Best Pressure Washer for Algae on Patio Stones: Two Washers With Foam and Turbo, and the Turbo Tip Itself

Why algae needs chemistry and a turbo tip

Green and black algae on patio stones is not dirt sitting on the surface; it is growth rooted in the pores of the stone, and a fan nozzle at any pressure polishes over it and leaves it to come back in a month. Clearing it takes two things: a cleaner that kills the growth, applied and left to dwell, and a rotating turbo nozzle that lifts the dead algae out of the stone texture. The washer in between can be modest. The picks here are two washers that ship with the soap system and the turbo, and the turbo nozzle on its own for anyone who already has a washer.

This guide is built from the published specifications and manuals of each product and from recurring owner feedback. We have not run these products ourselves.

How the picks compare

Westinghouse ePX3100s: both tools in the box

The ePX3100s is the only washer here that ships with a foam cannon and a turbo nozzle, which are the two tools the job needs. The foam cannon lays on an algaecide thick enough to dwell on a sloped patio, and the turbo lifts what it kills. The machine is 10 pounds, rated 1,800 PSI and 1.2 GPM, and keeps its gun, lance and nozzles in built-in holders. The hose is short, so the patio should be near the tap.

Craftsman CMEPW2100: the soap tank and the reach

The Craftsman carries its algae cleaner in an integrated tank and reaches across a patio on a 25-foot kink-resistant hose, at 2,100 PSI and 1.2 GPM, and stores its nozzles, hose, cord and wand on board. It lacks a turbo nozzle, which the Simpson below adds for a few dollars. It is the tidier machine for a patio washed once a year.

Simpson turbo nozzle: the tip that does the work

Any washer with a quarter-inch quick connect wand becomes an algae washer with this nozzle. The Simpson turbo spins a 0-degree jet in a fast cone that lifts algae from stone pores and paver joints without the gouge of a fixed jet, it is rated to 4,500 PSI for gas machines and it works on hot or cold water. It strips joint sand and can etch soft stone if held close, so it stays a foot away and moving.

Clearing algae for good

Wet the stones and apply a patio algaecide or an oxygen bleach solution with the foam cannon or soap tank. Let it dwell ten minutes without drying. Wash with the turbo nozzle a foot off the stone, moving steadily along the joints and across the faces, and rinse with a 40-degree tip toward the drain. Let the patio dry, sweep in new joint sand and seal the stones with a breathable sealer. The next spring is a rinse, not a scrub.

Which one should you buy

Buy the Westinghouse ePX3100s for the foam cannon and turbo nozzle in one box. Buy the Craftsman CMEPW2100 for the soap tank and the longer hose, with the Simpson turbo added. Buy the Simpson turbo nozzle alone if the washer is already in the shed.