flame retardants and hudson sprayers

[gafftapegreenia]

We've been buying the basic plastic tank garden sprayers for applying flame retardants, but the retardants seem to gum up the pumps in short order, often after the first use. I'm tempted to invested in a proper, metal tank Hudson sprayer for this application, but I don't want to waste my money if I'm only going to have the same problems. I'm hoping that someone here might have experience using a metal tank Hudson sprayer to apply flame retardants, or might have tips/tricks to unclog one that has been gummed up by such products.

 

[almorton]

Might you not have better results with a paint spray gun and compressor - maybe a gravity feed hopper gun?

 

[gafftapegreenia]

Hmm, we could try an HVLP gun. My main concern would be cleaning the gun after, as there doesn’t seem to readily be information on the solvent for Flamex WD and SF.

The appeal of a Hudson sprayer is being able to more easily use one up in a lift.

 

[almorton]

I guess that is the crux - what can you use as a solvent to clean it after. Spray guns are meant to be disassembled for cleaning if necessary, so hot water and a bottle brush might be the order of the day. Getting an airline up to the platform of a lift is a slight logistical problem, I guess. A self contained electric spray gun would remove that requirement.

 

[jtweigandt]

Really only 2 "pinch points" in a typical pump up sprayer. The mesh filter thingie on the pickup tube, and the spray tip.
Spray tip generally unscrews and you can check quite quickly if the pickup is the problem or not, or the spray nozzle needs a good cleaning.

 

[Van]

I've never had this problem and there shouldn't be anything in an FR to gum up anything. The salts might crystallize, as @jtweigandt mentioned above, in the the filter screen and the tip itself. A good soak in Hot water should fix that. I'd be interested in what you find out. I'd think that a metal tank might be more prone to Rusting/Oxidizing as the salts are slightly corrosive.

 

[Colin]

Once clogged, I seldom have luck unclogging unless I can see and pluck out the clog with a pin. But to avoid clogs I just immediately rinse the tank then fill with very hot soapy water, spray out, and follow with very hot plain water, spray out. Don't get clogs after that, whether I was spraying FR or paint, or on occasion a 50/50 PVA mix. Time is of the essence though.