Airless Paint Sprayer Storage Procedure

Why your Airless Paint Sprayer Storage Procedure Matters

A lot of paint contractors do not end up needing their airless paint sprayer regularly you may only paint occasionally or you may go a fair amount of time between projects. If you do not properly prepare your airless paint sprayer for storage, you will often bring it out to use and not be able to get it to spray. Even if you only plan to leave your airless overnight proper cleaning is critical to maximize the life of your airless paint sprayer.

Steps to prepare your airless for a long time of storage (anywhere beyond a few weeks)

The first and most critical step in preparing your airless for storage is to properly flush all coating from the airless paint sprayer. To flush your airless paint sprayer follow the steps below.  This step is the same for storing your airless for any length of time beyond a day or so.

1. Turn power to your airless paint sprayer off
2. Turn pressure to the lowest setting
3. Turn Prime Valve to Open Position
4. Remove Filter Assembly from the airless gun and re assemble the gun
5. Remove the airless tip and guard
6. Place tip, guard, and filter in appropriate cleaner for your coating
7. Take the pick up tube from your airless and place it into a bucket of appropriate cleaner
8. If your airless sprayer comes with a filter ensure you have power and pressure off and pressure has been removed from the system remove the filter from the airless sprayer and place in an appropriate cleaner. Reassemble the filter housing without the filter.
9. Place the dump tube in a separate container from the appropriate cleaner
10. Start with the valve in the prime position and let cleaner flow through the sprayer until it is clear
11. Change the Valve to the spray position
12. Point spray gun into container separate from cleaner
13. Take the Safety off of your gun and spray into the waste container. Increase pressure until you see fluid flowing
14. Let fluid flow until it is clear
15. Replace the filters in the spray gun and the airless pump

If you will be keeping the airless sprayer stored for a long period of time take the following action

1. Fill a bucket with a protective airless sprayer pump solution like this solution from Titan
2. Run protective solution through your sprayer by following steps j – n above
3. Apply a few drops of throat seal lube to the pump and rod while the pump is cycling

Steps to prepare an Airless for storage for short period of time (week or less)

• Clean the sprayer as mentioned above using steps 1-15
• Leave the sprayer with either mineral spirits or pump armor solution run through it until next use (if planning on storing it in the cold use pump armor)

Steps to prepare an Airless for storage for a Very Short Time Period (less than a day)

• Leave the pick up tube in the coating
• Cover the coating with plastic wrap to reduce drying of the coating
• Place the spray gun in an appropriate cleaner
• THIS MAY CAUSE SOME COATING TO DRY ON THE PICK UP TUBE AND OTHER AREAS AND IS ONLY GOOD FOR SHORT PERIODS OF TIME (Less than a few hours)

Additional Tips

• If your coating has a pot life then you will want to completely clean the sprayer with adequate time left according to the coating manufacturers specification failure to do so could result in ruining your airless paint sprayer
• Never leave the airless sprayer under pressure
• Store your airless indoors in a climate controlled area for best results