The mark of any great refinisher is the condition in which they keep their tools and equipment. How well you care for the equipment of your trade is important both for yourself and your customers. Arguably one of your most important pieces of equipment as a refinisher is your spray gun. Taking just a few extra minutes at the end of each day to clean your spray gun will help keep it flowing evenly and also extend the overall life, meaning you get more out of your equipment investments.

And personal investment reasons are only one big part of why you want to keep tools like spray guns, exhaust system and breathing systems clean and properly maintained. Forgetting or neglecting to clean your guns and changing filters in your equipment can cost you a job or needing to buy new equipment earlier than you thought if you aren't careful. We know taking the time to clean your equipment isn't the most exciting part of your job and takes some time at the end of your busy day but taking this extra time will certainly pay off in the end.

So now that you get why it's important to always keep your equipment clean and well-maintained, let's take a look at three key ways of doing so:

Use a spray gun cleaner

NAPCO-cleanerA spray gun cleaner, like NAPCO's On The Spot Gun Cleaner, is ideal for keeping your spray gun clean and well maintained. We recommend using spray gun cleaner every time you finish using your spray gun on a kitchen or bath refinishing job. Start by emptying your gun of any excess material. Then, follow the instructions and pour the indicated amount of On The Spot Gun Cleaner into the spray gun's cup. Shake the gun well in order to properly distribute the cleaner and then spray the cleaner through the gun. You might need to do this several times in order to get it properly cleaned. Just remember that this $20 cleaner can significantly extend the life of your $320+ piece of equipment, and that means extra long-term savings for your business. The entire gallon should provide a month or two of cleaning solution depending on how frequently you clean, which is a small price to pay for that added insurance.

Conduct weekly inspections

Cleaning Like a professional is a great way to catch the grime, but it's important to go beyond just cleaning in terms of caring for your kitchen and bath refinishing equipment. We recommend taking an hour each week to inspect the valves, valve seals, air tubes, and cup gaskets of all of your spray guns. For your larger equipment, make sure to keep new filters on hand and change them regularly to keep them running smoothly and to prevent clogging or overheating. As with other items, timely repair of small issues can help prevent an expensive and often inopportune breakdown in the future.

Keep backups and spare parts on-hand

This final tip flows from the previous one but it bears highlighting. Make the small investments now in order to have backup parts on hand; backup parts like an extra needle set, check valves, needle packings, gaskets, and filters all of which can be ordered through NAPCOltd.com. By having these items on-hand, you can quickly switch out bad parts with good ones when necessary. Having these parts on-hand prevents a disruption from impacting your business like having to cancel a job because your gun isn't in good working order.

 

Utilize NAPCO for repairs

NAPCO customers have the option to either drop off or ship your spray guns directly to NAPCO for us to repair. We charge $15 an hour for equipment repairs (not including any parts needed for both cleaning and repairing at the customer’s request). Additionally, customers also have access to our live virtual tech support for troubleshooting over-the-phone if you just need to walkthrough the issue with a professional.

Are you ready to stock up on backup parts, filters and spray gun cleaner? Visit our store at NAPCO today to get started.