"Serviced" is not a defined term, and anyone can use it.
Two invoices can both say service, both be honest, and describe two different pieces of work. One is forty minutes and an oil change. The other is a pump stripped to its components on a bench.
Both have their place, and the problem is only ever that the customer did not know which one they bought.
Here is what sits behind each, in plain terms, so you can ask the right question next time.
What routine care covers, and where it stops
Plenty of maintenance is yours to do, and we encourage it. Checking the oil level, cleaning the inlet filter, flushing the chemical route. Storing the machine out of frost, replacing worn nozzles.
We have set out the owner's routine elsewhere, and it adds years to a machine.
What it does not cover is anything behind a seal. Plunger seals degrade on a predictable timeline whether the machine looks fine or not, and valves pit and wear.
The unloader loses its consistency by degrees, so you never notice the day it changed.
Those are the parts that end machines, and none of them announces themselves from the outside. That is the gap a service fills.
The express check: what it is
Our while you wait express service is £85 including VAT, cold water machines only. Around forty-five minutes, and no appointment needed.
It covers:
- Pump oil change with the correct Kränzle gear oil
- Nozzle inspection
- Water filter clean
- High-pressure hose check
- Gauge check
- PAT test
- A written report on the machine's condition
That is a useful piece of work: it catches the common problems and puts fresh oil in. The written report tells you what is coming.
What it is not is a strip-down. The pump does not come apart, so we assess the seals and valves rather than replace them.
Bring in a machine that has done heavy hours, and expect the report to recommend the full service. That is what the report is for.
The full workshop service: line by line
£169 including VAT for a cold water machine, and £279 including VAT for a hot water machine with descale. Booked in, three to five working days.
Full pump strip-down. The head comes off, and we inspect the internals on the bench rather than guessing.
Water seal kit fitted. We replace the plunger seals as a set, not just the one that failed. Replacing one when all of them are the same age is false economy.
Oil seal kit fitted. The crankcase side, which is what stops water from reaching the bearings.
Valve service. Inlet and outlet valves checked for pitting and wear, and replaced where needed. This is what restores lost pressure on a machine that has gone soft.
Unloader inspected and serviced. The component behind most "builds pressure then dumps it" complaints.
Descale, on hot water machines. The heating coil and pump cleared of scale, which keeps the most expensive component in a hot machine alive.
Full function test and written report, plus a twelve-month warranty on the workmanship.
The annual inspection that is not optional
This is the part most people have never heard of.
Kränzle require a twelve-month inspection of liquid spray devices, and it forms part of the full workshop service. It covers the hose, the gun, the lance and the safety devices that stop a high-pressure machine from becoming dangerous.
They matter most when a component reaches the end of its life.
It is worth taking seriously for an unsentimental reason: a high pressure hose that fails does not leak politely.
Hoses have a service life, and they degrade inside where you cannot see. The inspection exists because the failure mode is an injury rather than an inconvenience.
Do you employ people who use the machine? Then this becomes a matter of your own records, not just the manufacturer's recommendation.
Five things a cheap service leaves out
Not accusations. Just the differences worth asking about before you hand the machine over.
- Seals as a set. Replacing one and leaving three identical aged seals in place means you are back within months
- Valve inspection. Requires the head off. If the head does not come off, the valves were not checked
- The unloader. Frequently ignored, frequently the actual fault
- Descaling on hot machines. Skipping it is how coils die
- A written report. Without one, you have no record of what was done, no warning of what is coming, and nothing to show anyone
The question to ask is short, and it works anywhere. Does the pump come apart, and do I get it in writing?
What it costs against what it saves
An annual full service on a cold water machine is £169. Across a year of trade use, that is a small figure per working hour, and less than one lost day.
Two things make it pay beyond the obvious.
Parts are cheaper than consequences. A water seal kit fitted on schedule is a routine item.
A seal left until the oil goes milky takes the bearings with it, and that is a different invoice.
The warranty extends. Kränzle extends the commercial warranty from twelve months to twenty-four.
The condition is a service towards the end of the first year. That alone covers a meaningful share of the cost.
There is also the £39 inspection fee. We always credit it against the work if a repair follows, so a diagnosis never costs you twice.
Which one to book
Book the express check if the machine is newish, in light use and working as it should. You want the oil done and a professional set of eyes on it.
Book the full service if the machine earns its living. Book it if it has done a year of real work, or if pressure has softened. Book it if the oil looks anything other than clean, or if the twelve-month inspection is due.
Book it now rather than in March. Every workshop in the country fills up in spring. A machine serviced in the quiet months is ready when the work arrives.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a pressure washer service cost in the UK?
It depends on the scope: our express while you wait check is £85 including VAT for cold water machines.
A full workshop service is £169 including VAT for cold water. That covers the pump stripped, seal kits fitted, and valves serviced. A hot water machine with descale is £279 including VAT.
How often should a pressure washer be serviced?
Annually for any machine in commercial use, or sooner if it is working heavy hours. Kränzle also require a twelve-monthly inspection of liquid spray devices. That covers the hose, gun and lance, so the annual visit covers both.
What is included in a full pressure washer service?
A full pump strip-down, water seal kit and oil seal kit. Valve inspection and replacement where needed, unloader service and oil change.
Descaling on hot water machines, a complete function test and a written report. Ours also carries a twelve-month warranty on the workmanship.
Does servicing extend a Kränzle warranty?
Yes. Kränzle extends the commercial warranty from twelve to twenty-four months. The machine needs a service towards the end of its first year.
The service then recovers a good part of its own cost in cover.
Can I service a pressure washer myself?
You can and should do the routine care: oil level, inlet filter, nozzles, flushing the chemical route and frost protection.
Seal replacement, valve work and the annual spray device inspection need the pump apart. They also need the correct kits and a pressure test, which is workshop work.
The bottom line
An oil change is not a service. The word on the invoice does not tell you which one you bought.
Ask whether the pump comes apart. Ask whether seals go in as a set. Ask for it in writing.
Then book it in November rather than April.
Kränzle UK runs its own workshop and holds genuine parts in stock. Every machine goes back with a written report and twelve months on the work. Book a service or talk to us about what your machine needs.