Maintenance procedure · Written to ASD-STE100 Issue 9 · Formatted to ANSI Z535

Choosing a Pressure Washer Nozzle

Reading the nozzle table for your own machine, working from the widest angle down, testing on a hidden area, and why this page prints no colour chart and no distance
ApplicabilityConsumer pressure washers with a trigger gun and a spray wand, electric or engine-driven, that take quick-connect nozzles or a nozzle set supplied by the maker. Not for machines with a single fixed nozzle and no nozzle table.
Task time24 min to 49 min editorial estimate, not a measurement
PersonnelOne
Revisionv1 · 2026-07-29
BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Before you begin. This procedure is general reference information, not professional advice. Equipment varies by manufacturer, model, and year. Always follow the documentation supplied with your equipment — where it differs from this page, follow the manufacturer. Verify that you have the tools, the working conditions, and the ability to do this task safely. If anything is unclear, if the equipment is damaged, or if the task exceeds your experience, stop and use a qualified professional. You are responsible for your own safety and for the outcome. This site accepts no liability for any loss, damage, or injury arising from the use of this information.

Specifications marked unverified could not be traced to a manufacturer source. Do not rely on them — obtain the value from your equipment documentation.

Summary

Picking a tip is the decision that does the damage. The narrow nozzle looks like the powerful one, people reach for it first, and it strips paint, gouges softwood and carves lines into siding before anyone has decided anything. Almost every ruined deck starts here, not with the machine.

The internet will hand you a colour chart. We will not, because the colour code is a convention and not a published standard, and two makers already disagree in print. On the Sun Joe SPX3000 the 40-degree nozzle is gray. On a Generac machine the widest nozzle is white, it is named Wash rather than by any angle, and Generac ships no yellow nozzle at all. A chart that flattens those into one picture is wrong for one of the two readers holding it.

What this page gives you instead is the method, which does hold everywhere: find the nozzle table in your own manual, identify the surface, start at the widest angle you own, test it on a hidden patch, and move closer in small steps before you ever change to a narrower tip. It also gives you the safe way to swap a tip — machine off, water off, trigger squeezed, safety lock on — and the reason that sequence exists. What it does not give you is a pressure figure for a wooden deck or a distance in inches, because no manufacturer publishes one, the numbers in circulation are retailer copy, and pressure is exactly the kind of value this site refuses to guess at.

Safety

WARNING

DO NOT POINT THE SPRAY GUN AT A PERSON OR AN ANIMAL.
The water jet can penetrate skin. Sun Joe tells you to get medical aid immediately after skin penetration.

Necessary equipment

ItemNote
The manufacturer documentation for your machineThe documentation gives the nozzle set and the use of each nozzle.
Eye protectionWear eye protection for all work with the machine.
Closed shoesWear closed shoes. The jet can penetrate light material.
The nozzle set for your machineUse only nozzles that the maker of your machine approves.
Hearing protection optionalWear ear defenders for a loud machine.
Pressure washer detergent materialUse only detergent that the maker of your machine approves.

Find the nozzle set for your machine

Estimated 5 min to 13 min

NOTEThe nozzle set is a property of your machine. Read the manufacturer documentation first.
Rated working pressure of your machine
Unverified — do not rely on this value
READ THE VALUE FROM THE DATA PLATE ON YOUR MACHINE OR FROM THE MANUFACTURER DOCUMENTATION.

No tier-1 source was found for this value. Take it from the documentation supplied with your equipment.

Nozzle orifice size for your machine
Unverified — do not rely on this value
CONSULT THE MANUFACTURER DOCUMENTATION FOR YOUR MACHINE. KARCHER ROUTES THE BUYER OF ITS NOZZLE KIT TO THE MACHINE MANUAL FOR COMPATIBILITY.

No tier-1 source was found for this value. Take it from the documentation supplied with your equipment.

