# Washing with a hose but no tap



## Simon13 (Aug 5, 2013)

Hi everyone,

I've seen one or two questions about the best way to wash the car when there's no access to a hose pipe.

My question's slightly different. I live in a block of flats with no access to an outdoor tap. I'd like to wash my car and also offer to valet my neighbours' cars, and ideally I'd prefer to use a hose for the pre-wash and final rinse.

I don't mind carrying several 20 litre buckets of water out to each car, if necessary. Can anyone suggest a hosepipe system that could feed from one or more buckets? The pump could be mains voltage, but I would be powering it (via a transformer) from some kind of portable car battery booster or similar.

Thanks,

Simon


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## lowejackson (Feb 23, 2006)

Sorry, cannot answer the question about hosepipe systems but might be worth considering a rinseless shampoo if water is not easily accessible


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## Naddy37 (Oct 27, 2005)

How about one of those 18v portable pressure washers?


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## InfinityLoop (Feb 11, 2013)

Mate lives in a block of flats just bought 2 x 50m hose from Screwfix for like £40 and then joined them and dropped it out the window?


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## Simon13 (Aug 5, 2013)

Thanks for the idea, that's actually a pretty decent alternative. I think it could get a bit impractical for me though - I'm on the second floor, and I'm not sure how well the pressure from my kitchen tap would work or how it would be connected.

A bucket-fed pressure washer could be ideal though. As well as the pressure jet, I'd like to be able to use it as a gentle rinse spray for sheeting off the excess water.

Does anyone know if I might even be able to use a pressure washer in combination with a snow foam gun?


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## deano93tid (May 8, 2013)

If you were to run the hose from your tap out the window the water will naturally be forced down due to gravity so the pressure from the tap will only increase that ten fold, the is no reason why you cannot use a pressure washer from your tap unless you have a block somewhere and it means the tap drips out on full blast.

We all manage to run a pressure washer off normal taps so can't see why you wouldn't be able to but it will be a ball ache doing it each time you want to use it, an x hose that expands when wet maybe something you could use looking at one myself.

Chemical guys also have a washing system quite pricey but it sounds ideal for your situation - http://www.chemicalguysuk.com/product_p/pod.htm

Took me ages to find that link lol, just seen the birds in the pics advertising it think I might have been sold one.


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## Simon13 (Aug 5, 2013)

Hi Dean,

Good point about the water supply. The only thing is that it's a kitchen tap and has one of those mesh inserts in the outlet, and of course it doesn't have the kind of Hozelock attachment that makes it really easy to connect a standard hose.

The CG Pod certainly looks good in the photos  I'll look into it, thanks.


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## Strongey (Apr 16, 2013)

There are hose lock attachments for taps pal they screw over the outlet. Just nip to b&q or the like


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## Naddy37 (Oct 27, 2005)

There are much cheaper versions of the Chemical Guys Pods available, eg 18v Nomad Pressure Washer.


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## deano93tid (May 8, 2013)

neilos said:


> There are much cheaper versions of the Chemical Guys Pods available, eg 18v Nomad Pressure Washer.


This is very true I had forgotten about that one.

Here's the adaptors for the tap -

http://www.easywatering.co.uk/acatalog/hozelock_multitap_2274.html?gclid=CJe08-6T8LgCFcLHtAod_isAnA

http://www.tesco.com/direct/hozeloc...pid=575-4179&gclid=CODIse-T8LgCFcjKtAodN2QArw

We used to use the first link one at the old house prior to having an outside tap and it used to leak quite a lot but that could have been due to it being old and poor fitments to our tap or the seals had knackered but either way for the price give it a go and see if it works for you.


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## Lowiepete (Mar 29, 2009)

I am just amazed at the lengths that people will go to just for the sake of
having access to a hose. This when seriously good alternatives exist that will
more than halve the work involved, most of it either before or after you've done 
the car washing. I feel exhausted just reading this thread; all that kerfuffle????

Regards,
Steve


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## Zolasbackheel (Feb 11, 2013)

Lowiepete said:


> I am just amazed at the lengths that people will go to just for the sake of
> having access to a hose. This when seriously good alternatives exist that will
> more than halve the work involved, most of it either before or after you've done
> the car washing. I feel exhausted just reading this thread; all that kerfuffle????
> ...


I have started using waterless washes and other alternatives myself as its really difficult for me to get a hose to my car. You are right that it can reduce the time taken but I never feel my car is thoroughly clean like I do with a pressure washer and dont feel comfortable with a waterless wash when i have lots of mud on my car.

