Routine Sprayer Maintenance

Preventative maintenance is key to keeping your sprayer working all season long. When the spraying season begins, routine maintenance can often become overlooked. In general, sprayers require little day-to-day maintenance to keep them running. To help ensure your sprayer performs at its best, follow the guidelines listed below.

Clean Strainer – Daily

Cleaning the strainer is an easy task to build into your daily routine. The easiest time to clean the strainer is before leaving in the morning. Gregson-Clark strainers feature a yellow, quick flush plug at the bottom of the strainer. This is a quick and easy way to flush any buildup that may be in the strainer.

Prior to removing the plug, place a bucket under the strainer to catch any remaining solution that is in the strainer. To clean the screen the lower strainer body needs to be removed. The screen and lower cup will pull away from the main body after the nut has been removed.

After cleaning the screen and replacing it in the main filter body, make sure the large o-ring is seated on top of the lower bowl. If this o-ring is missing or becomes misaligned the sprayer will draw air which will prevent the pump from operating properly. 

In some situations the strainer may need to be cleaned multiple times a day. This will depend on the product mixture in use. A clogged screen will prevent the sprayer from operating properly and can cause diaphragms to fail prematurely. 

Check Pump & Engine Oil – Daily

On most diaphragm pumps the oil bowl is located on the exterior of the pump making it easy to view. Monitoring the oil level can tell you a lot on how the pump is running. If the oil level constantly drops or becomes milky, this can mean you have a broken diaphragm and your spraying solution and oil are mixing. If your oil bowl is over flowing this could also signal that a diaphragm is broken and spraying solution is being pushed through the case and into the oil reservoir. 

The Honda GX series engines used on Gregson-Clark Sprayers are equipped with a low oil shut down feature. If your engine is low on oil or the unit is tipped to one side the engine may not start. Check the oil level often to ensure there is an adequate amount.

For oil recommendations and diaphragm guidelines, please refer to the Gregson-Clark owner's manual.

Hose Reel Swivel – Monthly

The swivel connection is located on the inlet side of the hose reel. Keeping the fitting greased will increase the lifespan of the swivel. Please note that the swivel requires a very small amount of grease.

Overall Inspection – Yearly

A good habit to develop is checking the entire unit over at least once a year. This is commonly done at the end of the spraying season or before the season begins. This includes checking tank strap tension, rebuilding leaking spray guns, overall hose inspection, oil changes, pump rebuilds and an overall sprayer cleaning.

Stock Common Spare Parts

Having replacement parts on hand will save time and money if your sprayer breaks down during the busy season. Common replacement parts include:

• Diaphragm Kit
• Pump Oil
• Hose reel push button
• Spare reel solenoid
• Regulator Rebuild Kit
• Strainer O-ring

Incorporating scheduled maintenance checks on your sprayer will help keep it operating at peak performance and minimize any downtime. For questions regarding sprayer maintenance please give us a call at 1-800-706-9530.