How to Start Up a Paint Sprayer

WATCH: Start Up (2:53)

Pressure Relief

Proper setup of your sprayer is an important step to keep it running at maximum performance and efficiency. Before operating your sprayer for the first time, or any time, always perform the pressure relief procedure to ensure your sprayer is de-pressurized.

1. Engage the gun trigger lock.
2. Turn the on/off switch to OFF.
3. Turn the pressure control to the lowest setting.
4. Reverse the tip and disengage the gun trigger lock.
5. Hold a metal part of the gun firmly to a grounded metal pail and trigger the gun to relieve pressure.
6. Engage the trigger lock.
7. Turn the prime valve to the PRIME, or DRAIN, position.

Prime the Pump

With the pressure relief procedure complete, it is time to prime the pump.

1. Engage the trigger lock.
2. Remove the tip and guard from your gun.
3. Place the fluid intake hose into a paint pail and place the drain tube into a waste pail.
4. Be sure the prime valve is in the PRIME, or DRAIN, position.
5. Turn the pressure control to the lowest pressure setting.
6. Turn the on/off switch to ON.
7. Increase the pressure control until the motor starts. Allow paint to circulate through the sprayer until paint flows smoothly out the drain tube.
8. Turn the on/off switch to OFF.

Prime the Hose and Gun

You have now primed your pump with fluid. Next, it is time to prime the hose and gun to be ready to spray.

1. Hold the gun against a grounded metal waste pail, disengage the trigger lock, pull the gun trigger and hold.
2. Then, turn the prime valve to the SPRAY position.
3. Turn the on/off switch to ON.
4. Let the pump run until you see paint come out of the gun. Then, turn the on/off switch to OFF and release the gun trigger.
5. Move the gun to the paint pail, pull the gun trigger, turn the on/off switch to ON and let the pump run for about 20 seconds.
6. Then, release the trigger and allow the sprayer to build pressure.
7. Engage the trigger lock.
8. Screw the tip assembly onto the gun and tighten.

Test Your Spray Pattern

It is recommended to use a test surface and test your spray pattern. Test patterns should be sprayed on scraps of cardboard or other waste material. To test the spray pattern, follow these steps…

1. Turn the pressure control knob to a mid-way position.
2. While holding the gun 12 inches from the test surface, disengage the trigger lock and spray a test pattern.
3. If the pattern has heavy edges, often called tails, slowly increase pressure and continue to spray test patterns until the hard edges are replaced with a soft, blend-able spray pattern. 

After following these steps, you’re now ready to spray. When spraying, be sure to follow these start up steps, as well as our safety recommendations, best practice spray techniques, and cleaning steps.