  1. Find the nozzle table in the manufacturer documentation for your machine.
    • The table names each nozzle and gives its use.
    • Makers supply different nozzle sets. No general table is correct for all machines.
    2m
  2. Read the rated pressure of your machine from the data plate.
    • The data plate is usually on the frame or on the housing.
    • Make a record of the value with the model number.
    1m
  3. Collect all the nozzles from the storage positions on your machine.
    • Many machines hold the nozzles in a rack on the body.
    • A nozzle that you cannot find is a nozzle you cannot select.
    1m
  4. Read the angle marked on each nozzle.
    • Many nozzles carry the angle on the body of the nozzle.
    • The colour is not a reliable guide. Sun Joe and Generac do not agree about the colours.
    <1m
  5. If a nozzle has no mark, read the manufacturer documentation before you use it.
    • An unmarked nozzle can have any angle.
    • Its rated pressure is also unknown.
    <1m

Select the nozzle

Estimated 3 min to 4 min

NOTEStart at the widest angle. Change to a smaller angle only after a test.
Nozzle spray angle for your surface
Unverified — do not rely on this value
CONSULT THE MANUFACTURER DOCUMENTATION FOR YOUR MACHINE. NO GENERAL ANGLE IS CORRECT FOR EVERY MACHINE AND EVERY SURFACE.

No tier-1 source was found for this value. Take it from the documentation supplied with your equipment.

Colour code for a nozzle spray angle
Unverified — do not rely on this value
READ THE ANGLE MARKED ON THE NOZZLE. THE COLOUR IS A CONVENTION AND NOT A PUBLISHED STANDARD.

No tier-1 source was found for this value. Take it from the documentation supplied with your equipment.

Two registered tier-1 sources disagree and the disagreement is published rather than reconciled. Snow Joe (Sun Joe) lists the widest nozzle supplied with the SPX3000 as the 40-degree Quick-Connect nozzle in gray. Generac names the widest nozzle in its own set white, calls it Wash Pressure, gives no spray angle for it, and supplies no yellow nozzle at all. Neither maker is wrong; they describe different products. Read the marking on your own nozzle and the table in your own manual, and ask the maker of your machine if the nozzle carries no mark.
  1. Identify the material of the surface.
    • Wood, paint, mortar and plastic panels are soft materials.
    • Concrete and steel are hard materials.
    <1m
  2. Find your surface in the nozzle table for your machine.
    • Sun Joe puts a wood deck with the green nozzle on the SPX3000.
    • Generac puts a wood deck with its green nozzle. The two makers agree here.
    • If the table does not name your surface, use the widest nozzle.
    1m
WARNING

SELECT THE NOZZLE WITH THE WIDEST ANGLE FIRST.
A narrow nozzle makes a jet with high force. The jet can injure your skin and remove material from the surface.

  1. Select the nozzle with the widest angle first.
    • Generac tells you to start with the lowest pressure nozzle.
    • A wide angle spreads the force across more area.
    <1m
  2. Do not select the narrowest nozzle for a first attempt.
    • The narrowest nozzle makes one concentrated jet.
    • Sun Joe tells you to be careful, because a nozzle can make a permanent mark in wood.
    <1m
  3. If you apply detergent, select the detergent nozzle.
    • Sun Joe states that its other nozzles do not draw detergent.
    • The detergent nozzle is black on both makers in the sources for this page.
    <1m

Fit the nozzle to the spray wand

Estimated 2 min

NOTEStop the machine before you touch the nozzle. Then release the water pressure.
Nozzle pressure rating
Unverified — do not rely on this value
USE A NOZZLE WITH A RATING THAT IS NOT LESS THAN THE RATED PRESSURE OF YOUR MACHINE. CONSULT THE MANUFACTURER DOCUMENTATION.

No tier-1 source was found for this value. Take it from the documentation supplied with your equipment.

WARNING

STOP THE MACHINE BEFORE YOU CHANGE THE NOZZLE.
Then squeeze the trigger to release the water pressure. Water that stays in the hose can injure your hand.

  1. Set the machine switch to off.
    <1m
  2. Close the water supply tap.
    <1m
  3. Squeeze the trigger to release the water pressure in the hose.
    • Sun Joe gives this instruction before each nozzle change.
    • Hold the trigger until the water flow stops.
    <1m
  4. Engage the safety lock on the trigger gun.
    • The lock prevents an accidental start.
    • Sun Joe tells you to never change a nozzle without the safety lock.
    <1m
  5. Pull the collar on the spray wand.
    • Hold the old nozzle in your hand before you pull the collar.
    <1m
  6. Remove the old nozzle from the spray wand.
    • Put the old nozzle in its storage position immediately.
    <1m
WARNING

MAKE SURE THAT THE NOZZLE LOCKS IN THE COLLAR.
A loose nozzle can leave the wand at speed. CPSC recorded a recall for this fault.

