Paint sprayers are amazing tools! They save us so much time but still give us that amazingly smooth finish that we are all looking for. Like everything in life, it doesn’t just happen on its own. You need to set it up properly to get the most out of your sprayer.
There are plenty of books and YouTube videos that explain how to set up a paint sprayer, but this is the way I like to do it. And if you’re like me, you’ll want to take a couple extra minutes and do things right the first time.
Checklist
OK, so first thing is to make sure you have all the items you’ll need. Here’s a checklist for you to use.
- Obviously we want to get the paint. I recommend using 5 gallon buckets of latex paint when using a sprayer. It’s so much easier than dealing with 1 gallon buckets.
- You’re going to need an extension cord, preferably a 12 gauge, for the sprayer.
- A couple of wrenches may come in handy later on.
- You will definitely need Graco Throat Seal, which is what is used to lube up the sprayer. We always apply Throat Seal a couple times a day when using the sprayer. You do NOT want the pump to be running while dry. Not applying lube to the sprayer can and will ruin it.
- We will need a 5 gallon bucket two thirds full of clean water. Now I like to have another 5 gallon bucket with a strainer in it. I pour the 5 gallon of paint into the bucket with the strainer. This will eliminate those clumps of paint from clogging up the sprayer.
- Once the paint is poured, you will need some rubber gloves to lift the strainer and squeeze the remaining paint out of the strainer. Now you can go ahead and rinse the strainer in the bucket of clean water. The strainer can be used over and over again.
- Oh and of course, we will need a sprayer with the spray gun.
Setting it up
So you got all your items together and are ready to set up the sprayer. The first step is to cycle paint through the pump and then through the line. Then apply the tip housing and the tip.
Alright, so it’s time to plug in the sprayer. Then stick the suction hose in the bucket with paint. Find the switch on the pump that switches from spray to prime, and make sure it’s set to prime.
Attached to the suction hose is the return tube. You want that to point right into the scrap bucket that’s two thirds full with water. Now go ahead and turn the pump on and that should start to drain the water out of the pump (from the last time we used the sprayer). Once you see paint coming out of the return tube, quickly transfer the tube to the bucket of paint and let it prime for a couple minutes. So now the pump should be primed.
Next, you have to do the same to the line and gun. With the tip housing and tip off, point the gun in the same scrap bucket. Very important to switch it to Spray Mode. Also very important to hold down the trigger BEFORE you turn the pump on. This will eliminate a burst of pressure out of the gun. Once you see paint coming out of the gun switch to the bucket of paint. Now you are ready to apply the tip housing and tip.
I like to screw the tip housing on so that it is still loose. I then insert the tip and finish tightening the housing. If it leaks while you are spraying, you might want to tighten the housing even more with wrenches. There should be a safety switch that prevents you from holding down the trigger.
The last thing you want to do is adjust the pressure on the pump. I like to have a piece of plywood or cardboard to test out some sprays. Once you have the desired pressure, you are ready to spray paint a house.
There are special techniques to be used when spraying, but that’s a topic for another article!
Painting a house is not easy, but I hope we were able to help out with the learning process make setting up a sprayer easy for you. Shoot us an email if you have questions, or drop a comment below and we’ll get back to you!
