Helpful Tips For Longer Pump Life
Preventive Maintenance
- Strain paint through a paint bag or bucket strainer before use.
- Cover paint bucket, especially outdoors.
- Thoroughly clean the sprayer after each use.
- Do not leave water or water-based paint in the sprayer after flushing.
- Always store sprayer with Graco Pump Armor or mineral spirits.
- Tighten the wet cap located on top of the cylinder on a regular basis to reduce leaking past the throat packings.
- Keep the wet cup at least one-third full with Graco Throat Seal Liquid.
Symptoms of a Worn Pump Include
- Paint leaks into the wet cup.
- Pump rod creeps up and down when pump is stalled.
- Material output is low on down stroke, upstroke or both.
- Pump takes a long time to prime.
Repair Tips
- Read and comply with all safety warnings in the sprayers instruction manual.
- Before beginning any repair, always relieve pressure in the pump.
- If you plan to repack your pump:
- Put the leather packings in oil before you start the repair since they need to be soaked for at least 1/2 hour
- Refer to the backside of the pump repair kit as reference for assembly of the packing stack
- Apply grease or Vaseline on the outside of the sleeve before putting the sleeve back in the cylinder
Helpful Tips For Prolonging Pump Life
- Spray at the lowest possible pressure. Excess pressure wastes paint and reduces pump (and sprayer) life.
- Clean pump section regularly.
- Store in Graco Pump Armor or paint thinner (not water). Water is corrosive.
- Keep TSL full, check and add daily.
- Tighten pump-wet cup as you notice paint weeping into wet cup.
- Strain your paint.
- Do not allow paint to “skin over”. Keep a wet film on top of your bucket of paint.
- Do not use the dump valve to relieve pressure.
- Keep exterior of pump and unit clean, especially air flow passages to motor/engine.
- Read and follow all directions for safe operation in your manual.
*All costs are industry avergaes
*Example assumes paint revenue / hour = $25 / hour
*On average, most sprayers in need of repair are out-of-service for 4 days. The $800 represents the revenue lost while sprayer is being repaired.