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Electric vs gas pressure washer: which one for a house?
Updated
For cars, decks, siding, fences and a normal driveway, an electric washer is enough and much simpler to own. Gas makes sense when you clean large areas of concrete often, or work far from an outlet. The hard limit is the wall plug: a 15 amp, 120 volt outlet caps an electric at about 4,100 cleaning units even with zero losses, and real machines land well below that.
The power gap
- Karcher K17002,040 cleaning units
- Westinghouse ePX35002,400 cleaning units
- Greenworks 3000 PSI3,300 cleaning units
- 15 amp outlet ceiling4,100 cleaning units
The top of our electric list is the Greenworks 3000 PSI at a stated 3,300 cleaning units. A gas engine has no outlet limit, so gas machines can go well past the ceiling in the chart. If your jobs sit in the medium duty band on our calculator, that extra power mostly buys speed.
Side by side
| Electric | Gas | |
|---|---|---|
| Power | Capped by the outlet | Higher, set by the engine |
| Where you can use it | Near a GFCI outlet | Anywhere outdoors |
| Upkeep | Drain the pump, store it warm | Oil, fuel, spark plug, plus the pump |
| Winter storage | Drain and add pump saver | Same, plus fuel stabilizer or an empty tank, per Greenworks |
| Noise and fumes | Quieter, no exhaust | Loud, gives off carbon monoxide |
The safety rules differ
- Gas: the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries tip sheet says never to use a gasoline washer in an enclosed area, because of exhaust fumes.
- Electric: the same tip sheet says to make sure the washer is grounded and to test its GFCI. In 2026 the CPSC warned buyers to stop using some no-name electric washers sold without a GFCI on or near the plug, citing a risk of electrocution. If a listing does not show a GFCI plug, skip it.
Our picks if you go electric
- Greenworks 3000 PSI: the closest to gas power in our list, with a brushless motor and a 4 year warranty stated by the maker. The catch is weight and owner reports of units quitting early.
- Westinghouse ePX3500: 2,400 cleaning units in a 19 pound machine, for homes that do not have much concrete. The catch is no 40 degree tip.
Check any listing's numbers with the cleaning units calculator, or see all five machines on our picks page.
This is general information, not electrical advice. Follow your machine's manual on cords and outlets.