In the process of construction and repair work, both professional and home craftsmen use a gun for polyurethane foam. It allows you to accurately and accurately blow out the seams on a variety of objects. This tool can significantly save the owner’s money, since buying a spray can with a special mounting tube will cost more.
For a foam gun to last a long time, he needs proper care. The dried material on such equipment may interfere with proper blowing of joints and seams. Therefore, every foreman should know how to clean the foam gun before starting work.
There are several approaches to solving this problem. Which one to choose in each case, expert advice will tell. Responsible to the need to maintain the cleanliness of the tool, you can significantly extend its life.
Need for cleaning
A good gun for polyurethane foam is quite expensive. It pays off during operation due to the ability to apply it several times. How long you can use this tool in your work depends on the quality of its service.
After processing, the foam remains in the gun. It is not scary if you immediately remove it from the barrel and other items of equipment. But sometimes even with a short delay, the substance freezes. It becomes harder to remove.
At the same time, inexperienced masters may wonder whether it is necessary to clean the gun for polyurethane foam. Of course, if in the future it is supposed to be used during repair, this process cannot be avoided. Otherwise, buying the tool presented just does not make sense.
For single use, it is better to purchase a cylinder with a special applicator. Although even home craftsmen, as experience suggests, use a foam gun more than once. Therefore, it is more profitable to clean regularly.
Key maintenance recommendations
Professional installers know how important it is to keep the foam gun clean. They give advice to novice craftsmen using this tool for repairs. It is very important to remove any traces of contamination immediately. This will simplify the maintenance that the foam gun so needs. How to clean it depends on the degree of contamination, as well as the residence time of the material on the tool. The faster you wipe the foam, the less effort it will take.
For cleaning, various chemicals are used. Experts advise you to purchase them immediately with mounting foam of the same manufacturer. Special products show better results than universal varieties.
Each manufacturer produces mounting foam with various properties and chemical composition. A cleaner from the same series takes into account all the features of this material and acts on it purposefully.
Key Features
All chemical solvents for polyurethane foam have a different composition. But they are characterized by almost identical properties. These are substances designed to remove contaminants from both the instrument and other surfaces, skin of the hands.
Getting acquainted with the technology of how to clean the gun for polyurethane foam, it is necessary to consider the principle of exposure to funds. These are substances of moderate toxicity. They are not dangerous to humans, but if they come in contact with the face, mucous membranes can cause irritation. Therefore, if a chemical gets on your skin, wash it with plenty of water. In case of accidental contact with eyes or inside the body, it is necessary to immediately consult a doctor.
In the container, the substance is under pressure. It has a high flammability rating. Therefore, do not spray it near an open flame or overheat. Compliance with these basic rules will help to avoid troubles in the process of work.
Timely cleaning
Studying the question of how to clean the mounting gun after the foam, you should consider this procedure in detail. If the product has not yet dried, the process is quite simple.
The cylinder, which was used by the master and no longer contains foam, is twisted out of its nest. A solvent tank is installed in its place. Before that, it is necessary to remove the protective cap from it.
Then the tool lever is pressed several times. Flushing is continued until pieces of mounting material appear in the stream. After that, the tool is removed from the equipment. If a certain amount of substance is still left in the container, you can screw the protective cap back and store the cleaner for some more time. If repairs are not planned in the future, it is best to dispose of the chemical.
If the foam is dry
Sometimes it happens that the flushing was not carried out in a timely manner. In this case, the mounting foam cures directly inside the gun. The trigger cannot be moved. How to clean the foam gun in this case? There are a number of recommendations.
In no case should you push the trigger. This is guaranteed to lead to the breakdown of expensive equipment. Instead, wipe off the dried foam at the base of the barrel. This should be done carefully so as not to scratch the metal.
Next, the trunk must be lowered down. A drop of solvent is introduced into its base. After this procedure, after ten minutes, you must again pull the trigger. He must become mobile again.
In this case, the cleaning work is considered completed. But if it was not possible to reanimate the tool after carrying out the above actions, you will have to resort to another technique.
Main valve cleaning
If, after the above manipulations, the trigger is still not pulled, then the foam has got on the main valve. It will take more time and effort to flush it.
How to clean the mounting gun in this case, experts will advise. There is a small ball on the upper node of the instrument where the balloon is screwed. It requires a few drops of solvent. Then you need to wait 10-15 minutes.
The chemical-washed cylinder is screwed onto the valve and the trigger is pulled. Residues of dissolved foam should exit the barrel of the mounting gun. After this, you can continue the work of applying foam to the seams.
But sometimes there are more neglected blockages. In this case, the work is much more complicated.
Full flushing
If a large amount of foam is frozen inside the tool, you will need to disassemble it into its component parts. This must be done carefully. Delving into the topic of how to clean a foam gun, it is necessary to understand the design features of the presented device.
First you need to unscrew the crown of the valve to which the cylinder is attached. The solvent is introduced into the instrument. Moreover, it is also necessary to process the socket of the installation unit.
To unwind the equipment was more convenient, you should keep it below the place of attachment of the cylinder. The solvent is inside the system for about 25 minutes. Next, you need to press the ball of the main valve. Clots of dissolved foam go out.
The tool is assembled in reverse order.
Foam completely frozen
Some masters have a question, how to clean the gun for polyurethane foam, if it is completely frozen. In this state, the material is already completely all its inherent qualities. Solvents or other chemicals will not help. Will have to act with brute force.
All parts that can be dismantled are removed from the gun. It is necessary to prepare a wire of the appropriate thickness and acetone. After pouring a few drops of solvent inside and having waited some time, small pieces of foam are pulled out by wire.
The action is performed until the wire appears on the other side of the barrel. Then the gun is collected and washed with a chemical agent.
Expert Advice
Experienced installers claim that it is impossible to bring equipment to this state. Even after cleaning, the foam will flow much harder.
If the material to be mounted has not yet frozen, the whole procedure will be faster. The answer to the question of how to clean the foam gun is simple in this case. You must use a special tool.
Experts advise to keep the spray can with you during installation work. This will avoid unpleasant consequences and unforeseen costs when hardening the material inside the tool.