Pressure Washer Nozzle Chart & Nozzle Size Calculator
Free nozzle size calculator and full orifice chart from Sun Brite Supply. Enter your pump's GPM and PSI, get the nozzle orifice size you need, the exact tip to order, and the size to move to when you want less pressure for a delicate job.
What pressure washer nozzle do I use?
Short answer: the nozzle size comes from your pump's GPM and PSI rating (not the spray angle). The nozzle angle comes from the job: 0ยฐ for spot cutting on concrete, 15ยฐ for stripping and prep, 25ยฐ for everyday cleaning, 40ยฐ for rinsing and delicate surfaces. Use the calculator below to get the size, then pick the angle.
- Find the GPM and PSI on your pump's tag or the machine's data plate.
- Enter them below. For a surface cleaner, switch the mode and enter how many nozzles the bar has (the flow splits between them).
- Read your nozzle orifice size. Order that size in the angle you need, or the 5-pack kit if you want all four angles.
How to lower the pressure on a pressure washer
You do not need a different machine and you should not crank the unloader down as your first move. The fastest, safest way to change the pressure on a power washer is to change the nozzle:
- Want less pressure? Go to a larger orifice size. Your pump still delivers the same GPM, but the bigger opening lets it out with less resistance, so pressure at the tip drops. Type your target PSI into the "Want less pressure" box above and the chart tells you which size to buy.
- Want more pressure? A smaller tip will not give you much. Your pump is positive-displacement: it moves a fixed GPM, and once the tip is smaller than the pump can push through, the unloader opens and bypasses the extra water back to the inlet. You lose flow on the surface and gain almost nothing in pressure.
- Want more cleaning punch without changing pressure? Narrow the spray angle or get closer. A 15ยฐ tip puts the same water into a smaller stripe than a 25ยฐ, so every inch of surface gets hit harder. The impact table above shows how much.
The unloader valve is for setting the pump's rated pressure with the correct nozzle installed, not for day-to-day adjustment. If you find yourself turning it every job, you need a second nozzle, not a wrench.
How to read the nozzle chart
The numbers inside the table are gallons per minute. Find the column for your PSI, go down to the row closest to your pump's GPM, and read the orifice size at the left. Every nozzle in a size (a "4.0" from any brand) passes the same flow at the same pressure, so you can shop by size and angle. Quick-connect tips are color-coded by angle: red 0ยฐ, yellow 15ยฐ, green 25ยฐ, white 40ยฐ. Threaded 1/4" and 1/8" MPT tips (surface cleaners, turbo nozzles, some guns) use the same sizes without the color.
Shop nozzles by size
Nozzle questions we get at the counter
What size nozzle do I need for a 4 GPM 4000 PSI pressure washer?
A 4.0. Nozzle sizes are rated at 4000 PSI, so a 4 GPM pump at 4000 PSI takes a size 4.0 tip. At 3500 PSI the same pump needs a 4.5; at 3000 PSI a 4.5 to 5.0. Enter your numbers above for the exact pick.
Does a smaller nozzle increase pressure?
Only slightly, and it costs you flow. Your pump moves a fixed GPM. When the tip is too small the unloader bypasses the extra water, so you clean with less water at nearly the same pressure. Size the tip to the pump.
How do I get less pressure for vinyl siding, a car, or a deck?
Move up to a larger orifice size and use a 40ยฐ tip. Use the "Want less pressure" box above: enter the PSI you want and it tells you the size. For house washing, most contractors soft wash instead, using low pressure and the right chemistry; see our SH Mix Calculator.
What nozzle size for a surface cleaner?
Divide your pump's GPM by the number of nozzles on the bar, then size each nozzle from that flow at your pump's PSI. A 4 GPM / 4000 PSI machine on a two-nozzle surface cleaner takes two 2.0 tips. Switch the calculator to surface cleaner mode and it does the math.
Are 1/4" MEG and quick-connect nozzles the same sizes?
Yes. Size 4.0 is size 4.0 in either. QC tips snap into a quick coupler; MEG tips thread into a surface cleaner bar, turbo nozzle body, or a QC nozzle holder.
Do the colors mean different pressures?
No. The color is the spray angle only. A red 0ยฐ and a white 40ยฐ in the same size run at the same pressure; the red one concentrates that pressure into a pencil stream.
Still not sure? Bring the machine's tag or a photo to the counter in Gaithersburg, MD, or call 301-519-9274. We size nozzles for contractors every day and stock every size from 2.0 through 40 in QC, 1/4" MEG and 1/8" MEG.