Why the X-Jet is a Must Have for Residential and Building Power Washing
The X-Jet has consistently been a favorite accessory among power washers since it was introduced back in the 1990s, and for good reason. The X-Jet is a nozzle that connects to a pressure washing gun and lets you shoot a variety of chemical mixes, including bleach, up to 40 feet safely from the ground. It’s a great option for soft washing because you can use it with your existing power washing equipment.
How Does the X-Jet Work?
The X-Jet comes with a 15-foot draw tube with a hose barb that includes a shutoff valve and a strainer. One end of the hose goes into your chemical bucket, and the other connects to the nozzle. Using the Venturi effect, the chemical is suctioned through the hose up and out of the stainless-steel X-Jet nozzle.
The X-Jet is an external chemical system, which means the chemicals do not go through your pressure washer system at all. Chemicals only shoot through the X-Jet nozzle itself, which helps protect your system against wear and tear on your hoses, hose reels, wands, or guns.
Unlike with downstreaming, you do not have to prepare your chemical mix before you use it. This not only keeps you from having to use math to determine what mix you need, it also prevents you from wasting product by making a larger batch than you end up using. It also ensures your mix is correct, whereas downstreaming involves additional considerations, like how far your mix travels, whether it’s going uphill, and so on.
To determine your water-to-chemical ratio, the X-Jet comes with 14 color-coded proportioners that fit into the end of the nozzle. (Note that most power washer only use 2 to 4 of the proportioners. The others were primarily designed for other industries.) The color of the proportioner tells you the water-to-chemical ratio, and each X-Jet comes with a color- coded card for easy reference. (You can also find the proportioner chart on our website.)
Need a stronger or weaker mix? Just change proportioners. In fact, the proportioners let you mix as high as 2:1 without wasting chemical. Some contractors who prefer downstreaming still carry X-Jets for situations where they are fighting against gravity or need a stronger mix.
What is the M5 X-Jet?
The X-Jet comes in two models: the original model and the M5. The M5, which is actually a little less expensive than the original, is a variable nozzle, meaning it allows you to adjust your spray pattern from a zero-degree stream to a 60-degree fan spray. This lets you to reach higher (with the zero degree), as well as hit trouble spots harder, then adjust down to a fan that is gentle enough to even water plants, all with just a simple twist of the nozzle.
The Bottom Line
The X-Jet truly is a must have for power washing contractors, especially those wanting to offer soft washing services but still use their pressure washers. Because the X-Jet is so useful, affordable, and simple to add and remove, some contractors will even carry two or more X-Jets, each with a different proportioner rather than keeping up with the proportioners themselves.
