Birchmeier Backpacks - Maintenance Required

Birchmeier backpacks are the best backpack sprayers available and will last many years with proper use and maintenance.  One of the parts that wears out on the Birchmeier Backpack Sprayer is the lid gasket.  This is the large o-ring in the lid that prevent chemical from dripping down your back.
The lid gasket should be replaced once a year or when it fails.  How will you know when it fails?  Your Birchmeier is covered in chemical and your back is wet.

This photo shows a Birchmeier lid gasket that is clearly past its prime.  Don't live with a leaking backpack, replace this gasket. It is a good idea to keep an extra one in the office so you have it when you need it.  Purchase authentic Birchmeier replacement parts.

Pest Control Spray Trailer

Pest Control Sprayer Trailers are usually built on flat bed trailers or open steel frames.  This Pest Control Trailer was kind of unique.  Client brought us an enclosed trailer and said build me a pest control sprayer.
   This pest control spray rig consists of a 50 gallon 12-Volt Shurflo sprayer with Cox electric Hose reel in the trailer.  We cut an opening in the side wall and installed the Cox 4-Way Roller Guides.  Hose pulls through the roller guides so client can easily apply pesticides while trailer is locked.    

 A couple of other neat features:
- Hose rewind button mounted on outside trailer wall for easy access.  A kill switch inside the trailer allows operator to deactive rewind button.                    
-  Hose reel raised so operator can grab hose at comfortable level without bending over.
          
- Hose end secures to quick disconnect mounted on fender.  This prevents the hose from unwinding because electric hose reels do not have reel locks on them. If they did have locks, someone would try to rewind hose while the reel was locked, burning out the motor.

 



- Anti-siphon has hose extension to back door to make tank fill up easy.
 Client was very happy with the final result.  Trailer will be really cool when signage is applied.

Read more: http://www.qspray.com/blog/#ixzz2FnrMoyrp

Backpack Sprayers - Cheap Doesn't Save Money

Backpacks sprayers are great tools for pest control & weed control.  Backpacks range from $50 at the home store to $250 for a top of the line Birchmeier Backpack to over $400 for an electric model that doesn't require pumping.
When buying your backpack, don't look just at price.  This is especially true for professionals relying on a backpack sprayer for their livelihood.  A cheap backpack that fails or for which there are no replacement parts does not save you money.  Here is a photo of a cheap backpack.   

Client bought a cheap backpack.  It stopped spraying; they brought it to us for repairs because they couldn't find parts.  We couldn't find parts either.
One look and we found a serious design problem.  The spray hose connection to the pump mechanism is seriously flawed, causing the hose to kink.  The kink restricts water flow, which means the tech has to pump harder and the pump will not last as long as it should.
The correct design would have included an elbow so the hose didn't kink.  The elbow would have added a couple of dollars to the cost of the sprayer so it was left off by the manufacturer.
When buying a backpack, look for quality construction, good availability of replacement parts, good design for use and ease of service.  For these reasons, I personally like the Birchmeier Backpack sprayers. 

Read more: http://www.qspray.com/blog/bid/85066/Backpack-Sprayers-Cheap-Doesn-t-Save-Money#ixzz2F9MVVOP9

Pest Control Sprayer - Spray Tips

Pest control sprayers rely of spray tips for proper application of pesticides.  The correct, well-maintained spray tip in your pest control spray rig gun can contribute to excellent results: both pest control and financial.  The wrong tip, or a worn tip, will have the opposite results.
The spray tip is the main determinate of power sprayer output.  For example, it doesn’t matter if you have a 20 gpm pump and 1” spray hose when the tip is just 1 gpm.
Tip selection determines: output volume, output pattern and droplet size. Each of these factors impacts the quality of the application and the control efforts that you achieve. 