Just because a system works for you doesn't mean it will work for everybody else


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## Lowiepete (Mar 29, 2009)

Zolasbackheel said:


> ...dont feel comfortable with a waterless wash when i have lots of mud on my car.


Believe me, neither do I! But, I'm not so much an advocate of waterless washes,
as for rinseless ones. That way, there's extra water available if and when its
needed, but still without any real need for a hose. Waterless washes, for the 
time being, are an expensive way to wash a car. Prices are starting to fall, but 
still nowhere near where they need to be.

Regards,
Steve


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## Zolasbackheel (Feb 11, 2013)

Lowiepete said:


> Believe me, neither do I! But, I'm not so much an advocate of waterless washes,
> as for rinseless ones. That way, there's extra water available if and when its
> needed, but still without any real need for a hose. Waterless washes, for the
> time being, are an expensive way to wash a car. Prices are starting to fall, but
> ...


Agree, I have a large store of waterless wash product that my brother got me but do prefer the likes of ONR and Low on Eau. Occasionally though I will go to the local petrol station which has a pay as you go pressure washer and i will shift a load of the crap and clean alloys, wheel arches etc before going home to continue cleaning with a little more confidence.

IMO rinseless washes are great for people who regularly clean cars and want to stay on top of things. As the OP was going to detail his neighbours car though which i guess would be quite dirty and not had the attention that most of our cars have had I'm not sure a rinseless wash is the way forward especially if claying and using tar/iron removers.


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## Rayner (Aug 16, 2012)

Zolasbackheel said:


> Agree, I have a large store of waterless wash product that my brother got me but do prefer the likes of ONR and Low on Eau. Occasionally though I will go to the local petrol station which has a pay as you go pressure washer and i will shift a load of the crap and clean alloys, wheel arches etc before going home to continue cleaning with a little more confidence.
> 
> IMO rinseless washes are great for people who regularly clean cars and want to stay on top of things. As the OP was going to detail his neighbours car though which i guess would be quite dirty and not had the attention that most of our cars have had I'm not sure a rinseless wash is the way forward especially if claying and using tar/iron removers.


I've done a couple of full details using ONR and the Gary Dean method. Only problem I've had is after iron x where it keeps on bleeding from behind badges so now I use iron x paste. Takes a little longer than the spray but does a great job. Just wipe the surface over with a onr'd towel after tar/ iron removers. No probs to date


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## Simon13 (Aug 5, 2013)

Thanks guys, some useful responses.

It looks like it wouldn't be too difficult to connect a hose to my kitchen tap, and feed it through the window and down to ground level, where it wouldn't actually be too far from the parking bay that I usually use (which is usually furthest from anyone else, and has a bit of space to work in ) I could either use it as a regular hose or hook it up to a pressure washer.

About "waterless" washing. Although I'm a newbie at this and can't give a professional opinion, I don't think I'd want to do any work on the car unless it'd been given a really good rinse first. Suppose I have something like the Chemical Guys EcoPod, and maybe there's a really stubborn bird dropping. All the time I'm working on the dropping, I'm using up my product rather than just plain water. And if I don't fully remove it, I could end up sealing it in? And finally, after using the waterless wash, does it restrict my options for applying certain waxes or sealants? I can see how waterless could work well on a car that's kept clean and waxed, so that the bird dropping wouldn't have been difficult to remove in the first place. If I'm going to offer valeting services though, I really should be prepared for something as challenging as say a Land Rover that's just been on an off-roading weekend.

I think my favourite option so far would be a bucket-fed, portable pressure washer, maybe something like the Nomad. I'd like to connect a foam gun to the pressure washer though, if anyone knows whether that's an option?


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## chrisgreen (Mar 30, 2012)

Do take a look at the Clas Olhson 12v rechargeable portable pressure washer, currently on sale for £69.99: http://www.clasohlson.com/uk/12-V-Cordless-Pressure-Washer/18-4407

Holds 17 litres of water in its removable tank, will easily do 3-4 tankfuls of water on a single charge, though 2 tankfuls is more than enough for a big car. Can be recharged via mains or 12v car power socket (both leads supplied).

It is not a replacement for a normal pressure washer, but if you don't have easy facilities to use one, this is an absolute godsend and so useful for cleaning the car and a variety of other things. May well prove to be more practical for you than trying to connect and run a hose from your kitchen tap (though it is doable, used to do it when I was a kid and we lived in a flat in Central London, but it can be a faff).

