Here are examples of pest control spray equipment and weed control sprayer problems from our repair shops. We provide these photos so you can prevent these problems in your spray equipment.

 

 

	Tech came in and said pest control spray equipment filter was cracked and needed to be replaced.  He was correct, but that was only half the story.
	When our pest control equipment technician opened the spray filter to check it, he found something odd.  The pest spray technician had used duct tape to try to seal the   crack in the filter!

 

While the first inclination may be to recognize the pest control spray tech for his initiative in trying to fix the problem, I don't think that is the correct response.  The filter was badly cracked so the problem existed for a while.  The tech tried to put a temporary fix on a problem that should have been attended to promptly and properly.  Furthermore, the tech's solution indicated a lack of understanding of the operation of the pest control spray equipment.  I don't think duct tape is the correct solution, but if it were to work at all, it should have been placed on the outside of the strainer, so the pest control spray pump's suction would pull it against the crack, stopping the air leak, instead of away from the crack as it did with the tape on the inside.

Check Your Spray Equipment Before Taking Off

 

Check Your Pest Control or Weed Control Hose Reel

Check the reel lock (on manual reels only) to make sure it is intact.  If this lock fails, the hose can unroll, possibly causing the hose (and spray gun) to drag in the street behind the truck.  This is a potentially dangerous situation.  See photos.

<<<Broken Reel Lock             Tip Dragged Behind Truck

 

 

 

 

                                                                      Missing Reel Lock^^^

 

Weed & Pest Spray Trailer Connection

Technician did not check plug to towable trailer sprayer before driving off.  Towable Trailer sprayer plug dragged on road, resulting in damage and downtime.

Technician said it the filter was on too tight and was too hard to check.  Our mechanics put a wrench on it and had it off in 10 seconds.  The filter was so clogged, the D30 pump was run dry and totally destroyed.  Technician laziness cost the owner well over $1000!  Check out our spray equipment rig photos below. 

The filter on this weed spray rig had not been checked in a long time.	Weed control sprayer had not been cleaned out, allowing debris to accumulate.  This is the D30 manifold, clogged with preemergent.
Debris in D30 check valves caused weed control sprayer to perform subobtimally.	Clogged filter deprived D30 pump of water.  Eventually diaphragms failed, allowing all oil to escape.
Lack of oil, caused metal on metal without lubrication.  This connecting rod is totally scored and heat caused metal to fuse to surface.	Lack of oil caused the total scoring and destruction of D30 pump shaft.
The small flecks on this rag are metal shavings found in the weed control pump.  The shavings were caused by lack of oil in pump.	This D30 Diaphragm Pump was a total loss. This weed sprayer equipment problem was totally avoidable.  if the tech had checked the filter, or the supervisor had inspected the equipment, the problem would have been avoided.

 There is no easier way to prevent spray equipment problems than to keep your system clean.  Download our E-Kit:

           Spray Equipment Clean Out Strategy

Purchase Price is the tip of the Iceberg! Client tried to save money on a pest control spray rig. It cost them downtime, repair cost, spill cleanup cost and potential liability.  Here is the evidence:

 

30 Gallon pest control skid sprayer for golf cart spraying of apartments	Skid made of thin sheet metal and only spot welded in 2 places. Weight of tank bouncing caused welds to break.
Broken welds caused tank to fall, break fittings & dump 30 gallons of material.	Filter is cramed between frame & seat.  How is tech supposed to check this filter?
Rig is too wide for the golf cart. Engine too close to edge>>>>>>>	Techs brush the cart against walls/gates damaging the engine exhaust
We reinforced the support with 3/16" steel angle.	We welded the frame along the entire length of the support. This is the way we always do it and the way it should be done!

 Don't waste money on spray equipment.  Buy the right spray equipment the first time.  Download our Spray Equipment Strategy E-Kit.

           Spray Equipment: Purchase Price is the Tip of the Iceberg! 

 

           More Spray Equipment Problems:

	Unsecured Backpack may damage pump	Note the bungee cord that is not attached.  Backpack needs to be secured so it does not fly out of truck or shift and damage pump.
	Unsecured Birchmeier Backpack may get caught in engine	Backpack strap is dangerously close to unprotected engine shaft.
	Unsecured Birchmeier backpack may damage hose reel electrical components	When driver hits the breaks, backpack sprayer could lurch forward and damage electrical components for eletric hose reel.
Kinked Supply Hose	Tech reported poor pump performance.  Pump output not acceptable.	A quick search found that the supply hose feeding the pump had kinked around part of the frame, reducing flow to the pump.  Tech was lucky, pump was not destroyed.  However, because the gate valve is removed from the tank fitting, tech had to wait for the tank to be empty to replace the hose.
Badly Worn B&G Check Valve Left - New Check Valve	B & G Sprayer Check Valve - Swollen to almost twice normal size due to prolonged exposure to chemicals.	Technician did not replace check valve on B&G Sprayer. We understand trying to get full value from your equipment but this is ridiculous. Tech should have done preventative maintenance and proactively inspected and replaced check valve, or kept a check valve in the truck as part of an Emergency Repair Kit. Instead, tech had to drive to our shop, wasting time and gas and impacting customers in order to purchase a part that costs a few dollars. For a copy of our article on creating emergency repair kits, or to receive our newsletter that has lots of ideas to reduce equipment problems and downtime, send us an email.
Upper - Badly Clogged Lower - New	B & G Sprayer Filter Screen - Completely Clogged	Technician had never cleaned out B&G Sprayer. Filter was completely clogged. B&G Sprayer was in such bad shape it was not worth repairing. Don't let this happen to you. Clean and perform preventative maintenance on your pest control sprayers.
Birchmeier Backpack with chemical buildup	Damaged Birchmeier Backpack	Chemical buildup in the tank creates debris that damages the sprayer. This Birchmeier backpack was in such bad shape it was not worth repairing. Periodic cleaning and servicing of the backpack would have prevented this problem and saved the owner quite a bit of money.
Birchmeier Check Valve Choked with Debris	Damaged Birchmeier Backpack	Debris clogging the check valve, preventing the backpack from operating properly.
Birchmeier Spray Handle - Clogged	Damaged Birchmeier Backpack	Debris clogging the spray handle, where the filter is located.
Metal Shavings in Pump	Damaged Diaphragm Pump	Waiting too long to change diaphragms will result in total pump failure. Damaged diaphragms let oil escape, resulting in metal on metal without lubrication. Change diaphragm at least annually. Service is cheaper than replacement.
Always check for oil in pump. Do NOT run pump if fluid is contaminated	Connecting rod totally grooved out lack of oil destroys pump	Diaphragm pump shaft grooved out Total Loss. This is an expensive part to replace.
Roller pumps are popular pest control equipment	Damaged Roller Pump	When Roller Pump begins to drip from weep holes, this indicates seals have failed and pump requires service. If not serviced promptly, serious damage WILL occur. Note destroyed bearing.
Rollers are destroyed. Pump should have been serviced long ago.	Roller Pump Rotor - totally destroyed. Total loss. Maintenance cheaper than replacement.	Too late to save this pump Shaft Grooved Out - pump run with bad seals
	Kinked supply hose	Tech reported no output from spray gun. A quick inspection showed that the hose feeding the pump was kinked, preventing water from reaching the pump. If the tech continued running the pump, it would have been destroyed from running dry. Lesson: inspect feeder hoses to identify kinks and other damage that impact sprayer performance.
	Abnormal hose wear	Look for abnormally worn hoses and fittings. Be sure that hoses are not contacting moving parts such as hose reels. The situation in this photo would have resulted in a serious chemical spill if not caught.