Pressure Washers, taps, and hosepipes

[Nanako]

Hello all! I've always wanted to own a pressure washer, mostly for outdoor cleaning.
And i've found one within my budget, it's a

Titan TTB1800PRW​

I have not purchased it yet, i'm doing my research first. And i figure what better way to find out what this thing is capable of, than reading the manual, so i found it online

I'm surprised to find that it needs to be supplied water with a hosepipe connection, i had thought it would have an internal tank i could just fill up. But i giess not. This is a bit of an issue, i don't own a hose, and don't really have anywhere made for connecting it

There are three acessible water outlets in my home. The kitchen taps, bathroom taps, and the shower. I don't know if any/all of these would be suitable for feeding a pressure washer, there are definitely special adaptors made for taps to use hoses. I do not have the kind of outdoor tap that is designed for this

Looking in the titan manual, it has this warning section:

WARNING! This product is not intended to be connected to the
potable water mains!
Observe the regulations of your local utility company when connecting
the product to a water supply line! It is prohibited to connect this
product to the drinking water facility without a backflow preventer which
corresponds to EN 12729 Type BA or EN 61770! Make sure that the
hose is at least a diameter of min. Ø 12.7 mm (1/2“) and is reinforced!

And that scares me
i dont know what a backflow preventer is, or whether i have one, no idea how to find out. Is it something i should buy myself? I would rather not modify my plumbing at all

i'm a little bit at a loss here, what are my options for using a pressure washer?

 

[jj4091]

It depends what your inteneded use will be but a google search for one of these may be a suitable alternative for you. " battery operated no hose pressure washer uk " . I was quite impressed by the one I used.
I didn't provide a direct link because they often don't seem to work.

 

[dilalio]

Best thing is to put a tee through the wall and an outside tap.

It's usually a very simple job... Depends where your kitchen sink is and if on an outside wall.

 

[BS3036]

And most outside taps include a built-in double check valve to prevent backflow.

 

[dilalio]

And most outside taps include a built-in double check valve to prevent backflow.

But are not allowed under WRAS as a new install... only when replacing existing.

 

[BS3036]

But are not allowed under WRAS as a new install... only when replacing existing.

Yes, I thought the rules had changed; but you didn't mention the need for an inside check valve either. An inside shutoff would also useful for freezing weather. My outside tap was put in long before the latest rules so I really need to look it all up.

 

[CountryFan]

Yes, I thought the rules had changed; but you didn't mention the need for an inside check valve either. An inside shutoff would also useful for freezing weather. My outside tap was put in long before the latest rules so I really need to look it all up.

The "latest" rules changed in 1999. Before that were local bylaws, some of which still exist but just renamed under the current legislation. Not only is an inside shut off useful - this also falls under the water regulations, so is a must rather than just useful. So is a drain off and insulation where required.

 

[Nanako]

Best thing is to put a tee through the wall and an outside tap.

It's usually a very simple job... Depends where your kitchen sink is and if on an outside wall.

i know this is the plumbing forum, but i'm looking for advice on how to work and interface with what i've got. Doing any kind of new plumbing is strictly off the table here. for a lot of reasons, but scope creep is a good enough one

this rule about backflow prevention, how important is it really? Is it one of those things a manufacturer just throws in to cover their ass, or could this result in serious trouble and cost for me?

 

[Nanako]

It depends what your inteneded use will be but a google search for one of these may be a suitable alternative for you. " battery operated no hose pressure washer uk " . I was quite impressed by the one I used.
I didn't provide a direct link because they often don't seem to work.

battery powered? whyyy , i'm fine with mains power, and surely a battery operated device is going to be weaker

its nice to hear that hoseless versions do exist, but i wonder what kind of running time you can expect with a tank of water? I've really no idea how much volume such a device actually uses

 

[denso13]

Is it one of those things a manufacturer just throws in to cover their ass, or could this result in serious trouble and cost for me?

At the extremes, people have died because of contaminated water. It's about water quality and safety.