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Spray Foam Equipment Maintenance

Equipment maintenance is the most important step to making money by minimizing down time on the job and minimizing costs on unnecessary expensive parts.

Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Equipment Maintenance Routines

Equipment maintenance is the most important step to making money because it minimizes downtime on the job and minimizes costs on unnecessary expensive parts.

As with all equipment, routine maintenance like regularly cleaning and greasing your spray foam gun is key to keeping your equipment in prime working order. Even with a vigorous maintenance program, problems can still happen. Understanding how your equipment works (i.e. "Troubleshooting Spray Foam Pressures") will help you determine which piece of equipment may be the problem. Below are some quick tips on industry best practices for creating a regular equipment maintenance routine.

Nightly Maintenance Routine for Spray Foam Guns

Following these basic nightly practices, you'll be able to get the most out of spray foam gun to maximize each project's profits and minimize downtime.

  • The gun must be lubed with lithium grease
    • It is important not to over-grease the gun or it may clog
    • Just a few squirts until it comes out of the mixing chamber
  • Lithium grease, such as Fusion lube, tends to be too thick
    • You can mix low water content lithium grease with 25 to 50% DOP solvent to thin it out
    • Increases up time and the effectiveness of the lithium grease
  • As a reference, a gun can run two to three weeks before being rebuilt

If your gun is clogging more than once a week, additional care should be taken during your rebuilds and nightly maintenance.

Image Description source: integrityroofers.ca

Regular Bi-Weekly Maintenance Routine

The good news is, not every piece of equipment needs to have a nightly maintenance routine. It is important to keep your equipment as clean as possible. Cleanliness improves effectiveness and efficiency. Here is a list of industry best practices for a Bi-weekly maintenance routine which combined with a nightly gun maintenance routine will minimize downtime and costs.

  • Drum pumps should be lubricated with an oil lubricant
  • Y-strainers in the machine should be cleaned
  • DOP fluid on the proportioning pump should be changed
  • The gun should be stripped down and cleaned
    • The parts can be soaked in solvent, like Dynasolve, to remove all chemical debris
    • The O-rings must be removed prior to soaking or they will dissolve
    • Replace any or all damaged O-rings
  • Desiccant air dryers on the A-side should be replaced
    • Air dryers can be baked at low temperatures (roughly ~100F) to get additional uses out of them
  • Mechanical air dryers on the A-side air lines should be replaced, if applicable
  • Replace your hose covers regularly
  • Clean your spray foam rig*
    • A rig should look like it did the day it was purchased
    • Wash the exterior of your rig/truck before you arrive at a jobsite

*Nothing scares an owner, builder or customer more than a dirty, filthy rig or truck. A clean rig or truck can make the difference between getting repeat business and referrals or not.

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