NOTICE

USE ONLY A NOZZLE THAT THE MAKER OF YOUR MACHINE APPROVES.
An orifice of a different size changes the pressure in the pump. The pump can fail.

  1. Push the new nozzle into the collar until it clicks.
    • The click is the sound of the lock.
    <1m
  2. Pull the new nozzle to make sure that the collar holds it.
    • The nozzle must stay on the wand.
    • If the nozzle moves, remove it.
    • Then install it again.
    <1m

Do a test on a hidden area

Estimated 5 min to 8 min

Distance from the nozzle to the surface
Unverified — do not rely on this value
NO MAKER IN THE SOURCES FOR THIS PAGE PUBLISHES A DISTANCE. FIND IT BY A TEST ON A HIDDEN AREA, AND CONSULT THE MANUFACTURER DOCUMENTATION.

No tier-1 source was found for this value. Take it from the documentation supplied with your equipment.

WARNING

WEAR EYE PROTECTION BEFORE YOU START THE MACHINE.
The jet throws water and small particles into the air. These particles can injure your eyes.

  1. Wear the eye protection.
    <1m
NOTICE

DO A TEST ON A HIDDEN AREA BEFORE YOU CLEAN THE FULL SURFACE.
A narrow nozzle can remove paint and mark wood. The damage is permanent.

  1. Find a hidden area of the surface for the test.
    • Use an area that a person does not usually see.
    • The area must have the same material and the same finish.
    <1m
  2. Open the water supply tap.
    <1m
  3. Set the machine switch to on.
    <1m
  4. Release the safety lock on the trigger gun.
    <1m
  5. Point the spray gun at the hidden area from a long distance.
    • No maker publishes a distance.
    • Use a long distance for the first test.
    <1m
  6. Squeeze the trigger.
    <1m
  7. Move the jet across the hidden area.
    • Keep the jet in motion. A jet that stops does more damage.
    <1m
  8. After you release the trigger, examine the hidden area.
    • Look for lost paint, cut fibres and marks in the material.
    <1m
  9. If the hidden area has damage, select a nozzle with a wider angle.
    • Do the test again with the wider nozzle.
    • If you have no wider nozzle, do not use the machine on this surface.
    <1m
  10. If the hidden area is not clean, move the spray gun nearer in small increments.
    • Change the distance before you change the nozzle.
    • Examine the hidden area after each change of distance.
    • Stop at the distance that cleans the surface and makes no mark.
    1m

Clean the surface

Estimated 9 min to 22 min

  1. Start at the top of the surface.
    • Sun Joe tells you to start at the top of the area.
    <1m
  2. Move the jet down the surface at the distance from the test.
    • Let each stroke overlap the last stroke.
    • Keep the distance constant. A change of distance changes the force on the surface.
    5m
  3. If dirt stays on the surface, apply an approved detergent.
    • Detergent removes dirt with chemistry and not with force.
    • Sun Joe tells you to do a test of the detergent on a hidden area first.
    2m
  4. Change to a narrower nozzle only after the detergent and the distance do not clean the surface.
    • Do a new test on the hidden area with the narrower nozzle.
    • If the test makes a mark, use the wider nozzle again.
    <1m
  5. Set the machine switch to off at the end of the work.
    <1m
  6. Close the water supply tap and squeeze the trigger.
    • This releases the water pressure in the hose.
    • Sun Joe gives this instruction for the end of the work.
    <1m
  7. Engage the safety lock before you leave the machine.
    <1m

Terminology

This page uses one term for each item and holds it throughout, as ASD-STE100 requires. Equipment sellers and other guides use the names below for the same parts.

pressure washer nozzle
Also called: pressure washer tip, power washer tip, spray tip, quick connect tip, the coloured tips, washer head, jet wash nozzle
spray angle
Also called: fan angle, nozzle degree, degree tip, spray pattern, the number on the tip, how wide the spray is
detergent nozzle
Also called: soap nozzle, soap tip, black tip, chemical nozzle, the one that does soap
pressure washer
Also called: power washer, jet washer, jet wash, karcher, power hose
spray wand
Also called: lance, extension wand, the long stick, trigger gun wand
orifice size
Also called: nozzle size, tip size, nozzle number, the number stamped on the tip

When to use a professional

Stop if the water jet touches your skin and makes a mark. Do not wait for pain. Go to an emergency department immediately. Tell the medical staff that a water jet caused the wound. Sun Joe tells you to get medical aid immediately after skin penetration.

