I just had a conversation with the chemist that recommended that we use dishwashing detergent to clean out our painting equipment. I explained to him that the only problem with using the liquid dish soap was that if it didn’t get completely cleaned out, it may make the valve balls stick. So I had changed my instructions to using at least 3 gallons of clear, cool water to flush out the soapy water. He said that the foaming properties of the soap are what help get the nooks and crannies clean, it also makes it more difficult to flush the soap out. He said that laundry soap would work also. It doesn’t foam much and would be easier to flush out with clear water. He thought that it might be cheaper also.
So I will now change the flyers that I send out to reflect this change. Also of note is that we have had 3 machines come in this month with paint that had dry-packed in them. All of the owners stated that they had been using new Behr paint purchased from Home Depot. 1 was a medium and 2 were deep tint base. Lots of color in these. The paint dry-packed inside the pistons, on up through the hose nipple coming out of the fluid section cylinder. Keep this in mind on these really hot days too. If your pump seems to be losing volume, flush it immediately. You may use soap and water, shellac solvent or lacquer thinner; whichever is pertinent to the material that you are using.
