Power Spray Rig Maintenance: A Quick-Start Guide and Schedule
Posted by Andrew Greess on Jan 19, 2026
This is a quick-start guide to maintaining your pest control power spray rig or landscape and weed spray rig. A few minutes of regular care prevents most breakdowns, chemical leaks, and lost days on route.
For best results, read the owner's manual for each component on your sprayer. If anything here conflicts with a manufacturer's manual, follow the manufacturer.
Spray Rig Maintenance Schedule
| How Often | What to Do |
|---|---|
| Daily | Rinse out the tank; check for leaks at the gun, hose, and swivel; release pressure before parking |
| Weekly | Clean the filter; check engine oil; look over the hose for damage |
| Monthly | Unwind and wipe down the hose; inspect pump for drips and weep-hole leaks |
| Every 6 months | Honda engine: change oil, replace spark plug and air filter |
| Annually | Rebuild the spray gun; service the pump (diaphragms, valves, seals) based on use |
| As needed | Replace filter screens and gaskets, swivels, and gun repair kits when they start to leak |
1. Tank
Clean out the tank regularly. Don't let chemical or debris build up on the tank bottom, because settled material gets pulled into the pump and plumbing and causes clogs and wear. Rinse thoroughly before switching products. If you mix wettable powders or granular products, make sure your tank agitation is keeping the mix suspended.
2. Filter
Check and clean the filter regularly. A clogged filter starves the pump and drops pressure at the gun. When the screen is clogged beyond cleaning, replace it. Over time, the rubber gasket will swell or get damaged and should be replaced too. Shop filters and line strainers.
3. Hose Reel
When the swivel starts to leak, rebuild or replace it right away, since a leaking swivel drips chemical onto your truck. On electric reels, the solenoid and circuit breaker will eventually need replacing. Shop hose reel swivels and Cox reel parts.
4. Spray Hose
Every so often, unwind all of the hose from the reel, run it through a clean rag, and roll it back on neatly. Don't wrap it too tightly, because that can restrict flow. If any section is damaged, cut it out and re-couple the hose before it leaks and causes a chemical spill. Shop spray hose and hose barbs.
5. Spray Gun
When the gun starts to drip or leak, take it apart, throw away the old rubber parts, clean the remaining parts, and install a new gun repair kit. Shop spray guns and Green Garde gun parts.
6. Honda Engine
Follow Honda's recommended maintenance schedule. Honda recommends changing the oil after the first month or 20 hours of use, then every 6 months or 100 hours after that. We recommend at least twice a year: change the oil, replace the spark plug, and replace the air filter. Shop Honda engines and parts, including the GX160 air filter.
7. Pump
Pump maintenance depends on the pump type and manufacturer. Here's what we recommend for the most common pumps on spray rigs.
12-Volt Pumps
Shurflo: Shurflo pumps are repaired with a series of kits. The pressure switch is usually the first part to fail, so keep a spare pressure switch and the check valve kit that sits behind it on hand. Replace other kits as needed.
Pumptec: Pumptec pumps are serviced with three kits: valves, plunger/seals, and cam. Replace them as needed.
Gas-Powered Pumps
AR (Annovi Reverberi) diaphragm pumps: With heavy use, replace the diaphragms annually. A full service means tearing the pump down, cleaning all parts, and replacing the valves and diaphragms. Tear down and rebuild the pressure relief assembly as needed. The same approach applies to other diaphragm pumps like Comet.
Roller pumps: When liquid starts dripping from the weep holes, tear down the pump, clean all parts, and replace the seals and bearings.
Maruyama piston pumps: These pumps tend to run a long time before needing service. We carry four kits for the MSD41: Rod/Seal Kit A, Valve Kit B, O-ring Kit C, and the Regulator Repair Kit.
Winterizing
If your rig sits through freezing weather, drain the tank, pump, hose, and gun completely, or run RV antifreeze through the system. Water left in a pump or gun can freeze and crack them.
Need Parts or Service?
We stock parts for the components we build with, and our Phoenix shop services and rebuilds spray rigs. Browse all power sprayer parts, or contact us at 602-371-1993.