Stop if a nozzle does not lock in the collar. Do not hold a nozzle on the wand with your hand. Do not use tape or a clamp. Speak to the maker of your machine or to a dealer. CPSC recorded a recall in 2020 for a nozzle that disconnected from a wand.

Stop if you cannot find the nozzle table for your machine. Do not use a nozzle from a different machine. The orifice size and the rated pressure are properties of your machine. Speak to the maker of your machine.

Stop if the machine has a damaged hose, a damaged trigger gun or a damaged wand. Do not repair a hose. Speak to a service dealer.

Do not use the machine on lead paint. Do not use the machine on paint that is loose on a building from before 1978. A jet makes particles and dust. Speak to a certified professional first.

Do not clean an area that you cannot reach with both feet on the ground. The force of the jet pushes you away from the surface. Speak to a contractor who does this work.

Do not point the jet at an electrical outlet, a light fitting or a meter. Do not point the jet at a window. Speak to the maker of your machine if you are not sure.

Common questions

What do the pressure washer nozzle colours mean?

They mean whatever the maker of your machine says they mean, and the two makers we registered for this page do not agree. Sun Joe's manual for the SPX3000 lists five quick-connect nozzles: 0 degrees red, 15 degrees yellow, 25 degrees green, 40 degrees gray, and soap black. Generac's own support article lists four: red it calls Blast, green it calls Clean, white it calls Wash, and black for detergent — with no spray angle given for any of them, and no yellow nozzle in the set at all. So the widest nozzle is gray on one machine and white on the other, and a chart that shows only one of those is wrong for half the people reading it. Read the angle stamped on the nozzle itself, or the table in your own manual.

Which nozzle should I use on a wooden deck?

The one your own manual puts against a wooden deck, and then only after you have tested it on a board nobody looks at. For what it is worth, the two makers here agree on this particular surface: Sun Joe gives the 25 degree green nozzle for home siding, brick patios, wood decks, driveways and sidewalks, and Generac gives its green Clean nozzle for effectively the same list. But a deck is not one thing. Softwood, hardwood, age, previous finish and how far you stand all change the outcome, which is why Sun Joe's own instruction for that green nozzle is to test a small area first. We will not print a pressure figure for timber, because no manufacturer publishes one and the numbers you will find elsewhere are retailer copy.

Is the 0 degree nozzle ever the right choice?

Rarely, and never as your opening move. Sun Joe describes its red 0 degree tip as an extremely powerful pencil-point jet for cutting heavy deposits in a small concentrated area — tar and grease spots on concrete, caked mud on equipment — and attaches its own note that care is needed to avoid permanently gouging wood or damaging fragile surfaces. Generac's red Blast nozzle is described for paint removal, oil stains and rust. Notice what both lists have in common: hard, unfinished, already-ruined surfaces. Point that jet at siding, a deck, a window or a person and it does exactly what it says on the tin.

Can I use any nozzle set on any pressure washer?

No, and this is the part that is genuinely per-machine. A nozzle has an orifice size matched to the flow rate of the machine it is meant for, and a pressure rating it must not be used above. Kärcher's own listing for its five-piece quick-connect kit gives the orifice as size 035, says it fits machines rated to 4000 PSI, and then tells the buyer directly to check the pressure washer manual for compatibility information. That is the maker of the nozzles routing you to the maker of the machine, and it is the right answer. A generic pack with no orifice size and no pressure rating on it carries no tier-1 specification at all.

Why is no soap coming out when I use my normal nozzle?

Because on most machines the detergent only draws through the low-pressure detergent nozzle. Sun Joe says it flatly: install the black soap nozzle, and all of the other coloured nozzles will not work for detergent application. People conclude the detergent system has failed when the actual fix is a tip change. Fit the detergent nozzle, then check that the detergent selector is not set to the off position.

How far should I hold the nozzle from the surface?

Further than feels productive, and then close the gap slowly. We are not printing an inch figure, and it is worth being clear why: none of the manufacturer documents we registered for this page publishes one, distance interacts with the nozzle angle and the machine's own pressure, and a wrong number here strips paint off somebody's house. The method is the answer instead — pick a hidden patch, start well back, move in a few inches at a time, and look at the patch after every change. When it comes clean without leaving a mark, that is your distance for that surface, that nozzle and that machine.

