How to Properly Clean A Paint Sprayer

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By Matt G.
User-Submitted Video

Electric Paint Sprayer

To ensure that your paint sprayer lasts long and properly functions for future use, it's VERY important that it's properly cleaned. Proper cleaning of an airless paint sprayer and any airless paint sprayer equipment, will extend the life of the machine.

When cleaning an airless paint sprayer, you must use water for latex paints or a solvent such as paint thinner for oil based paints. This will have to be cycled through the paint sprayer after every use.

It's important to understand that if you do not clean your paint sprayer after you use it, it will become clogged, damaged and not work properly in the future. Repairs for an airless paint sprayer can be expensive.

Proper care for airless paint sprayers is important for painters and professionals who use paint sprayers on a daily basis.

The paint sprayer cleaning instructions in this article applies to any airless paint sprayer, HVLP paint sprayer or other paint sprayers used by homeowners or professionals.

Follow these guidelines to properly clean a paint sprayer.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

5 gallon bucket filled with clean water
half empty paint container or clean empty bucket
outlet to plug pump into
protective gloves
paint thinner (if oil paint was used in the sprayer)
1 extra empty bucket

Step 1

Find the paint container for the paint that was used in the hvlp paint sprayer. Take the paint spray gun and spray the leftover paint currently in the paint sprayer, back into the paint container that it came from. This way you can save the paint for future use. Sometimes you can get up to a 1/2 gallon of paint from the airless paint sprayer hose.
Step 2

Remove the paint sprayers in-take hose from the paint bucket and wipe off the dripping paint from the hose with a rag. This is so the paint doesn't ruin the clean water that will be used to clean the paint sprayer.
Step 3

Place the airless paint sprayer in-take hose into a 5 gallon bucket of clean water (for latex paints) or paint thinner (for oil based paints). You will be running about 5 gallons of the water or thinner through the paint sprayer. This will clean the spray line thoroughly and remove any paint.
Step 4

Spray gun, Tip Guard & Spray Tip

Remove the tip and the tip guard from the paint spray gun. You can unscrew this by hand but a wrench can be used if it's too tight. By removing the spray tip and guard from paint spray gun, you will be able to spray the water or thinner through the spray gun at a lower pressure so it doesn't splash all over the place and make a mess.
Step 5

Now take the paint container explained in Step 1 and place it next to the paint sprayer.
Step 6

Plug in the airless sprayer.
Step 7

Turn the airless sprayer on.
Step 8

Hold the paint spray gun inside the paint bucket but angled downwards against the inside of the bucket. DO NOT spray directly towards the bottom of the bucket, or it will splash paint into your face.
Step 9

Pull the trigger gently at first and then pull the trigger all the way. This will take less than a minute for the paint to be removed from the line. When you start to see the water begin to spray out LET GO of the trigger right away so it doesn't go into the paint you're saving.
Step 10

Remove the paint container and put a lid on it. Get an empty bucket. Take the paint sprayer and finish spraying the 5 gallons of water into the bucket with the hvlp spray gun.
Step 11

After you have cycled water through the airless sprayer, put the tip guard and spray tip back onto the paint spray gun. Next you have to clean the paint sprayer tip.
Step 12

Reverse the tip and spray water through it a couple times. This will remove any paint from inside the tip. By doing this, you'll extend the life of your spray tips and they will work better in future use. After you've cleaned the tip, you can even place it in a small container of paint thinner, this will keep it fresh.
Step 13

Turn the paint sprayer off.
Step 14

After you have turned the pump off, pull the trigger (with the gun aiming into the bucket) to remove pressure from the line. Turn the pressure valve all the way down.
Step 15

Wipe any paint off of the paint sprayer parts and place the spray gun in a bucket of water to keep it fresh. Also place the in-take hose in the bucket of water so it's submerged in the water.