Certainly beats messing around with ONR and all that other waterless wash nonsense.


Untitled by Chris Green, on Flickr


Untitled by Chris Green, on Flickr


12v Cordless Power Washer by Chris Green, on Flickr


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## Simon13 (Aug 5, 2013)

Chris, thanks for the extra info and photos. Useful to hear from someone who actually owns one, as you clearly do. For what it seems capable of, it looks like a great price as well. I have just been watching a promotional video of what seems to be exactly the same product but with different branding.

http://www.alfresco-gurus.co.uk/

It just seems like the washer might struggle a bit to deliver anything more than a light rinse.

I appreciate the advice on the portable washers out there, but today I've done quite a bit of research. I'm now looking at a mains spec pressure washer, to be powered by a beefy deep-cycle "leisure battery" via a beefy sine wave inverter, and drawing water from a bucket. Having my own little mobile "mains" supply will also allow me to use my vacuum cleaner for internal cleaning and maybe (eventually) a machine polisher.


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## chrisgreen (Mar 30, 2012)

Simon13 said:


> Chris, thanks for the extra info and photos. Useful to hear from someone who actually owns one, as you clearly do. For what it seems capable of, it looks like a great price as well. I have just been watching a promotional video of what seems to be exactly the same product but with different branding.
> http://www.alfresco-gurus.co.uk/


Yep - that is exactly the same unit that ClasOlhson are putting their own Cotech badge on. In fact a few people have rebadged them as their own, all at wildly varying prices. Clas Olhson seem to alway be the cheapest by quite some way though.

Like I said, it's not going to be a like-for-like replacement for a mains pressure washer fed by a decent high-pressure water supply. However, it will deliver more than enough water and pressure to rinse a light to moderately dirty car (and of course rinse after washing), and be considerably less hassle if a good water supply and/or mains power are difficult to run out to the car.


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## Rayner (Aug 16, 2012)

I haven't read the last 2 posts but there are definitely limits to waterless and rinseless washing with regard to mud imo. 

Mildly muddy isn't a problem as I prove to myself every couple of weeks but proper mud is when I bring the PW out.


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## Simon13 (Aug 5, 2013)

To be honest, regarding inverters and so on, I might be getting a bit ahead of myself - I'd be looking at over £500 of equipment and this is for a part-time weekend business that's still in the planning stage.

If I do a few good (albeit low profit) two-bucket washes on my neighbours' cars and it looks like there'll be more business, then I'll be happy to invest in all that expensive mains-powered gear. For now maybe the CoTech is a good washer to start with. I'm sure it'd be fine for the final rinse. If it really can do a good job of rinsing off mud and grit before I get my mitts on the paintwork, then so much the better.


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## mike41 (Apr 5, 2011)

You said you don't mind carrying a few 20 litre buckets of water downstairs from your flat.
If I was in your position, I'd just run a hose down from the kitchen/bathroom and make do with the pressure from that. If the car was really dirty you can always go to a local filling station and use their jetwash first? 
That portable pressure washer holds 17 litres of water,you'll have to faff around filling it beforehand somehow,whether it's inside or outside. My Nilfisk c110 can fill a 20 litre bucket in around a couple of minutes,how long will the cordless one take to use 17 litres up,hoe often will you have to fill it,carrying more buckets of water downstairs from your flat,and more importantly will the pressure be any better than a hose? 
Mike


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## Simon13 (Aug 5, 2013)

Good point, I don't really think it could compete with a mains-powered pressure washer. I just had a look at the Nilfisk c110 on Screwfix. Just £80 and look at all the accessories you get! For mains-powered washers, would you recommend the c110 and what're your thoughts on Nilfisk versus Karcher or others?

A regular hose would probably be fine for my own car, due to its generally clean condition and because my usual parking bay is the closest to my kitchen window. But I dunno... using buckets might still be quicker than getting the hose set up. And more flexible when working on neighbours' cars elsewhere in the car park.


