How to use a commercial airless paint sprayer

Airless spraying is one of the best ways to complete a paint job. Using an airless sprayer is faster than most alternative painting techniques, and with the right instruction from Sketch Spray using airless paint sprayers can help you to achieve high-quality paint results every time!

What is an airless paint sprayer?

Airless sprayers do not need compressed air to pressurize paint and push it through a spray gun like other paint sprayers do. Instead, an airless paint sprayer uses pumping paint at a very high pressure (up to 3,000 psi) through a hose and puts a tiny hole in a spray gun tip. This tip is specially designed to break up the paint evenly into a fan-width spray to ensure even coverage. You can use different tip sizes to control the fan width and the amount of paint sprayed, allowing you to achieve your desired spray pattern with minimal change!

The parts of an airless sprayer:

• The pump: this uses a suction tube that is placed into the paint, allowing it to be pumped down the hose to the gun. The size of the pump will determine how efficient the sprayer is.
• The hose: the hose is usually around 15m long and enables users to keep the pump in one place and reach all the walls in a room. Hoses can however be bought in different lengths. It must be tested to 12,000 psi and should be stiff and relatively inflexible.
• The gun: specifically designed to turn the flow of paint on and off using the trigger and to hold the tip, which works to turn the flow of paint into a fan that has no large particles. The tip is inserted into the gun.

Advantages of using an airless paint sprayer

There are a number of benefits to using an airless sprayer over other spray equipment especially for commercial spray painting for large buildings.

Works with lots of coatings

First of all the airless paint sprayer works with a huge range of different materials. The way that the spray tip is designed allows you to use thin liquids like stains, lacquers and varnishes as well as thicker liquids like latex paints.

A fast application

The airless spray gun applies paint quicker than painting manually. It pumps paint directly from the paint bucket or paint container, allowing very fast, smooth application.

Covers complex surfaces

An airless sprayer makes covering intricate surfaces much easier making painting kitchens very easy so if you’re into DIY and want a kitchen makeover then this is something to think about. Painting things like furniture, siding or even fences is much easier with airless spraying. When used correctly, an airless spray gun will produce a flawless finish every time

Safety precautions to consider when using airless paint sprayers

As with any kind of machinery, there are things that you should be aware of when using an airless sprayer. It is always worth reading through the sprayer manual before you begin your airless spraying to make sure that you have fully familiarised yourself with the spray gun. This will help to keep you safe. Other things to consider are:

Ensure the area is ventilated

Just like when you’re painting anywhere, painting using airless sprayers should only be done in well-ventilated areas in order to allow the paint fumes out of the space. Some paints can contain very high levels of chemicals that can cause irritation and harm if inhaled too much.

Ventilating the area will also allow your paint to dry quicker, making the job even quicker.

Wear protective clothing

You should always wear spare clothes when painting to prevent you from ruining your favourite items. However, when it comes to painting with airless sprayers, you need to wear protective clothing. This includes goggles and an approved respirator. These tools will help to keep you safe from the chemicals and the extremely high pressures of the paint sprayer.

Be aware of the high-pressure spray tip

Speaking of, when you are using an airless sprayer, you should make sure that you are constantly aware of the spray tip and where it is. The paint is coming out at significantly high speeds, and that can be risky if misused. Without proper care, the pressurised paint could cause injury or damage.

A step-by-step guide to using an airless sprayer

Tools required:

• Airless paint sprayer
• Bucket
• Mesh filter bag
• Respirator mask
• Butcher paper
• Painter’s tape
• Plastic sheeting
• Protective gloves

How to use the airless paint sprayer:

1. There are a few things to remember before you begin. You should make sure that the spray paint filter is clear. You will also need to strain your paint through a mesh filter before you begin so that there are no clogs. Finally, right before you start to paint, you should go around the area with coverings and painter’s tape to keep it safe from the spray paint.
2. You will need to flush the pump and lines with water. This allows you to check for leaks. Simply place the suction tube in a bucket of water and set the gear to prime. When the liquid starts to flow out of the relief tube, you should switch to spray. Once you’ve flushed through about half a gallon of water, you can stop and start to paint.
3. To load paint into the sprayer you should replace the water bucket with a paint can and place the relief tube into a spare bucket. Set the machine to prime until the paint comes out of the relief tube. Then, switch to spray with low pressure and shoot into the discharge bucket until the paint comes out.
4. Once the paint is coming out, you can turn off the pump and release the pressure by squeezing the trigger. You can then attach the tip and the tip guard.
5. Selecting a tip should be done based on the desired spray pattern and the coating type. Once selected, insert the selected tip into the gun.
6. Turn on the sprayer, and adjust to a medium pressure. Spray onto the surface and adjust the pressure until the fan pattern gives even coverage. You want the fan to not leave lines on the edges. This is how you know you’ve got the pressure right.
7. Make sure to cover the whole area evenly, working in slow motions to ensure the surface gets fairly coated.