For the past two summers, I've been having trouble when spraying weed killer with my bulk sprayers clogging. At best, I lose the nice fan spray pattern, and worst the flow turns into a mere dribble (even with full pressure). I pull the tip off, clean it and put it back on. It works great for a while. This typically happens about 5 times over a 20-minute period. I do not like getting the chemical on my skin, and I wash my hands each time after cleaning the tip.
I thoroughly rinse the bulk sprayers each time before refilling them. They are stored with the lid and vent closed after relieving the pressure. The same problem exists with new solutions, so it�s not due to using old product.
The material that clogs the tip is white, so my best guess is that it�s the chemical precipitating out of the solution. I do follow the manufacturer�s recommendation on the concentration. The water in my town is pretty hard. When it�s time for the next refill (this week), I�m going to try using soft water from inside the house (outside faucets bypass the water softener).
If soft water doesn�t fix the issue, I plan to cut the spray hose between the tank and wand, and insert a filter. Would an automotive fuel filter work with a water-based solution? How do others deal with this nuisance?
|
