How Does An Airless Sprayer Work For Painting House

Painting With an Airless Sprayer

Updated: Jul. 05, 2019

It's the all-time way to complete big paint jobs fast or employ a glass-smooth finish

FH06JUN_AIRSPR_01-2 Family unit Handyman

Learn how to use an airless paint sprayer to paint faster with perfectly polish results. We testify you how the automobile works, skilful painting techniques and how to avoid mistakes.

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Airless paint sprayers: Pros and Cons

An airless sprayer, or a spray paint motorcar, simplifies painting in two ways: First, if you want to speed upwardly a job that requires several gallons of paint, you can apply it twice as fast as with a roller or brush. And 2nd, if you want a drinking glass-smoothen stop on woodwork or doors, the airless sprayer can lay the paint on flawlessly.

An airless sprayer works past pumping paint at a very high force per unit area, up to 3,000 psi, through a hose and out a tiny hole in the spray gun tip. The tip is designed to break up the paint evenly into a fan-shaped spray blueprint of tiny droplets. Using different tips, you can spray thin liquids similar stain, lacquer and varnish or thicker liquids like latex house paint. With a little practice, you tin utilize an airless sprayer to use a perfectly shine finish on doors, cabinets and woodwork. And since an airless sprayer pumps paint directly from a tin or 5-gallon bucket, you can apply a lot of material in a short fourth dimension. This makes an airless sprayer particularly well suited for large paint jobs, like priming bare drywall in a new firm or painting a 300-ft.-long privacy fence.

Merely earlier you get too excited about the benefits of spray painting, there are a few drawbacks to consider. First, the fine particles of paint don't all stick to the surface. A large percentage of the paint ends up in the air, where it tin can migrate and settle onto everything in sight. This means you'll be wasting 20 to twoscore percent of the cease, depending on the application. You lot'll also accept to take actress time to mask off and cover upwards everything you want to go on paint gratis. Outdoor painting is specially risky. Overspray can end upward on your shrubs or roof, or migrate with the wind onto your neighbor's car.

The other downside is the extra time information technology takes to affluent the paint from the pump and hose and clean up the spray gun. If you're using your own sprayer or an electric paint sprayer, rather than a rental unit, you'll also have to clean the filters and install special storage fluid. And if you lot're spraying oil-based products, you'll have to store or recycle a gallon or two of used solvents left over from the cleaning process. But despite these disadvantages, an airless can save you a lot of fourth dimension on big paint jobs and permit you to get a finish that'due south nearly impossible to get with a castor.

Airless Sprayers: Rent or Buy a Spray Pigment Machine?

Airless sprayers start at about $200. Spending more doesn't necessarily go you more features, only information technology does get you a bigger, better motor and pump, which will evangelize longer life and trouble-gratis operation. Owning a sprayer allows you to spray whenever you want and to ensure that the sprayer is make clean and well maintained.

Renting is a good option if you lot don't look to employ the sprayer very often and desire to avert the extra maintenance. Y'all can rent an airless sprayer for about $75 per 24-hour interval. Make sure the hose and pump are make clean and that the filters accept been cleaned or replaced. Ask for assist in choosing the correct spray tip for the job. Some rental stores won't allow you to spray oil-based products similar lacquer, oil stain or oil paint, then be sure to ask.

Sprayer fix-upward: Prime number the pump

Photo ane: Prime the pump

Place the smaller prime tube in a waste pail and the suction tube in the bucket of strained paint. Turn the prime/spray valve to "prime." Switch on the pump. Turn the pressure valve upward until the pump starts. When the paint starts flowing from the prime tube, motion it into the pigment saucepan.

Photo two: Articulate air bubbling

Clip the prime tube to the suction tube. Permit the pump run for about 30 seconds or until no more than air bubbles come out of the tube.

Whether you rent or purchase an airless sprayer, there are a few fundamental setup points. All sprayers take a screen at the intake point. Make sure it's clean. Most sprayers likewise take a removable filter near the pump and another one in the handle of the airless spray gun. Check both to brand certain they're clean, and program to strain your paint through a mesh filter bag to remove lumps and so they won't clog the filters.

Before yous can outset spraying, you have to prime the pump. Photos 1 and 2 show how. You may have to echo this process if the paint in the bucket runs out while you're spraying.

Sprayer ready-upwardly: Fill the hose and gun

Photograph 3: Fill the hose

Hold the airless pigment sprayer gun (guard and spray tip removed) over the waste bucket and pull the trigger. Switch the valve to the "spray" setting. Let become of the trigger when paint is flowing in a steady stream from the gun. Lock the trigger and follow the "Pressure Relief Steps."

