When it comes to choosing a spray tip for your Alkota industrial hot pressure washer, the options can feel overwhelming.

You might find yourself wondering what difference it makes. A nozzle is a nozzle, right?

Wrong.

Choosing the wrong spray tip can actually cause significant damage to the surface you’re cleaning or the pressure washer you are using. That’s why it’s so important to choose correctly. If you don’t, you could end up with an even bigger mess than you started out with—one that might not be so easy to clean up.

The Seven Types of Spray Tips

Before we discuss how to choose the correct nozzle, we’ll go over the seven most universal types.

There are five different colored nozzles and two combination nozzles. The colors are universal, no matter the brand of pressure washer.

0º – Red Blast Nozzle: This produces the most narrow and powerful stream of water. 

15º – Yellow Stripping Nozzle: This uses a small angled spray for focused cleaning. 

25º – Green Lifting Nozzle: This uses a medium angled spray to wash sensitive and soft surfaces, with a gentle lifting action.

40º – White Spraying Nozzle: This offers the widest angle of spray for quick cleaning. 

And now, for the combination nozzles.

Turbo or Rotary Nozzle: The turbo/rotary nozzle is a combination of the 0º and 25º nozzles, utilizing the force of the 0º tip and the spray area of the 25º tip. Additionally, because of the nozzle’s unique rotating feature, the spray is cone-shaped.

Adjustable or Variable Nozzle: This final nozzle type is nearly self-explanatory. The adjustable/variable tip includes all five tips in one, allowing users to switch between spraying functions.

How to Choose the Correct Spray Tip

Now that you’re familiar with the seven most common types of nozzles, it’s time to learn which nozzles are best for your specific cleaning projects.

As we said before, choosing the wrong nozzle could potentially lead to damage, including stripping paint from a vehicle or even powering through brick and mortar.

The thing about pressure washers is that it doesn’t matter how high your PSI is, if you aren’t using the right nozzle it can be hard to get the job done correctly. The nozzle is where the pressure is created.

A Basic Nozzle for every job: Examples

Here are some examples of how we use each of our Alkota pressure washer nozzles in day to day cleaning situations. We’ve organized these from most concentrated cleaning power to least.

For tough jobs, like removing caked-on mud or stubborn rust from a strong surface such as heavy duty construction equipment or thick concrete, use the 0º nozzle. Keep in mind that the intensely focused strength of the 0º nozzle makes it nearly useless for anything but the toughest jobs. This is why it’s rarely used outside of extreme situations. Its cousin, the turbo nozzle, is a bit more forgiving due to its widened spray, making it a more popular choice. 

The next most powerful nozzle is the 15º nozzle, and it’s often used for prepping surfaces that need to be painted. Its slightly wider spray makes it ideal for cleaning up surfaces while still using significant force.

Now, when it comes to day-to-day, household or general cleaning use, the 25º nozzle is your best bet. Its gentle lifting power makes it ideal for cleaning more sensitive equipment and surfaces like boats, cars, decks or patios.

Taking it even further, the 40º nozzle can be used on surfaces as sensitive as windowpanes, doors, or certain types of blinds.

Other Nozzle Options

The remaining three nozzles—soaping (black), turbo, and adjustable—are to be used as necessary.

If your job involves grease and grime, it likely requires some detergent, and thus a 65º Soaping Nozzle. As discussed earlier, if you need significant force the turbo nozzle is a good alternative to the 0º nozzle, and of course, an adjustable nozzle provides all-in-one access to the different types.

For more information on nozzle usage, check out the following video from Alkota team member.

Not so overwhelming anymore, is it?

Surface + Grime Type = Nozzle Required

As you’re making your decision on the type of nozzle to use, take into consideration the surface you’re cleaning and the level of dirt or grime you need to remove.

And remember, the greater the distance between the nozzle and the cleaning surface, the lighter the pressure will be. Try adjusting your distance before switching from a gentle nozzle to a more intense one.

Pressure washers wield a lot of power, especially Alkota industrial models. They’re phenomenal cleaning tools, but they must be used with caution, taking your cleaning surface into account.

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