Which Pressure Washer Nozzle Should You Use?

Reader Contribution by Bryan Johnson and Dr Power Equipment
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Pressure washers are a great way to clean all kinds of surfaces around your home: vinyl siding, stucco, concrete, stone walkways, brick, boats, cars and trucks, power equipment, garage floors, and more. If you have a pressure washer or are considering buying one, you’ve probably noticed that there are all kinds of pressure washer nozzles to choose from. The nozzles are color-coded to make it easy to choose the one that you need, and the colors are universal. But which pressure washer nozzle is right for which jobs?

Nozzles Explained

Pressure washers spray water in a V shape from the end of the wand. Each nozzle that you add to the end of the wand will spray water in a wider or narrower V, depending on what degree angle it is designed to spray at. For example, a 15° angle is a fairly narrow V, while a 40° is significantly wider.

With a narrower spray (a low-degree nozzle), you get more pressure in your spray, but it is spread over a small area. With a wider spray (a higher-degree nozzle) you get less pressure, but it covers more area. If you are purchasing nozzles for your pressure washer, be sure to get the correct nozzles for your machine. Refer to this handy pressure washer nozzle chart for guidance when choosing a nozzle for your next pressure washer project:

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