Sun Joe SPX3000 Pressure Joe 2030 PSI 1.76 GPM 14.5-Amp Electric Pressure Washer Review

Editor rating: 4.5/5

We normally use our hand to wipe or scrub off dirt or hose off dirt from the car. But some dirt is difficult to remove or reach and can take time and so much effort by these methods. This is why professional car detailers use pressure washers to make their job easy. The good thing is that there are now pressure washers that are made specifically for household use. Let's face it, most people nowadays would like to do their own chores and not hire someone to get things done for them at home. This is the reason why most companies are creating equipment that is easy to use and can be operated by a non-professional. The company, Snow Joe, is one of the companies these days that are dedicated to making power tools for household, outdoor, lawn, and garden.

One of the equipment they sell which is what we will be reviewing today is the Sun Joe SPX3000 Pressure Joe 2030 PSI 1.76 GPM 14.5-Amp Electric Pressure Washer. Most people buy this product to use it in their homes, window screens, patios, porch, lawn, garden, fences, decks, furniture, concrete, bricks, driveways, siding and more. But of course, it can also be used for car washing and on trucks, motorcycles, RVs and boats.

We rated this product on multiple criteria such as those listed below: easy to assemble, ease of use, safeness, cleaning ability, and durability.

The main reasons why this product received positive reviews are: affordable, easy to assemble and use, and effective. Most users used the unit to clean concrete, sidings, fences, patio furniture, caked mud, molds, grease and for a car wash with great results.

The negative feedback was mainly caused by users who complained about the plastic garden hose adapter that caused leaks on the pressure washer. The good news is that this has been resolved by the manufacturer. They have replaced the plastic adaptor with a brass one.

Some users also complained that the soap nozzle produces a low pressure which is quite common for most soap nozzles. You can always work around this by replacing it with a higher pressure nozzle after you apply soap. This is also the reason why I gave the product a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Watch the video below to see how a pressure washer cleans

Just to making things clear, water hose could remove loose contaminants and rinse off an object but only a pressure washer could remove stains, brake dust, caked mud, rust, tar, grease, molds, gunk and grime. This is because the water from the pressure washer is highly pressurized that it can even slice through your skin or any other softer objects easily.

Advantages and disadvantages

Special Features

There are several types of pressure washers. The most common back in the day are gasoline-powered pressure washers which are non-convenient. The Sun Joe pressure washer is electric powered, it easy to assemble, operates neatly, lightweight, relatively quiet, no need to pull a cord, fill a gas tank, no need to worry about running out of gas and no gasoline engine fumes. These are just some of the advantages of having an electric pressure washer.

So let's take a look at the features of this pressure washer and why it is a best-seller. Firstly, this unit is CSA approved. CSA or Canadian Standards Association tests products and provides certification services for electrical, mechanical, plumbing and other products. This means that this unit passed performance and quality assurance tests.

The unit includes a 34-inch spray wand which helps to access hard-to-reach areas such as undersides of automotive vehicles and deep holes on wheels. Although it appears that you will still need a ladder to reach 2-story buildings.

It also includes a dual detergent removable tank system which you can use or not use. This is specially used when you use the soap spray tip nozzle. It also has a dial which will allow you to select how much of a certain detergent you want to use. You can also turn to zero if you don't want to use the detergent.

It has rear wheels which help in moving the unit from one place to another around your house or yard.

For safer use, the unit has a 35-foot power cord with GFCI protection which prevents electric shock in wet locations and a Total Stop System (TSS) that automatically shuts off the pump when the trigger is not engaged to save energy and prolong pump life.

5 Quick-Connect Spray Tip Nozzles

 

0 Degree/Red (Very high pressure, low flow) - This is best used for stubborn grime, hard to reach areas and small concentrated areas to remove tar, grease spots, cake mud.

15 Degree/Yellow (High pressure, medium flow) - This is for intense cleaning on hard surfaces to strip loose paint, mildew stains, oil stains, and rust from steels.

25 Degree/Green (Medium pressure, medium flow) - For general tasks, this is best for home siding, patio, driveways and wood decks.

40 Degree/Gray (Lower pressure, high flow) - This is a gentler water pressure best for easily damaged surfaces such as patio furniture, cars, trucks, boats, and RVs.