Do I really have to switch the machine off just to change the tip?

Yes, and there are two separate reasons. Sun Joe's sequence is: turn off the pressure washer, shut off the water supply, pull the trigger to release water pressure, engage the safety lock, then change the nozzle — and it warns in its own words not to change the nozzle while the trigger is engaged. The second reason is what happens when a tip is not properly locked in the collar: in January 2020 CPSC published recall 20-057, in which STIHL recalled RE 90 pressure washers because the nozzle could disconnect from the spray wand under pressure during use. Seven owners reported it happening. Give the new tip a firm pull before you squeeze anything.

What about the turbo nozzle that came with my machine?

Treat it as a narrow nozzle, because that is what it is — a concentrated jet swept in a circle so it covers a wider strip. We did not find a first-party document we could read and register for turbo nozzle guidance, so this page gives you no sourced instruction for one, and you should use your own manual's entry for it. The safe default is the same as for any narrow tip: not first, not on anything soft, and not before a test on a hidden area.

How dangerous is the spray really? It is only water.

It is water moving fast enough to open you up. OSHA's shipyard guidance on high-pressure water covers streams from 1000 PSI upward and lists lacerations and amputations among the hazards it requires protective equipment for — and consumer machines start inside the bottom of that band. Sun Joe's manual states the point in consumer language: high-pressure equipment can cause serious injury if the spray penetrates the skin, do not point the gun at anyone or any part of the body, and seek medical aid immediately if it happens. An injection wound can look like a pinprick and be serious underneath. If the jet catches you, go and get seen the same day.

Sources

Every specification on this page is traced to one of these sources. Tier 1 is a manufacturer document, a published standard, or a government safety authority. See Standards for the full tiering rule.

  1. Tier 1Sun Joe SPX3000 Electric Pressure Washer Operator's Manual (MR15, 06272023)Snow Joe, LLC (Sun Joe) · accessed 2026-07-29 · re-verification due 2027-01-25
  2. Tier 1Which Nozzle Should I Use on My Pressure Washer?Generac Power Systems, Inc. · accessed 2026-07-29 · re-verification due 2027-01-25
  3. Tier 15 pc. Quick Connect Pressure Washer Nozzle Kit, 8.641.031.0Kärcher North America, Inc. · accessed 2026-07-29 · re-verification due 2027-01-25
  4. Tier 1eTool: Shipyard Employment — PPE Selection: Surface PreparationOccupational Safety and Health Administration (U.S. Department of Labor) · accessed 2026-07-29 · re-verification due 2027-01-25
  5. Tier 1STIHL Recalls Pressure Washers Due to Injury Hazard (Recall 20-057)U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission · accessed 2026-07-29 · re-verification due 2027-01-25

Revision history

Current version 1 · updated 2026-07-29 · next review due 2027-07-29

  1. v1 · 2026-07-29First draft. Sourcing band tier1-per-unit confirmed and held: the Sun Joe SPX3000 operator manual, the Generac nozzle support article and the Kärcher quick-connect kit listing each publish a nozzle set for their own equipment, and none of the three publishes a general figure for surface pressure, standoff distance or orifice size. All six specifications therefore publish as consult-manufacturer instructions with no digit in them. The colour code carries a conflict_note naming both makers: the widest nozzle is gray at 40 degrees on the SPX3000 and white with no angle at all on Generac, and Generac ships no yellow nozzle. That is published as a disagreement and is deliberately not reconciled into a single chart. Per-machine angles are attributed by maker and model in the FAQ only, never promoted to a verified specification. OSHA's hydro-blasting guidance is registered for the severity of the hazard class and no OSHA figure is printed. CPSC recall 20-057 backs the hazard notice that a nozzle must be confirmed locked before use.

Corrections to this page are listed in the public corrections log. Reports that are credible and not yet verified are listed in the public errata register, and an open one renders above the step it concerns.

Comments and corrections

Found an error? A correction with a manufacturer source is applied and logged publicly. You can also write to corrections@fixchecklist.com.

Every step above carries its own report control, which tags the report with that step so a correction reaches the right place. For anything about the procedure as a whole — the order of the sections, a step that is missing, something that did not match your equipment — use this: report something about this whole procedure.

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