Paint Pressure Tanks – A Complete Buying Guide
A paint pressure pot is useful for a variety of applications. Whether its being used to degas resins, spray material, or only for fluid delivery, a paint pressure tank has a variety of uses. Paint pressure tanks can also vary greatly in price from around $100 dollars for one from a Harbor Freight to thousands of dollars for a customer or large volume tank. To get the best results out of your paint pressure tank and ensure it will work well for your application consider the following and you can be sure to get a paint pressure pot that will be well suited for your application.
Paint Pressure Pot Buying Factor 1 - Material Capacity
While this may be obvious, you will want to consider how much material you intend to spray at a given time. Most paint pressure pots start at 2 gallons, if you plan on using smaller volumes of material then you would typically want to consider a 2 quart pressure cup or you can work out of a quart can within a paint pressure pot. The other important thing to consider about material capacity is if the paint pressure tank has a holding capacity with material already in a container and the capacity if the material is just poured into the paint pressure pot. For example the Binks 5 Gallon paint pressure pot is designed to hold a 5 gallon bucket of material directly inside the tank or up to 9.8 gallons when poured directly into the paint pressure pot. This is important because the actual amount of workspace is roughly double what the tank is titled. Ultimately you typically want to consider a paint pressure pot that is large enough to minimize refills for most of the work you do but is not to heavy if you need mobility.
Paint Pressure Pot Buying Factor 2 - Certification
In addition to material capacity you should consider if a paint pressure pot is made with any certification regarding its quality. Low price paint pressure pots will typically not have any certification (but they are also $100 vs about $600 dollars for a upgraded paint pressure pot). Important certifications for paint pressure pots include an ASME certification for pressure and/or vacuum. An ASME certification is an inspection process that a manufacturer and product goes through showing that the pressure vessel made are guaranteed to withstand a certain amount of pressure. A vacuum rating is similar but refers to a guarantee that the vessel will tolerate a certain amount of suction (often expressed in inches HG). These ratings are guarantees that a paint pressure vessel will work under certain demands. This can be important because depending on your application, you may need higher pressures, or in general having an ASME stamped rating is a sign of high quality. Binks has 110 PSIand 85 PSI rated tanks. However if price is significantly important then you may decide on a non certified paint pressure pot.
Paint Pressure Pot Buying Factor 3 - Configuration Options
Options for paint pressure pot configurations can vary greatly depending on the manufacturer. Low cost paint pressure pots will offer no options and will come in a single design while other paint pressure pots will offer options on the number of regulators (from 0 – 2), the types of regulators (sensitive or standard), agitation (gear reduced, direct drive, or no agitation), and material type (stainless, galvanized, zinc plated, stainless steel fitted). If you are considering a premium paint pressure tank here is a simple way to decide on the options you may want.
Number of regulators
Two regulators allows you to control both air and fluid pressure at the paint pressure pot. If you are spraying material this will typically always be the ideal number of regulators. However, if you are just planning on using the paint pressure pot to feed an automatic spray system or a similar application, then a single regulator will work.
Agitation
Agitation is optional. Paint pressure pot agitators are not really designed to mix paint or material but rather to keep the material suspended. For most paints you do not necessarily need an agitator. However if your paint tends to separate into parts after being mixed than an agitator is important. The two primary agitators available for a paint pressure pot include direct drive and gear reduced designs. Direct drive agitators are directly connected to an air motor which powers the agitator, a gear reduced agitator connects the air motor to gears which drive the agitator. If your paint is medium to high viscosity or higher in volume (10 gallons or more) then a gear reduced agitator is usually best as it will reduce the strain on an air motor and ensure the paint doesn’t stop the air motor from moving the material. With thin to medium viscosity coatings (like wood finishes) a standard direct drive agitator will usually be fine.
Bottom Outlet Kits
On larger paint pressure pots with some manufacturers like Binks you can add a bottom outlet kit. A typical paint pressure pot forces material up a pick up tube and out of the pot. However with high viscosity materials aka thick coatings the material may not flow well up through a tube. If this is a concern for you, you may want to consider a bottom outlet kit for your paint pressure pot. A bottom outlet kit will allow material to flow out of the paint pressure pot much easier. With Binks paint pressure pots bottom outlet kits and legs are available for tanks sized 5 gallons and up.
Paint Pressure Tank Buying Factor 4 - Tank Material
The material that your paint pressure tank is made from is also important when choosing a paint pressure tank. Water born coatings can cause corrosion of a paint pressure tank unless the tank is designed to work with water based coatings. The best paint pressure pot material for water borne coatings is stainless steel however for occasional use you can still use a galvanized or zinc plated paint pressure pot, you just have to be diligent about not leaving the water born material in the paint pressure pot.
Paint Pressure Pot Buying Factor 5 - Liners & Parts
A final factor to consider when buying a paint pressure pot is whether disposable liners and repair parts are available for the paint pressure pot. Liners make clean up quick and easy when you are switching coatings. Parts allow you to continue to use the paint pressure pot for years without ever needing to replace the pressure pot itself. Important parts for a pressure tank include lid gaskets, rebuild kits for the regulators, and replacement fittings for the parts on the paint pressure pot as well as air motors if you will be buying an agitated paint pressure pot. All of these are available with Binks paint pressure pots, often lower cost pressure pots are designed to be thrown away.
Paint Pressure Pot Buying Factor 6 - Cost
Obviously price is a part of any purchase. So if you plan on using your paint pressure tank once and never will need it again then a pressure pot from harbor freight may be right given the reasonable price point. However if you will depend on your paint pressure pot often a lower priced pressure pot will typically start to leak after a few uses and is not guaranteed to tolerate pressures and is typically designed to throw away and will typically not have options to choose from.
A paint pressure pot is a great solution whether you are spraying a coating or looking for a fluid delivery system. Either way making sure you choose the right features for your application is important. By considering the factors in this guide you can ensure that you choose a paint pressure pot that is right for you.