Winterizing 3pt sprayer

[JSM]

All,
What is the best way to keep a sprayer from freeze damage? Remove screen, drain, and blow lines out with compressed air? Or, pump antifreeze through it?

Thanks in advance for the help.

Joseph

 

[whistlepig]

I have never had to worry about winterizing the pump on my ten year old sprayer. The nozzles though will freeze and bust. I blow air through the nozzles.

 

[remington270]

The Fimco brand sprayers recommend running "RV grade" antifreeze through the sprayer. Not sure how that is different from the regular stuff.

I would say try and pump it dry then do the antifreeze and you should be good.

 

[mjncad]

I run compressed air through mine to winterize it. I use regular anti-freeze in the pump, and put a little (~1 quart) in the bottom of the tank too.

 

[oldbones]

I run the RV antifreeze through all 4 of my sprayers. Empty all screens and pumps of water first, then circulate the RV antifreeze through system, then last out the nozzles. The RV grade is non-toxic, won't poison pets or soil, so safer to use. Been doing this for 15 years, yet to have it fail. Wouldn't trust air pressure to get water out of everything.

 

[remington270]

Good point about the RV stuff being nontoxic. Another good thing to consider is using nutra-sol or similar product which neutralizes spray chemicals, to avoid cross contamination.

 

[oldbones]

I've always used ammonia to wash the tanks when done spraying for the year. Use on my 750 gal field sprayer all the way down to the 25 gal ATV sprayer. Cleans out the residue.
I use my yard sprayer to spray roundup on the driveways, rinse with water, wash out with ammonia/water, rinse, then use it for tri-mec on the lawn in fall.

 

[Runner]

I have a Fimco 15 gallon pull-behind sprayer. I winterize it by pouring a couple of cups of pink RV antifreeze into the tank (along with some water or whatever else happens to be left in there) and then run it for 30 seconds or so. If you do it this way, DO NOT forget to also run some of this mixture through the wand, or it will freeze and crack the plastic valve.

 

[sixdogs]

I've always used ammonia to wash the tanks when done spraying for the year. Use on my 750 gal field sprayer all the way down to the 25 gal ATV sprayer. Cleans out the residue.
I use my yard sprayer to spray roundup on the driveways, rinse with water, wash out with ammonia/water, rinse, then use it for tri-mec on the lawn in fall.

How much ammonia do you use?

 

[oldbones]

For the small sprayers, I use about 2 cups of ammonia to 3 or 4 gals of water. Use the wand to spray the walls of the tank down, agitate, spray solution out booms/nozzles, rinse out. On the 750 gal, I use about 1/2 gal ammonia to 30/40 gals water.