1. Output Volume – usually measured in volume per unit of time (e.g., gallons per minute).  General home pest control sprayer uses lower rates, termite pretreats use higher rates.  Higher output generally suggests faster treatments but higher chemical costs.
2. Output Pattern – The most popular pest control patterns are flat fan tip and cone/stream.   The cone/stream tip allows a more specific targeting of the pesticides.  The flat fan tip generally allows the technician to cover a larger area more quickly.
3. Droplet Size – Mosquito fogging uses very small droplet size to create a fog that hangs in the air.  Smaller droplets can drift to unintended targets: neighbor’s yards, kid’s toys, pet dishes, etc.  Termite pretreats are at the other extreme, using large droplet size so that the water goes and stays exactly where you want it to good.

Two important points about tip selection:

1.  Start with the right tip.  This decision is based upon your application protocol and should be made after considering all the above issues.
2. Replace tips regularly.  We estimate that brass tips wear out at a rate of approximately 10% per year.  This means that every year your tip puts out 10% more chemical.  This is an involuntary increase in your chemical costs.  If the pattern wears out, you may not be putting the chemical wear you intend.  Replacing tips is cheaper than using worn tips.  Plastic tips probably wear out faster; stainless steel tips more slowly.

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Pest Control Sprayer Filter - Tips to Eliminate Downtime

Pest control sprayers need love too. The best thing you can do to reduce pest sprayer downtime is pay attention to your filter. Would you like to boost productivity, improve service and reduce repair expenses? When it comes to pest industry spray equipment, the single most effective means of achieving these results is proper filtration. Filtration is the removal of suspended foreign material from water. Foreign material can be dirt, sand, rocks, trash or anything else that makes its way into your spray tank, other than the chemical you've added. clean your pest control sprayer filter Filtration is critical to pest management professionals because debris will wreak havoc: damage pumps; clog hoses, guns and tips and starve pumps of water, causing extensive damage. Our service facility estimates that almost 50 percent of sprayer repairs are avoidable if proper filtration design and operation is implemented. While I'm focusing on power sprayers in this column, much of the information also applies to B&G sprayers and Birchmeier backpacks. POWER SPRAYER FILTRATION DESIGN Design includes equipment selection, placement and access. Selection should be based on material being applied, quality of water, technician compliance and the type of pump. Most PMPs can get by with one line strainer between the tank and pump. Note that a line strainer refers to the complete unit, which contains a metal filter. However, the mesh of the filter is important: Too fine, and it will clog quickly; too coarse, and small debris will get through. If your water source is poor, use additional filtration. For example, many termite pretreaters in new home developments rely on water lines filled with debris. For some clients, we've added a line strainer on the hydrant fill line, a filter basket in the tank fillwell and/or two line strainers between the tank and pump. In the last situation, the first filter is coarse and the second is fine — a combination that works well to eliminate most debris. Some pumps require more filtration than others. Roller pumps, for example, are sensitive to debris and require better filtration than diaphragm pumps. It's critical that the filtration device be located for easy technician access. This includes being able to easily reach and check the filter, as well as ensuring the system is plumbed so the filter can be checked without causing a spill. If the tank is bottom-plumbed and the strainer is below the water level in the tank, be sure to install a shut-off valve so the filter can be checked even when the tank is full. Whatever filtration system you and your equipment provider design, try to standardize it across all your vehicles. POWER SPRAYER FILTRATION OPERATION Checking and cleaning the filter is the single most valuable preventative maintenance task you can perform. It's also the easiest. For new equipment, check the filter daily. If there's consistently no debris, consider reducing the frequency. When you determine the appropriate frequency, make it a company policy. Too often is better then too seldom. Reinforce the importance of checking and cleaning the filter. POWER SPRAYER FILTRATION MAINTENANCE Eventually the filter will become too dirty to clean. Replace it. Chemicals will eventually swell the gasket in the line strainer, making it impossible to create an airtight seal and causing the pump to suck air. Replace the gasket. Equip each vehicle with an extra filter and gasket so the technician can perform this repair in the field. If you've standardized your filtration, this is easy. Eventually the line strainer body may crack, causing an air leak. This requires replacement of the entire unit. These steps, if followed, will boost productivity, allow you to provide better service to your customers and reduce repair expenses. Read more: http://www.qspray.com/blog#ixzz2Dv04NwzS