the back-pressure against a non-return valve such that chemical is 'sucked' into the flow. All our pressure washers (see our Pressure Washer Showroom) are high pressure systems, but we can build a low pressure system for any use at any time. |
| Unloader Valve | A valve inserted into the system to ensure that pressure is allowed to be released (rather than build up and damage components), for instance when the trigger is released or when a block occurs in hose, trigger, gun, lance or nozzle. |
| 'Venturi' | The valve often used in a low pressure system to allow chemical to enter and mix with the water flow. Typically, the high pressure in the system keeps the valve closed - and thus chemical excluded. If the pressure is lowered (say, by increasing nozzle diameter or opening a second nozzle) the negative or reduced pressure across the valve allows it to release and chemical is drawn into the flow by the negative pressure. |
