Pressure Washing Without Shore Power

[WindermereColvic]

I always seem to spend hours at the start of each season scrubbing the topsides and deck clean of dirt and green stuff. Then a month later half of it has come back! So this year, I intend to pressure wash the boat in double quick time, then spend the rest of the 'cleaning weekend' waxing the thing to, hopefuly, slow down the regrowth of algae.

Which brings me to my question.
How do other people run pressure washers without a shore power connection? Do people hire petrol units, pay for a night in a marina, borrow big generators?
Any other innovative solutions?

Thanks as always, Matt

 

[grievesie]

Pressure Washing w/o shorepower

Use a small Honda 4 stroke genny - leave it in cockpit to do foredeck coachroof and side decks then move it to foredeck to do the cockpit. Works OK with small K'Archer pressure washer (100 bar).

 

[VicS]

A wash down with some very dilute chlorine bleach will kill the algae. It wont stop it coming back again but it takes a little longer.

 

[SJF]

How do other people run pressure washers without a shore power connection?

For washing our midstream Hamble River pontoon we bought a cheap petrol powered pressure washer (I think from eBay but can’t remember for sure now as it was a few years ago) and supplied it with water using a small rule bilge pump on an old broom handle dunked into the river and powered from the boats batteries.

This worked well for cleaning both the pontoon and the boat without mains power being available for several years and easily cost less than having the pontoon cleaned by someone every year. Sadly the pressure washer is now defunct having forgotten to flush it through with fresh water and the pump seized up

The pressure washer was similar to this one (although I don’t think we paid that much for ours)
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PETROL-PR...Home_Garden_PowerTools_SM&hash=item4601d8e1e3

 

[LadyInBed]

It's not just electricity you need but a water supply with some pressure behind it, as I think I am right in saying that pressure washers need to be supplied with water at some low level pressure.

I either go to somewhere that supplies water and power or if no power I use my 2kW generator.
I did once hire a petrol driven pressure washer that took in water without a priming pressure from a bucket, but as you can imagine, the bucket emptied in no time and I spent more time filling the bucket that pressure washing

 

[tom_sail]

This wont apply to you as its not a power washer. But for those with out a fresh water and a power supply..

I use this.

Pump it up and you get about the same amount of pressure as a hose pipe.

20 litres will last me a good 15 min of sprayer and cleaning.

 

[Kurrawong_Kid]

Use a small Honda 4 stroke genny - leave it in cockpit to do foredeck coachroof and side decks then move it to foredeck to do the cockpit. Works OK with small K'Archer pressure washer (100 bar).

Make sure the exhaust is not near the cockpit side or the GRP will be scorched and bubble. How do I know? Been there, done that!

 

[landlockedpirate]

It's not just electricity you need but a water supply with some pressure behind it, as I think I am right in saying that pressure washers need to be supplied with water at some low level pressure.

I either go to somewhere that supplies water and power or if no power I use my 2kW generator.
I did once hire a petrol driven pressure washer that took in water without a priming pressure from a bucket, but as you can imagine, the bucket emptied in no time and I spent more time filling the bucket that pressure washing

Karchers dont need pressured water in, they will actually suck water up.

I use a small Honda generator, works great.

 

[aquaplane]

Matt, it's about time you did something with that boat, she is looking unloved, I can say that because I spent all W/E scrubbing and rubbing Chiron

Have you asked the Wardens if you can use theirs, I know folks recovering boats can but there is a charge.

I have a petrol pressure washer but the head is off as the thread for the spark plug is stripped, I can't find a new head. The pressure washer works well when the engine runs. I have a container to fill with water just to prime the pump, then the container goes in the lake and the pump can draw up the water once it's going.

 

[rob2]

You should be able to get the head heli-coiled - it's a standard size, I believe. It may not be any cheaper than a bare head, but could save a lot of searching!

Rob.