Soap/Black- This is best for those who wants to combine water and detergent, however, the water pressure for this spray nozzle is lower compared to the other spray nozzles I just mentioned. I would use this to apply detergent on an object and use a higher pressure spray nozzle to afterward. Make sure that you fill the detergent tank with a diluted detergent. Also, don't use bleach that is ammonia or acid-based.

After Purchase

The garden hose adapter which is made of plastic is known to cause leaks on the pressure washer. The good news is that this has been replaced with brass. If you receive a plastic adaptor, please register your product online at Snow Joe, LLC Official Website to request for a brass replacement.

If you are no longer covered, you can buy the Dual Swivel Brass Connector 3/4" by 3/4" Garden Hose to Pipe End (fits SPX Pressure Washer Series) SPX-BSC from their website or you can search it from online shopping websites see if they sell this product.

Instructional video on how to assemble the Sun Joe Pressure Washer

Instructions (In words)

How to Assemble:

Note: You need a screwdriver.

1. Slide the trigger gun holder on the side and you'll hear it lock
2. Slide the handle with 2 detergent tanks onto the top back of the unit, snap the four long screws in. You can fill the two containers with a solution and put the cap on. Slide it back and it locks into place. Use the dial to use either tank solution (turn left, right or middle).
3. Take the tube and put in a hole below the tanks
4. Push the spray wand protector and screw it in with one small screw.
5. Slide the high-pressure hose holder below the tanks. Use the last small screw.
6. Take the spray wand and put in the trigger gun and tighten
7. Hang the power cord on the right hook of the unit
8. The high-pressure hose has one end with a large one which will connect to the washer at the bottom back of the unit and the other end with the small one that connects to the spray wand
9. Put the trigger gun with the spray wand in the trigger gun holder
10. To attach the garden hose to the water inlet of the pressure washer, take the garden hose adaptor and screw it in clockwise. After you put the hose in, turn the adaptor counter-clockwise to tighten. Make sure it's not cross-threaded to avoid leaks.
11. Snap on any of the quick connect spray tip nozzles on the spray wand. Hold and pull down to pop off the spray tip and replace it with a different one.

How to Use:

1. Plug it in and turn the unit on
2. Completely turn on the water faucet at the house
3. Squeeze the trigger gun
4. You can change the spray nozzle by holding it and pulling it down and snapping a different nozzle on the spray wand.

After Use:

1. After use, turn off the unit and unplug from electric outlet
2. Wait until water from spray wand stops flowing
3. Let the pressure washer cool down
4. Disconnect the garden hose, spray wand, trigger gun, high-pressure hose
5. Turn on the machine for few seconds to flush out any remaining water from the pump
6. Turn off the machine
7. Store in a safe, clean place with good temperature

Troubleshooting Tips

If you experience the following issues, we recommend the troubleshooting steps listed below.

Common issues:

• Unit has low pressure
• Leaking from the garden hose adapter
• Unit fails to run or start
• Pressure varies from high to low
• Detergent is not coming out.

How to troubleshoot:

• Make sure supply voltage is sufficient.
• Make sure you plug the unit directly into the outlet. Avoid extension cords. If you have to use extension cord, company recommends using 25' extension cord only.
• Always connect unit to main water supply
• Make sure water supply can deliver the gallons per minute specified for the machine. For example, if your pressure washer needs 1.76 GPM, time how long it takes your garden hose to fill a 5-gallon pail.
• Make sure garden hose doesn't have any leaks or blockage
• Recommended diameter of garden hose: 1" (25mm) or 5/8" (16mm)
• Tighten all hose connections and fittings so no air can enter the lines
• Use the intended nozzle for soap or chemical dispenser and make sure that the detergent container is filled with diluted detergent to make sure soap nozzle works.
• Check water inlet is not clogged.
• Use the needle clean-out tool to blow out or remove debris from the nozzles.
• Soak calcified part like gun, hose or power nozzle with vinegar to keep pressure high and consistent.
• Insert new washers if rubber washer is worn inside the adapter to prevent garden hose connection adapter from leaking.

Frequently Asked Questions