The Professional's Guide To Pressure Washer Hoses

When dragging a pressurized hose over concrete and curbs, it's best to be confident that your hose is built to handle the abuse. In this article, we will talk about Pressure Washer Hoses: how to pick the right one, what features to look for, and the advantages of using a quality, commercial-grade pressure washer hose from Legacy.

Comparing Smooth, Wrapped, & Non-Marking Coatings

In order to handle the wear and tear of professional use, high-pressure hoses have a durable outer coating. Hoses commonly come in either wrapped or smooth styles, which refers to the texture of the external jacket. But, as you may know… they often leave marks on the ground, which is not ideal for surfaces you just cleaned.

Non-marking hoses are ideal for surfaces where leaving marks is a concern, especially on surfaces like warehouse floors or when using surface cleaners. The outer coating is a bit softer on these though, so keep in mind that these won't last as long as their marking counterparts.

If marking is not a concern, standard black-wrapped hoses will last a bit longer and are especially popular in oil fields and areas with lots of dirt and debris.

Smooth hoses are nice as they tend to pick up less dirt, and are easier to clean with a rag as you wind them back into your hose reel. But, because of the nature of the smoothness of the hose, Smooth hoses may “stick” to certain materials, causing more drag while cleaning. Boiler room floors, assembly lines, and warehouse floors can sometimes be difficult to slide smooth hoses across.

Single Wire Vs. Double Wire Pressure Washer Hoses

Let's talk about the difference between 1 and 2 wire hoses.

This refers to the metal sheath inside the hose- Either there is one wire braid, or two.

2 wire is more durable and handles higher pressures, but is heavier and harder to bend.

Generally, 1 wire hoses are rated to handle up to 3500-4200 psi, while some 2 wire hoses can handle 5000-6000 PSI. If you need the pressure, get the 2 wire, but the benefit of weight and agility leads many users to stick with a 1 wire hose.

What Length Of Pressure Washer Hose Is Ideal for My Needs?

Determining the right length for you is important when purchasing a hose, so what do we recommend?

It ultimately depends on the user and their application, but as a general rule of thumb, operators will benefit by choosing the shortest hose that they can get away with. This is because long hoses are a drag… literally. Longer hoses are harder to work with due to weight and increased friction across the ground, not to mention the pressure drop that occurs in long hoses. It may not be noticeable for most users, but for those running several hundreds of feet of hose for parking lots of sidewalks, this can become an issue. Even then, moving your pressure washer to cover more ground is sometimes preferable to using a longer hose.

No matter what length you decide to go with, Legacy has you covered with a lineup ranging from as short as 15’ to as long as 200’.

For more on hose length, read our article, “Do Pressure Washers Work Better With Longer Hoses?"

Which Size Hose Is Best?

What about the size, AKA the I.D. (Internal Diameter) of a hose? There are a few factors that come into play when we are talking about thickness. First, the thicker the hose, the less internal resistance of the water due to friction on the walls of the hose, and therefore less pressure drop. So, less pressure drop for thicker hoses, more pressure drop in thinner hoses. If the flow rate is important, you should go with a larger internal diameter hose. 

That said, thicker hoses are heavier. Dragging around a ½ inch hose is more strenuous than a ⅜ inch hose in the field. Some users find a compromise between weight and pressure drop by running a thicker hose for the first 100’ feet or so, and then running a smaller I.D. hose on the operator end. The thickness you choose will depend on your application, but keep in mind, it might be worth it to run a smaller I.D. hose for the sake of agility and comfort.

What About Hoses With QC Ends?

Speaking of agility, some hoses have connection features that make them quicker to operate than others. Most hoses will come with threaded ends that you can screw directly into your pressure washer, trigger gun, or other accessories, but most operators will thread on a quick coupler to save time. If you want to save even more time, we offer hoses with Quick coupler ends already attached. 

Hoses With Built In Swivels

Also, If you're tired of wrestling with your hose, be sure to look out for versions with swivel ends. If you run your machine without a swivel- you are making cleaning much harder on yourself than it has to be. Swivel ends on hoses make the hose much easier to maneuver, and won't kink or bunch up as you are cleaning. Now, you can purchase a separate swivel to add to your existing hose, but an integrated swivel means less bulk, less weight, and fewer potential leak points.

Why You Should Choose Legacy Pressure Washer Hoses

So now that you know the ins and outs of pressure washer hoses, how does the Legacy line stack up? These are built for professional applications - for commercial cleaners that run their equipment daily at high pressures in tough conditions. Our Legacy hoses are built to exceed the EN1829-2 standard, so you can expect superior abrasion resistance for the life of the hose. 

The Legacy line checks all the boxes, featuring rugged wrapped, smooth, and non-marking options.

In addition, we offer hoses ranging from 15’ to 200’ in length, along with bulk hoses up to 1000’. Our connections accommodate ⅜, ¼, and ½ inch thread sizes, as well as quick coupler connections.

Our inventory includes both single and double-wire braid hoses, featuring durable 8" bend restrictors on each end. The 1 Wire hoses are rated up to 4000 PSI, while the 2 Wire hoses can handle pressures of up to 6000 PSI. For enhanced maneuverability during cleaning tasks, we offer models with swivel fittings integrated on one or both ends of the hose.

Clean with confidence! Are you ready to shop? Browse commercial grade pressure washer hoses here. Remember, if you have any other questions, your Dealer Expert is on standby to assist you. Click to connect with your dealer here!

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