With winter weather setting in, we need to look at storing machines again. Remember to clean out the machines using soap and water and then cool clear water. If you have it use pump saver as your last wash running through the machine. Do not leave the machines under pressure. It is best to disconnect all hoses and guns and store them separately. All machines should be stored under cover, preferrably in a garage or a locked insulated room.
Remember to try any and all of your machines before taking them out on the job to work. This will save time and frustration.
There are quite a few machines that are being sold that have been stored for years. Buyer Beware of these. Many will need work before they can be used successfully. You cannot just see if they will prime. You must see if they will build up pressure.
Remember the old adage: “If it seems to be too good to be true, if probably is”.
Summer 2012 was a real roller coaster. We had weeks of frenzied activity and then days of zero activity. It made it difficult to manage inventory.
Our business seemed to reflect our customer’s business. Most of our customers reported that they roller coasted also with the total business count much better than last year. I hope that this winter will continue to show slow growth.
I saw a large number of dead electric motors this year. I think that it is because contractors are running their equipment longer and harder than before. It is cheaper to fix an old machine than purchase a new one.
I’m seeing more pumps come in with dried paint chunks and strips of paint skins in the fluid section, clogging the fluid section and prime valve. This is due to the paints required by CARB and California dry and skin up faster than ever. If you have a lowboy or stand unit with a siphon hose (usually black hose), this is a real problem. With the summer heat, paint skins up inside the siphon hose really fast. If you don’t get the siphon hose cleaned out completely, it will skin up even faster.
There is a simple solution for this. Use Dawn dish washing detergent in your wash water. Fist 2 gallons of water push the paint out of the machine. The second 2-3 gallons should have 3 or 4 tablespoons of dish washing detergent in it to break loose any and all paint in the siphon hose, pump, airless line and gun. This is also used to clean the siphon screen, manifold filter and gun filter. Then flush all of the soapy water out with pump saver and water. Remove the hose/gun and run just long enough to pump the last of the water out.
Here it is, almost February and winter is just arriving. Sure, we have had a few cold days, but no rain to speak of. Now it is starting. So now the question comes up, Will we have a late winter (that goes into the spring)? or will we have a short winter? Now that work is picking back up, planning becomes more important.
No question that the painting trade has changed. New construction, notably housing, went from “full Throttle” to “dead in the water”. Repaint and maintenance went from “really busy” to “hardly any”. This fall has shown both to start reviving. New projects won’t get close to the 2006 pace for a long time, if ever. Repaint and maintenance is now on it’s knees; from flat on it’s face. I am seeing projects that needed to be done 4 years ago, starting up. Because of this stall, the maintenance work has degenerated from maintenance to repair. So, the extra cost of waiting to be done, will slow some of it’s recovery. Ironic, isn’t it? But deferring maintenance has always cost more.
Thinking of deferring costing more…. This applies to airless rigs as well. If your pump is leaking at the piston, not repairing it right away jeopardizes the piston. This can easily double the cost of repair. So as soon as you notice leakage, schedule the machine to be repaired. This will allow you to repair the machine at a known time, rather than causing a panic when it completely fails during the middle of a project.
In opening this today, I realized that I have neglected to post the additional flavors that we have. So here is that post
11/26/2010
We spent The holidays in Arizona. We had a ShapeWay tasting and came away with 2 new flavors. These were acquired by the tried and true “hit and miss” method…
17'. the “Kat” 8: 8 oz Non-Fat Milk, 1 scoop S/W, 1 tablespoon unsweetened chocolate, 1 tablespoon peanut butter, 1.5oz ZILLA.
18. the “Larry” 8: 8 oz NF Milk, 1 scoop S/W, 1/2 banana, 1 tablespoon unsweetened chocolate, 1.5 oz ZILLA.
I am seeing quite a few recently purchased, used pumps coming in. There are a lot of used pumps on the market these days, due to the downturn in the painting industry. Most of these pumps haven’t been run for years. Some were broken when they were stored and some were in working order. Remember that storing a pump is the same as storing a car. Taken out of storage, both will need work.
Take the car, for example. If it wasn’t stored properly, you will need a battery, air in tires as a minimum as rubber stored under weight breaks down, so maybe all 4 tires. If the engine wasn’t stored dry, you will need to drain, clean and/or rebuild the fuel delivery system and completely drain, flush and refill the engine oil and cooling systems.
An airless is quite the same. At a minimum; figure filters, screens and a complete repack of the fluid section. If it wasn’t stored properly, then you may need a piston rod and/or sleeve. If it had any residue of paint or colored water in it, the prime valve may not open or close off completely. And if it is a gas powered pump, you will have the additional oil and fuel systems to deal with.
Remember, just because a pump runs, that doesn’t mean that it will pump or pressurize paint.
It seems that with construction still slow, my customers are bringing in old retired pumps to be fixed. In the past, these were relegated to the graveyard and new pumps were purchased. Now, these pumps are being called back into service as fixing them is cheaper than buying new.
So. the lesson here is put up all pumps correctly, even if you think that you may never use them again. If you don’t throw them out, you may call them back into service or even sell them. Either way, the 30 min taken will pay dividends. Also, NEVER seal off the pump by covering the siphon or prime or hose outlet with plastic. By doing so, you guarantee rust will positively set in. Clean the machine as well as possible and then pump dry. I am replacing more rusted parts than worn parts.
