In order to make a good choice, you should be aware of a few things when choosing a pressure washer kit. Moreover, it is important that the sandblasting kit is compatible with the pressure washer you are using on your project, in order to tackle jobs decently.
Here are several important factors to take into account before making a decision to buy a wet sandblasting kit for your pressure washer.
1. Check PSI
PSI is an abbreviation for pounds per square inch, and it measures the amount of pressure your washer can produce.
For domestic use, normally PSI ranges between 600 to 5000PSI. Portable electric pressure washers usually have 600 to 3000PSI but on the other hand, gas-powered pressure washers are more powerful having a PSI ranging between 2000PSI to 5000PSI.
In order for your pressure washer to function properly, it needs to be used in tandem with your wet sandblasting kit. You can’t use a low-rated sandblasting kit with your power washer because it’s not rated to deal with the pressure of water coming out of your pressure washer.
2. Consider GPM
GPM stands for gallons per minute, and it indicates how much water your washer uses.
The power of your power washer is determined by these two figures, PSI and GPM.
The point where the most failures are most frequent is the nozzle, where water and sand combine. It is also necessary to have a strong water wand that is able to support that heavy water flow from your pressure washer.
3. Nozzle Tip
You can use sandblasting to remove paint, rust, or other corrosion off metal from standing several feet away from the surface. Consider how much force sand and water come out of the nozzle tip of the pressure wand.
It is obvious that the nozzle tip must be extremely strong in order to withstand such high pressure and highly abrasive power. Your sandblaster kit’s nozzle tip will surely be damaged due to the high pressure of sand and water mixture beyond repair over time.
However, the type of tip you choose will have an effect on how much you can sandblast in a single fill before you need to replace it. There are typically three types of nozzle tips you can select for your pressure washer sandblasting kit.
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Carbide
Many industrial tools and equipment are made from carbide, a material containing carbon and metal and referred to as one of the toughest materials. As a result of their wear resistance, carbide nozzle tips are the most popular tips for sandblasting kits.
Moreover, a carbide material is also very corrosion-resistant, making it an ideal material for people using their pressure washers for sandblasting to remove rust, old paint or graffiti.
Of course, this means that they are the most expensive up-front. However, they are worth the investment in the long run because they save you the trouble of buying a new tip every time you need to sandblast.
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Ceramic
The ceramic nozzle tips are still the most widely used tips for sandblasting. The reason is they offer a great price to performance ratio.
Ceramic tips may not look strong at first glance because they are made out of natural materials. Despite their looks, the material used is highly resistant to wear and tear from sand abrasion.
While these tips are still not as long-lasting as carbide tips, they offer the advantage of being very affordable. This is because you can buy them for only a few bucks per piece.
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Steel
Although it may seem like ceramic tips would perform better compared to carbide and ceramic tips but that isn’t really true. Steel corrodes faster when exposed to high-pressure water or sand slurry.
As well, unless stainless steel is used, steel tends to corrode quickly which makes it unfit for use with a power washer. But on the other hand, steel is an excellent material for some other parts of the sandblaster, such as the sand intake wand.
4. Sand Hose
The sand hose and sand wand play an important role in the sand intake system of the wet sandblasting kit for a pressure washer.
The hose carries sand from your sandbag to the nozzle tip. where water is mixed with it and sprayed at the surface. Even though the hose only transports sand, it’s hardly ever damaged by abrasive force.
It is usually the most durable part of the sandblasting kit. Because of this, the majority of sandblasting sand hoses are made from rubber or plastic and those made from metal are rare.
Nevertheless, you want to be sure that the pressure washer’s sandblasting kit is working perfectly. It doesn’t matter if your electric power washer is weaker and has a lower PSI rating. It is advisable to not use hoses that are more than 20 feet long to ensure adequate sand intake.
5. Sand Wand
On one end of the sand hose, there is a sand wand for the sand intake. It is this part that you place inside the container with sand that sucks the sand in and transports it to the hose.
It needs to be quite sturdy since it will be used a lot. You can choose between stainless steel or hard plastic depending on your needs and budget.
These are all the important factors one should keep in mind before making a decision to buy the best pressure washer sandblasting kit for home use. If followed accurately, you will buy a long-lasting wet sandblasting kit for a variety of tasks in the future.