Wagner airless sprayer woes

[Simon R]

Having purchased a second-hand Wagner 0418 sprayer I had high hopes of cracking on with getting paint on our new plaster. However it's turned into a lot of frustration and wasted time.

 My first attempts at using the spray resulted in tailing. Reading the manual, which suggested cleaning the input filter and gun filter. They were clean to start with, but I never the less gave them a good soak, scrub and blow out with an air line. Tried again, same result. Tried thinner and thicker paint all to no avail. Tried different tip sizes again to no avail. Ordered some new tips....again no improvement.

The unit sprays nicely for the first stroke then starts to tail again. I noticed that it was slow to come back up to pressure. It looks like the pump is just not functioning as it should, the manual says it should pump 0.9L per minute at 14 bar and 1.6L at 0 bar. It's pumping just 0.3L at 0 bar.

I expect there are several forum members with airless sprayer experience, any suggestions as to what the likely fix it would be much appreciated.

Thanks

[Ferdinand]

Is that pump rate for paint or water?

 

I have a Wagner Project Pro 119, and the thing that has caused the vast majority of my problems has been type of paint.

 

Which paint are you using, and how many types  have you tried?

 

The main Airless Sprayer advice thread is here:

 

I have had success with Leyland Trade contract paint, and Valspar from B&Q.

 

Everything Dulux has been disastrous and gums it up. I have tried 2 or 3 times.

 

Ferdinand

 

Edited April 5, 2020 by Ferdinand

[Simon R]

Hi, thanks for the help and yes, I've been through the airless sprayer thread which is very useful.

The flow rate is for clean water straight from the pump outlet, no hose attached.  The paint I'm using is Leyland trade diluted for the mist coat. I've convinced myself that the root problem is the pump just not coming up-to pressure due to lack of volume. Can't find any obstructions in the inlet or outlet that would explain the problem.

[bassanclan]

I had a similar problem with a used sprayer and ended up rolling. I will have to get it to an approved repairer for overhaul.

I think in my case it's a bearing, but after so long trying to get it to work I figure it's easier to get someone who deals with this every day to repair it.

[Jeremy Harris]

Air leak on the inlet side?  It doesn't take much to interfere with the way the pump draws in paint, just a pinhole somewhere in the inlet pipe might be enough.

[Simon R]

32 minutes ago, Jeremy Harris said:

Air leak on the inlet side?  It doesn't take much to interfere with the way the pump draws in paint, just a pinhole somewhere in the inlet pipe might be enough.

On the wagner the paint  is in a gravity feed hopper so no tube to leak. Having said that the inlet assembly which is a screw down affair with O rings may need torquing down harder. I'll give that a try.

[Simon R]

1 hour ago, bassanclan said:

I had a similar problem with a used sprayer and ended up rolling. I will have to get it to an approved repairer for overhaul.

I think in my case it's a bearing, but after so long trying to get it to work I figure it's easier to get someone who deals with this every day to repair it.

Ah! we may well be headed that way. My wife has taken to the roller in exasperation with my ability to the sprayer running ?

[Simon R]

1 hour ago, Simon R said:

On the wagner the paint  is in a gravity feed hopper so no tube to leak. Having said that the inlet assembly which is a screw down affair with O rings may need torquing down harder. I'll give that a try.

Torqued it down, sadly with no effect. The person who sold it did so with a 30 day return, so in good faith. Looks very much as if I'll be returning it.

[Simon R]

Having given up on the second hand unit I purchased a new Wagner HEA 250M. What a difference, the unit comes to pressure more or less instantly. Spray pattern very even, although there is a little pressure hysteresis as the pressure switch kicks in and out.  Very pleased with the results of spraying, it took just two half days to paint the entire interior with a generous mist coat. It's now ready for the finish coat of mat white latex which hopefully will give years of service.

[Oz07]

How long to clean out?!

[Carrerahill]

On 05/04/2020 at 14:30, Simon R said:

Hi, thanks for the help and yes, I've been through the airless sprayer thread which is very useful.

The flow rate is for clean water straight from the pump outlet, no hose attached.  The paint I'm using is Leyland trade diluted for the mist coat. I've convinced myself that the root problem is the pump just not coming up-to pressure due to lack of volume. Can't find any obstructions in the inlet or outlet that would explain the problem.

Nozzle size, have you checked that?

 

My brother invested about £400 in some all singing all dancing Wagner (that I am due to borrow soon) and I think it nearly ended up in the skip several times over, after months of literally detesting it, but using it as he felt the price was too high to ignore it he discovered (via mainly North American sites) that the nozzles he had with it were not ever going to work correctly for his paint.

 

He got a new nozzle to suit emulsion he wanted to spray and the next thing I hear from him is that the Wagner is the best thing since sliced bread. So now he has worked it all out I am looking forward to a shot!