Pressure washers and the mining industry – a partnership that runs deep

Pressure washers are a mainstay in many areas, their versatility and ease of use making them perfect for cleaning applications in industries as diverse as farming, construction, and manufacturing. It may be surprising to learn that they are also quite efficient in another field – the mining industry.

The mining industry presents certain, unique cleaning challenges not found elsewhere. The harsh underground environment is particularly conducive to generating dirt, dust and grime due to the prevalence of overburden, the rock and soil that lies over the area of interest that is to be removed. Mining equipment is often very large, and some of it never leaves the mine, so machinery that can be used underground is a necessity. Any below ground machinery must be electric-powered for safety reasons. Because of the size of the mining equipment, a combination of water and high pressure is most effective in removing thick buildups of clay, mud and debris.

Hotsy pressure washers provide a solution. Why? Because a Hotsy pressure washer is built to hold up extremely well in the harsh demands of the mining industry. Rugged and built to last in extreme conditions, Hotsy industrial-grade pressure washers offer miners a cleaning solution both above and below ground. Standard hot water pressure washers, like the all-electric HWE Series, are perfect for underground use. The 5700 Series pressure washer is ideal for above ground wash bays, an area for cleaning mining equipment. Additionally, trailer- and truck-mounted models, such as the HSS series, are excellent for mobile applications.

Ray Moher, owner of Hotsy Water Blast in Edmonton, Alberta, - the oldest and largest-volume Hotsy dealer in Canada – can testify to the abilities of these machines. His company has been providing Hotsy pressure washers to various coal, tar sand, and diamond mines for years, and he has seen first-hand how capable they are at meeting the cleaning needs for various mining equipment.

Ray offers his customers cleaning solutions. In fact, before a few of the current Hotsy models were introduced, Ray looked for an alternative way to provide equipment that would meet their needs. He did so by combining Hotsy’s 875,000 BTU natural gas fired pressure washer – one with the biggest heater in the industry – with a pumping module he manufactured to deliver 10 gallons per minute at 2000 PSI. This eclipsed the industry standard of 8 gallons per minute, and provided a custom machine built exclusively for the mining industry to conquer their cleaning challenges.

According to Moher, water is the most important ingredient in this type of application, even more so than pressure. “At 10 GPM, you are delivering approximately 100 pounds of water a minute,” Moher says. “That does a lot of cleaning. Add heat and you cut through oil and grease in no time.”

Cleaning equipment used in an inherently dirty environment, such as the mining industry, calls for safe, powerful equipment. Tapping into the knowledge and expertise of a seasoned expert – like your local Hotsy dealer – is not only a wise choice, but the best way to learn about Hotsy pressure washers. Miners have come to trust the Hotsy name to clean their equipment. Isn’t it about time you did too?