Photograph 4: Install the tip

Screw the baby-sit associates loosely onto the gun and marshal the baby-sit at a xc-caste angle to your desired spray pattern. Insert the spray tip until the tab is engaged.

Photo 4A: Align and tighten the tip

Rotate the tip to confront the arrow forwards. Snug the guard assembly paw-tight.

Once the pump is primed, yous're ready to fill the hose with paint (Photo three). Then lock the trigger and save the pressure before installing the tip guard assembly and inserting the tip (Photo iv and 4A).

Force per unit area relief steps

Turn off the power switch.
Turn the spray/prime valve to prime.
Aim the gun confronting the side of the waste matter pail and pull the trigger to release the pressure.
Engage the trigger lock.

Choose the Best Tip for the Task

Spray tips slide into a hole in the front end of the airless paint sprayer gun. They're labeled with a three-digit number like 309 or 517 (these may exist the last three digits of a longer model number). Doubling the offset digit tells you lot the spray fan width with the gun held 12 in. from the surface. A 415 tip, for example, would have an 8-in.-broad fan, while a 515 would take a 10-in. fan pattern.

The next two digits betoken the size of the hole in thousandths of an inch. Cull a smaller diameter hole (.009 to .013) for thin liquids similar stain or varnish and a larger hole (.015 or .017) for thicker liquids like latex paint.

A 411 tip would piece of work well for spraying varnish on woodwork, while a 517 is a proficient size for spraying large surfaces with latex paint.

Sprayer set-upwardly: Adapt the pressure

Photo 5: Adjust the pressure

Turn on the pump and move the prime/spray lever to the "spray" position. Spray a strip of paint beyond a piece of cardboard to cheque the spray pattern. If the spray pattern has tails, the force per unit area is ready besides low. Plough up the pressure.

Photo 5A: Retest the blueprint

Retest and adjust until the pigment is evenly distributed across the fan pattern

As well piddling pressure will result in an uneven spray pattern. And too much pressure causes excessive overspray and premature tip wear. Photo 5 shows how to punch in just the right amount. If y'all're all the same getting "tails" or an uneven spray pattern even at maximum pressure level, try using a tip with a smaller hole. If the spray pattern is round rather than narrow, the tip is worn and should be replaced.

Spray techniques

Photo half-dozen: Spraying technique Pace ane

Squeeze the trigger earlier you reach the edge of the door. Motility the sprayer quickly beyond the door, keeping information technology parallel to the surface. Release the trigger when the sprayer is past the opposite edge of the door.

Photograph seven: Spraying technique Step 2

Overlap most half of the previously painted strip when you make the next laissez passer with the sprayer. Keep the gun perpendicular to the surface.

Photos 6 and seven show the right spray techniques. Here are a few key points:

Plan your spraying sequence earlier you start. On doors, for instance, spray the edges get-go. Then spray summit to lesser. Then spray at right angles side to side.
Squeeze the trigger while the gun is off to the side, and and so move it onto the piece of work (Photo 6).
Move the gun parallel to the surface, not in an arc.
Keep the gun perpendicular to the surface, not tilted (Photo 7).
Move fast to preclude runs. Several thin coats are better than 1 thick i.
Overlap your strokes near thirty to 50 per centum.

Troubleshooting

Photo 8: Clear a clogged tip

If paint stops flowing or sputters from the gun, the tip may be clogged. Twist the tip 180 degrees. Point the gun at a chip of paper and clasp the trigger to articulate the clog. Rotate the tip 180 degrees to point it forward once again and spray a test strip onto the bit.

Nearly spray issues are a event of clogged filters, a clogged tip (Photo 8), or a pump that's either leaking at the packing or has stuck brawl-check valves. Careful cleaning and proper maintenance will prevent most of these troubles.

Other problems, such as runs and uneven coverage, are acquired past using the wrong tip size or by a lack of spraying experience. Every bit with most structure tasks, practice is the fundamental to success.

Airless Sprayer Safety

Read and follow the safety precautions included in your sprayer transmission. If you rent a sprayer, ask for a list of precautions.

Here are the most important ones:

Keep the trigger locked and follow the force per unit area relief procedure when you lot stop spraying, before cleaning, and before servicing the sprayer or installing tips. Never put your mitt in front end of the sprayer tip unless the unit is off and depressurized. The high-pressure spray can inject paint nether your pare, causing a serious poisoning hazard. If you lot do puncture your pare with the spray, go to a doc immediately.
Wear safety glasses and an approved respirator when you're spraying.
Work in a well-ventilated area.

Circumspection: When yous're spraying flammable oil-based products, follow all grounding precautions to prevent sparks. Read your manual or ask the rental shop for instructions on grounding the gun and metallic pail.

Originally Published: July 05, 2019