Tips: How to Care for Your Spray Foam Equipment

When you purchase something that has a highupfront cost like spray foam equipment, it makes sense to takecare of your investment. When you follow the correct procedures to maintain andclean your spray foam machines, guns, and hoses, you can get through seasonafter season with functional, functional, reliable equipment and experience fewmaintenance problems.

Though the best practice is to follow the careinstructions in the user manual for any type of equipment, there are generalguidelines for spray foam insulation equipmentmaintenance that every contractor should follow. Here are some tips on how tocare for equipment from spray foam machines to hoses so they last as long aspossible.

Tip #1: Maintain accurate anddetailed work logs.

Before you can determine how much care your sprayfoam equipment needs, you need to know when and how long it wasused. This is especially true if you run a business with many employees.Keeping track of usage by using daily work logs will help you determine whenroutine maintenance is needed. Daily work logs are often neglected but canprovide valuable data such as:

• Job location
• The equipment's operator
• Humidity levels
• Outdoor temperature
• Quantities of materials used
• How long the equipment was running

Knowing how much material you use and how muchpower you need can help you control costs and tell you when sprayfoam insulation equipment needs maintenance or cleaning. This kind ofdata can also assist you if you need to make a claim, or if a client has adispute over work quality. When you discuss problems with the manufacturer,there may be requests for a lot of information such as applicationtemperatures, density checks, and core samples.

It is easier to keep track of everything when you get a spray foam machine with automated tracking data, such as the Graco Reactor 2, which comes with the Graco InSite app. This takes the paperwork out of the equation and allows you to see all the data you need on your smartphone.

Tip #2: Create your own regularmaintenance checklist.

If you know which spray foam equipmentis being used more frequently and when you can create a checklist andmaintenance schedule. Equipment differs in the maintenance that is neededaccording to model, make, and year manufactured. By keeping track of which machinesneed more attention, you can schedule regular maintenance.

Since some equipment parts have a higher riskof clogging than others, our team recommends checking various parts atdifferent intervals. Not everything needs daily maintenance, but it isimportant to check regularly. Here are some things to look out for:

• Check the Y-strainer filters weekly:
  • Make sure there are noobstructions and check the levels and viscosity of the throat seal liquid. Makesure that it moves through the wet cup and into the reservoir as it should.

• Bi-Weekly checks and maintenance procedures:
  • Lubricate the drum pumps with anoil lubricant.
  • Clean the Y-strainers.
  • Change the DOP fluid on theproportioning pump.
  • Strip down the spray foam gun andclean it.
  • Replace or repair the desiccantair dryers on the A-side.

• As-needed maintenance:
  • Replace hose covers.
  • Clean your spray foam rig.Ideally, it should look as clean as the day you purchased it.
  • Flush out the hose lines with asolvent to keep them flowing smoothly.

These are just a few things to inspect regularlyto make sure your spray foam insulation equipment is in topcondition. To ensure the utmost accuracy, consult user manuals or call themanufacturer for model-specific maintenance tips.

Tip #3: Pay careful attention toyour spray foam guns.

Since the spray gun is where the chemicalreaction occurs, its effectiveness is critical to the application process. Thetypical spray foam gun has modular parts that can easily wear down when theoperator does not maintain them. Since they are 'at the front lines,' they areprone to more wear, and if damaged, they can cause many issues and delays ifmoisture enters the line or premature chemical mixing occurs. Here is a generalcare procedure for spray foam guns:

1. Strip down the gun.
2. Remove the o ring.
3. Soak the parts in a solvent to remove chemical debris.
4. Put the gun back together, replacing any damaged o rings.
5. Lubricate the gun with lithium grease, but do not over-grease or it may clog.

Regular attention is a must, even if you buy a top-quality Graco gun. It is important to monitor the quality of the o rings because they seal the fluid-handling portions of the gun. Generally, a high-quality spray foam gun can run two to three weeks before needing to be stripped down. Any gun that clogs more than once a week needs extra attention, but you should replace it to save you time and make applications easier.

Spray Foam Equipment At IntechEquipment & Supply

If you are interested in purchasing sprayfoam insulation equipment for your rig, contact ustoday. Also, remember that until December 2020, you can take advantage of ourconvenient financing options. For more information, check out our financing calculator.

About Kevin Malone
Kevin Malone is a leading expert in the spray foam insulation industry with 34 years of experience in spray foam fluid handling and a passion for innovation. He currently offers his extensive knowledge to Intech Equipment and Supply customers by supporting them in selecting quality spray foam equipment to optimize their business. Learn more about Kevin here.