Spray Bottle Mechanisms

A spray bottle is a handy device that can be used in the household and around the yard and garden to reliably spray liquids. When you are using a spray bottle, you may not think about how the actual mechanism works. It takes a few steps for the liquid to spray out when you pull the trigger.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Make sure that the spray bottle is ready to be used. There should be enough liquid in the bottle, and if there is a "Spray/off" mechanism on the head, be sure that it's in the spray position. If it's not, rotate it into the correct position.

2. Squeeze the spray trigger, which activates a small pump inside of the mechanism. The pressure you put on the trigger activates this pump mechanism. The pump works because it has a piston, housed inside a cylinder, and you'll find a small spring inside of the cylinder. As you squeeze, the trigger's movement pushes the piston into the cylinder, and this action causes the spring to compress.

3. The pumping action draws fluid into a long, hollow tube to which the pump is attached. The tube sits in the bottle, which acts as a reservoir for the fluid.

4. Squeeze to activate. As you squeeze the trigger and the liquid is drawn into the tube, the pump's action forces it down into the barrel of the spray head and the delivery hole in the head. You can aim the head to direct the liquid stream in the desired direction.

5. Release when finished. Once you release the spray trigger and stop squeezing it, it pushes the piston back out of the cylinder inside the pump.