Nozzle size for concrete cleaner

Hey Wiz,
I need 2 nozzles for my concrete cleaning machine. My pw puts out 4.8gpm at 3000psi. I know on my pw wands I have nozzles with 5.5 orafices so they can handle 4.8 gpm's. I just got off the phone with my supplier and he said that I need two nozzles for this machine and they are 2.5 each. If you put them together they are 5.0 which means that they can handle 4.4 gpm. Can't that hurt my pump on my PW which is rated at 4.8gpm?
If I go with a 2.5 and a 3.0 than they will handle my machine but they are not of the same opening and therefore I may get an uneven cleaning.
Basically what my supplier said is on concrete cleaning machines the tips are supposed to be the same in fan size and orafice size. And going with the 2.5's each I will get a little more pressure out of my concrete cleaning machine and that won't hurt my pump from my PW. If I go with two 3.0's then my pressure will be lessoned to much and with that configuration which is for 5+gpm it is to great for my 4.8gpm PW.
So is it OK to Go with two 2.5's for my concrete cleaning machine and not hurt the pump on my PW?
Thanks,
-John/Clean County PW-

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Both will do the job as long as the tips are the same size. The smaller ones will give you more pressure untill they wear a little. The larger ones will give you more volume and less wear on your unloader. The volume makes just as much of a difference as pressure.

I would put two #3 at 15deg nozzles on there just to be safe we are only dealing with a couple of hundred PSI difference between the two. Better safe than sorry.

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Hotwaterwizard@aol.com If You have a problem with your machine, just ask I'll help if I can.

<FONT COLOR="e87400">John,, I think you're reading too much into it man. The pair of 2.5's are perfect like you and he said the combined flow is 5gpm, if you pump is rated at 4.8 then no problem.

And yes putting 2 diferent tip orfices on like the 2.5 & 3gpm combination would probaly be bad not because of uneven cleaning but because it would most likely cause excesssive bearing wear since the spray bar would have unequal pressure on it! (besides that would be 5.5gpm flow)

Cody</FONT c>

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<FONT COLOR="e87400">
Hydro-Emulsification Surface Preparation Specialist </FONT c>

The flow is 5gpm if you are at 4000 psi at 3000 psi it changes. The formula is as follows:


The square root of
<u>(GPM x PSI)</u> = Nozzle size
4000

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Hotwaterwizard@aol.com If You have a problem with your machine, just ask I'll help if I can.

<FONT COLOR="e87400">I hate to contridict ya Wiz but,, You may have to school me here.

He stated that his machine was a 3000psi @ 4.8gpm. So where does 5gpm @ 4000psi fit in. He will never see that.

I do ALOT of flatwork. I replace my tips at least once a month on my Surface cleaners. I check the pressure regularly, when they drop just 300 psi I replace em. and I'm runnin 3500psi @ around 5.6gpm. I have my unloader tweaked to the hilt to get that. otherwise with the 3gpm tips I lose about 300psi. On a 4.8gpm machine I would never pop in a pair of 3gpm tips that's just too much flow it will drop the pressure significantly 500-1000 psi. Your Talkin going from a 4.8 rated pump to 6gpm thru-fare. Myself, I would install the 2.5's and tweak the unloader to 3200 psi.

If I'm wrong please let me know but I don't think I am. I've done MILLIONS of square feet with these machines.

Cody</FONT c>

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<FONT COLOR="e87400">
Hydro-Emulsification Surface Preparation Specialist </FONT c>

Hey Cody,

What the wiz is trying to tell ya is 99% of all high pressure nozzles and tips are sized at 4000psi. If you go by the tip chart a #2.5 nozzle will flow 2.5gpm at 4000psi. At 3000psi the same tip will flow around 2.17gpm. So make sure you size the tip for the pressure you are running. A #3 like wiz suggested would be 2.60 gpm @ 3000psi x 2 = 5.2gpm. Either tip will work but the # 3 will allow the unloader to stay closed. Less wear and tear.


Hope I could help.

Daren

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I agree I would recomend the -2- 1503 nozzles on your surface cleaner!




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Call or e-mail me if I can be of assistance!
1 800 292-3279

Mark McIntyre: AKA: Pressure Washer Zone Man.
PressureWasherZone.com EasyCleanSystems.com
Mark@easycleansystems.com

916 638-0828

I agree I would recomend the -2- 1503 nozzles on your surface cleaner!




------------------
Call or e-mail me if I can be of assistance!
1 800 292-3279

Mark McIntyre: AKA: Pressure Washer Zone Man.
PressureWasherZone.com EasyCleanSystems.com
Mark@easycleansystems.com

916 638-0828