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## mike41 (Apr 5, 2011)

I havent used a karcher to compare with the nilfisk. My only previous pw was a power devil. Incidentally the same bayonet fitting as the nilfisk but nowhere near as good. I got mine from www.cleanstore.co.uk -its a regraded one and cost £35 inc delivery with I think a 3 month warranty? It could be extended, but for the money I figured it wasn't worth it. Ive had it 6 months now and am more than happy with it. Regarding carrying 20l buckets of water about the place, I wash my car in a lane next to the house and find carrying 2 plus a smaller 15l one for the wheels 25 metres out the kitchen door, around the house and out the garden to the car is more than enough for me :thumb:
Mike


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## Simon13 (Aug 5, 2013)

I think it's probably a little less than 25 metres from my front door out to my car. The thing is though, all my neighbours have the same problem of having no hosepipe to wash their cars with. If I start washing their cars, they'll feel like they're getting more value for their money if they see me carrying these huge buckets around


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## Bartl (Apr 3, 2013)

Mate of mine taps in to the main supply on the road out side his flat. Looked pritty simple.


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## mike41 (Apr 5, 2011)

Bartl said:


> Mate of mine taps in to the main supply on the road out side his flat. Looked pritty simple.


How does he do that?
Mike


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## james_death (Aug 9, 2010)

You mentioned running a pump of a 12v battery, how would you run a power washer?

Have a nomad and onr and a power washer and a snow foam lance.

The hose out the window is simplest it seams for you but all methods have there place.


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## Simon13 (Aug 5, 2013)

Simplicity is no longer an issue - I'm now determined to eventually go "wireless" with my mains vacuum and a pressure washer because it'll be a heck of a lot of fun!

I did some Googling and a lot of the most useful answers came from old threads on DW. But rather than give you a load of links, I'll try to summarise how it would work. Most people here wanting to draw their "mains" power from a battery seem to be mobile detailers looking to replace their generators with something quieter or more compact. The mains-powered equipment needs 240V, alternating current. An "inverter" is the device that takes a direct current source, like the 12V DC from a car battery, and converts it to AC while cranking up the voltage to the equivalent of mains. The inverter would incorporate a standard 3-pin socket for the pressure washer to plug in to. Best to get an inverter that produces a clean sine wave (a smooth alternation of the current, as provided by the real mains). It also needs to be rated to handle the power that will be demanded by the machine that's plugged in.

The power source itself (which connects to the inverter) would be a vehicle battery, but not the usual lead-acid kind, because they're not good at delivering large sustained levels of power and don't cope well with going flat. Instead you want a deep-cycle "leisure battery" which I think are used to power appliances in boats, caravans etc. In a mobile setup in a van, the leisure battery would be wired in to the alternator and the engine would be started if necessary to prevent the leisure battery from going flat (acting like a generator).

For my setup, I would charge the leisure battery between jobs using a mains charger.


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## chrisgreen (Mar 30, 2012)

Sounds like a shedload of cost and hassle for no real benefit. But, if you really want to do it, best of luck & do let us knowhow you get on. There will be several of us, pros and home detailers, interested in whether your plan works as intended.


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## paralla (Dec 7, 2011)

A Nilfisk CT110 pressure washer is 1.4Kw, weighs 6.6kg and costs about £60
A 2KVA inverter is 3kg and costs about £400 
A 70ah Gel (so it doesn't spill acid when you move it about) leisure battery weighs about 20kg and costs about £115. 70Ah should last about 40 minutes

So that's about 30kg and £575 worth of equipment that you need to carry down from your flat to wash the car and a couple of buckets of water.

For that money you could easily get a petrol powered one if you think your neighbours would tolerate it. http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/p/c...e-driven-pressure-washer/?SEAPCM1300&0&t5_571

At 7L/min for the Nilfisk or the petrol powered one you are going to get about 2.5 minutes use from a 20L bucket of water.

If you go for a mains powered one I think you are better off forgetting the battery and using the cars battery instead. Connect the inverter to the car battery and then just leave the car idling to keep it charged from the alternator.

I'd use a hose from the kitchen tap.

If you decide to go ahead it's really important that the inverter stays dry, so you don't kill yourself.


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## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

Extension lead, pressure washer, bucket full of water......job done :detailer:

It's how i beat i the hosepipe ban.


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## Jonny_R (Oct 23, 2012)

What about a combination of the 2? will be more costly like but by the sounds of it your worried on using your kitchen tap direct.

hose from your window/ kitchen tap (low pressure) into a large water butt on the ground floor which you can fill up

Then draw off the water butt for the pressure washer


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## cleanasawhistle (Nov 17, 2014)

Simon13 said:


> Chris, thanks for the extra info and photos. Useful to hear from someone who actually owns one, as you clearly do. For what it seems capable of, it looks like a great price as well. I have just been watching a promotional video of what seems to be exactly the same product but with different branding.
> 
> http://www.alfresco-gurus.co.uk/
> 
> ...


