[Winter Tips] Down Time

What’s new is old and what’s old is new. The staple of the pest management industry had always been the compressed air sprayer; it’s used to apply liquids onto to surfaces and into cracks and crevices. With greater emphasis placed on baiting and other application methods in the last 10 years, the compressed air sprayer became a less often used piece of equipment and was seemingly almost forgotten.
People often forgot how to maintain compressed air sprayers and began to use sprayguns as other methods of application came into favor. The resurgence of bed bugs and the appearance of flies as major pests in many accounts caused a shift back to our old standby, the compressed air sprayer. New technicians who came into the pest management business didn’t have the opportunity to really learn about the compressed air sprayer. Here are some tips to help you troubleshoot your compressed air sprayer, perhaps our most important treatment tool.
Our company, Waltham Services, Waltham, Mass., uses the B&G brand of compressed air sprayer. Other brands exist, but we believe there is no better quality or device in the marketplace today. The B&G is made in the United States, made of stainless steel and brass and machined to close tolerances. The gaskets and washers wear well, giving extended use times. In fact, every part on the B&G is serviceable. With basic cleaning, care and maintenance, the gun will offer companies many years of service.
As with any device however, the B&G over time may not work the way it was designed and intended. But these occasional aberrations easily can be fixed if you know what to look for. Can you diagnose and fix the following problems? If you answer all of the questions correctly, you are on your way to being a B&G compressed air sprayer expert!

The author is director of technical services, Waltham Services, Waltham, Mass. He can be reached via e-mail at rberman@giemedia.com.