Nozzles Wear Out — And When They Do, So Does Your Work: Why Old Tips = Uneven Cleaning, Swirls, and Callbacks

Replacing Nozzles on a surface cleaner bar.

Let’s talk about something most contractors don’t think about until it's too late:

🧼 Your nozzles.

These little brass or stainless tips don’t get much attention — but they take a massive beating every day.

Especially your surface cleaner nozzles.

And when they wear down?

Your work shows it.

What Happens When Nozzles Wear Out?

Every time water passes through your nozzles — especially under pressure — it shaves down a little bit of that orifice. Over time, this does three things:

1. Changes the Spray Angle

What used to be a nice 15° fan becomes a narrow jet or a lopsided mist.

➡️ That leads to streaks, missed spots, and uneven coverage.

2. Reduces Efficiency

Worn nozzles don’t atomize water properly, which means less impact on the surface and more time spent going back over missed areas.

➡️ Translation: longer jobs, lower profits.

3. Leaves Lines, Swirls, and Zebra Stripes

This is especially true on flatwork.

When your surface cleaner nozzles wear unevenly, the spray pattern breaks down — and suddenly, you’ve got swirls and ghost lines baked into the concrete.

➡️ That’s a callback waiting to happen.

Surface Cleaner Nozzles Take a Beating

These nozzles are exposed to:

• Direct debris impacts

• High-velocity water and grit

• Constant spinning and vibration

• Close contact with dirty concrete, rust, or oil stains

Even if your machine is running strong, worn nozzles = a weak finish.

How Often Should You Check or Replace Your Nozzles?

Here’s what I recommend:

🛠️ Inspect weekly — Look for physical wear, irregular shapes, or clogging.

🎯 Replace monthly or every 30–50 hours of use. (depending on PSI, GPM, and job conditions)

📏 Use a nozzle sizing chart to ensure proper PSI and spray angle when replacing.

🧼 Keep spares on the truck so you're not stuck mid-job.

Pro Tip: Label Your Nozzles

Sharpies fade. Bags get mixed.If you don’t mark your tips or store them correctly, you’ll forget what’s what — and end up using mismatched or incorrect nozzles without realizing it.

✅ Keep your nozzles clean, sorted, and labeled by spray angle and GPM.

At the Expo, We Talk Equipment — Right Down to the Nozzles

At the Panhandle Pressure Washing Expo, we go deep into:

• Nozzle maintenance and sizing

• GPM and PSI matching

• Surface cleaner troubleshooting

• Gear demos and live walkthroughs

• Real-time help from experienced techs and vendors

Because if your nozzles are off, your results will be too.

🎟️ Join us at the Panhandle Pressure Washing ExpoCome see how the pros dial in every part of their setup — down to the last spray tip.

👉 Click here to register

By Trudi Weickum | Industry Educator | Panhandle Pressure Washing Expo