When operators winterize their sprayers, they should remove all the tips and store them separately. Many store them in large pails with lids. Calibrating the sprayer just prior to winterizing will indicate if the nozzles should be stored, or replaced. Let’s assume each tip flow rate is within 5% of the average output and no more than 5% […]
Cleaning, flushing, triple-rinsing… whatever you call it, sprayer sanitation is a time-consuming and distasteful task. Methods vary, but they generally span from the classic triple rinse (30-45 minutes) to a full tear-down and decontamination (many hours and likely an overnight soak). The operator decides how much time and effort to invest depending on the chemistry they’ve […]
Next to sprayer math, cleaning the sprayer is one of the more distasteful aspects of airblast spraying. It’s time-consuming, you never really know when you’re finished, and sprayer manufacturers and pesticide labels offer only limited guidance. Clean sprayer rinsate often looks and smells exactly like contaminated sprayer rinsate. When airblast sprayers are not cleaned as […]
This article was co-developed by Mike Cowbrough, OMAFRA Weed Management Specialist in Field Crops Why scrub filters? Why do we ask you to manually scrub residue from sprayer filters and housings before changing chemistries? Here are three reasons why rinsing in-place may not be good enough: An experiment To some, the previous statements may seem […]
Why Rinse? Airblast sprayers are not rinsed as frequently or as diligently as field sprayers. This is primarily because they are not used to spray herbicides, so residue carry-over doesn’t incur an immediately obvious penalty. The typical operator rinses prior to long-term storage or when cross contamination might cause some form of antagonism (e.g. dormant […]