Is A Hot Water Pressure Washer Worth It? Here's What Owners Say

Browse the range of many major pressure washer brands, and you'll find they offer both hot and cold pressure washers. Hot water pressure washers can be significantly more expensive, but they offer a number of benefits. Heated water can clean a surface more effectively than cold water, particularly when that surface is covered in a thick layer of oil or grease. This makes hot water pressure washers especially useful for cleaning automotive parts like engines, or in kitchens, where surfaces need frequent grease removal. In the latter case, hot water pressure washers also have the added benefit of helping to reduce bacteria and viruses, which in turn cuts down on the amount of detergent that needs to be used.

Whether or not a hot water pressure washer is worth it mainly comes down to what you're planning on using it for. One owner on Reddit commented that they "use [their] hot water units for restaurants and retail locations," adding that, "It does help on regular sidewalk and driveway cleaning as well." Another owner claimed they've "been using hot water on all commercial cleaning jobs for 12+ years," while a different owner said that hot water pressure washers are "great if [you're] doing interior kitchen work."

All these owners used their hot water pressure washers in a professional capacity. If you're just looking to use your pressure washer around the house, they're less likely to be worth the additional cost.

Aside from the additional cost, using a hot water pressure washer also comes with other drawbacks. Most will need more maintenance compared to a cold water pressure washer, thanks to the presence of the additional heating components. An owner posting on Detailing World also noted that using hot water for cleaning vehicles can easily result in paint or trim damage. It can be easy enough to damage your car's paint by using the wrong PSI when washing it, so adding heat into the mix probably isn't worth the additional risk unless you're a professional.

The same owner also said that the hot water pressure washer's smoke and smell were notable drawbacks. Some washers use diesel to power their heaters, while others have an electric boiler. Electric units are suitable for use in indoor spaces, while diesel units must only be used in well-ventilated spaces. Despite their limitations, some owners claim that they're worth the investment. An owner on Garage Journal calls a hot water pressure washer, "a buy once, cry once tool," meaning that if you buy a good one, it'll last. They said that they've had theirs for over two decades, and it's still in working order. While users with generous budgets might find the investment worthwhile, most everyday users won't be missing out by opting for a cold water unit instead.

How worthwhile a hot water pressure washer is for any individual buyer will vary significantly based on their intended use case. To evaluate their overall usefulness, we gathered online comments and opinions from a wide variety of owners across forums and social media, covering a range of both commercial and personal uses. We combined this owner feedback with information from hot water pressure manufacturers, like Kärcher and Hotsy, regarding the intended applications and capabilities of their respective products. This article's intention is to provide an objective look at the benefits and drawbacks of hot pressure washers, and is not intended to be an individual recommendation on whether or not buying one is worthwhile for any specific buyer.