Alright mate. I'm planning on doing exactly the same. I live on 1st floor, a flat, but my car (if i get the parking space) can be parked under my kitchen window with the hose and mains cable crossing one path. The car is only 20ft from the window, but I don't always get the space. I also have to make sure both spaces are empty so i don't wash half of the car next to me. So, as you can imagine, the only time I get this space, it is either raining or I don't have time.

Now, because I'm determined to wash with my own pressure washer, I bought the Nilfisk C110 last week for £42 (Maplin) and gave it a go. The hose is the nightmare, so I have now ordered a 25l water carrier to play with and maybe end up ordering 1 or 2 more to get enough for a full wash. I would consider getting a cheap generator to power it if I got a bargain, which would allow me to park somewhere away from home and do it in my own time, without the threat of curtain twitching neighbours, watching me. For now though, I'm going to be pressure washing in a quiet corner, always empty, but further from the kitchen window. I will only be running my 50M extension lead instead, needing the full length, feeding from 1 or 2 25l containers.

Because your post was last year, I'm interested in hearing how you got on with your idea, so maybe you could give us an update. Thanks

Mark.


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## SuperchargedLlama (Apr 25, 2008)

So, something else you could try if you really want a hose. You're in a flat, right? I assume its rented?

It's a bit dodgy as you don't own it but you could a plumber to fit an out door tap on the cold water feed for your sink (probably in an under the sink cupboard, right? - landlord would never see it). Then you could plug in a regular hose to it.

I'd just make sure you had a bucket underneath it incase the hose leaks.


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## scratcher (Jul 20, 2010)

Do what Shiny has suggested. Get a pressure washer that can draw water from a bucket. Or just go rinse less, that's what I've done for washing my own car. Lowiepete has made some fantastic, confidence boosting threads on the topic 
I moved into a 4th floor apartment last September and haven't used a hose on my own car since before then. If it's ever really bad, a pound at the petrol station jet wash will have it rinsed down (although that's not an option on other people's cars).
I did think about the hose out of the window before, but I was worried about the connector popping off and not knowing until it's too late.

Edit: I've just seen the age of this topic. I hope something was sorted out.


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## Eliasasas (Feb 22, 2014)

I own an 18v Nomad pressure washer and it's a great tool. I live in an apartment and I store my car in a rented garage with no electricity or water supply. I fill a 200l water tank and use that as my supply for washing.

I love ONR but it's really nice to be able to pre-rinse before ONR if needed or even do a normal 2 bucket wash depending on what the car needs. The battery has never run out during a wash of any kind. The only concern is my case is using too much water since filling my water tank is a bit of a hassle. 

Build quality on the Nomad I would describe as somewhere between good and great. The pressure you get is not amazing but used with a pre-wash it's enough to get all but the dirtiest cars ready for the wash mitt. One of the biggest selling points however, is how simple and hassle-free it is.


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## GleemSpray (Jan 26, 2014)

Just seen this thread. I have used the suction function on a Karcher K4 successfully, as described in this other thread a while ago :

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showpost.php?p=4426679&postcount=8


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## Guss (Apr 14, 2012)

I have no access to an outside tap at home either I use a Nilfisk pressure washer fed from water butts made out of large barrels. The drain pipes are nowhere near my parking either so I have two and while one is attached to the drain collecting rain water the other is strapped to a sack truck giving me a portable water source.

The bonus being that not only is the water free but it's very soft


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## cleanasawhistle (Nov 17, 2014)

Thanks for the posts guys. I'm now using a 25 litre drum (only £5.99 delivered from Amazon), so I only have the mains cable out the window. I got some funny looks from neighbours, but no dirty looks yet, so hopefully I'm safe. I was surprised at how long the 25 litres lasted, using my Nilfisk C110. I'm now planning on investing in a snow foam lance for more fun...lol.

I know so many people recommend ONR, but I just can't get my OCD round it.  I have just had delivery of a tap to fit to the tank, which has a hozelock connector on it. One advantage of using the tank was filling it with warm water for the pressure washer, which isn't really recommended but still. Max 40oC, so should be OK, especially in cold weather.


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## eadand2003 (Dec 14, 2013)

Get any tap adaptors from wilkos, far cheaper than the official hozelock ones


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## saj1985 (Jul 30, 2011)

good ideas on this thread for those who dont have access to a hose pipe


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