Pest Control Foggers - Keep Yours In Great Condition
Posted by Andrew Greess on Feb 10, 2018
Pest control foggers are a great tool in the pest control professional's arsenal. We see one common theme with the pest foggers that are brought into our shop for repairs. There is one simple technique that will help you keep your equipment in great shape.
First, a definition. When I say pest control fogger, I am referring to a number of pieces of equipment:
Curtis Dyna Fog Foggers (hot & cold)
B&G Portable Aerosol Systems (PAS)
In the pest control business, these tools are used to turn the pesticide into an aerosol so it can penetrate hard to reach areas, say in a warehouse. However, foggers are also used to apply a variety of other products such as deodorants, fungicides and disinfectants, say in a hospital.
We do quite a bit of service on all the machines and the one thing we almost see is that NO ONE CLEANS THEM OUT!
It seems like a tech will use one of these machines, the leave the tank partially full with chemical for a week, a month, a season, etc. until it is needed again. The chemical turns to goo in the tank and in the lines. Cleaning it out is a time-consuming process.
We like it when our customers pay us to repair their equipment, BUT paying us to clean out your equipment is silly and a waste of your money. You (or your tech) should be cleaning out your own equipment.
Here are some hints for cleaning out your unit:
1. Only fill tank with what you need for that job/day. Use it all up. Do not leave chemical sitting in tank.
2. Follow label directions for your equipment & the product (chemical) you are using
3. If you are using a water-based product you can triple rinse the tank then run clean water through the system.
4. Regardless of which fogger/product you are using, we recommend using a professional flushing solution to make sure you unit is clean and functions properly for the next use. We recommend B&G Universal Flushing Solution, which is specifically designed to clean your fogger. Using B&G UFS will improve fogger performance, reduce service problems and eliminate issues that affect flow rate. On foggers with plastic parts, like the B&G Flex-A-Lite Fogger, be sure to run clean water through the unit to remove the UFS.
The second most common problem we see is clogged or damaged tips. This can affect flow rate and the amount of control you get so keep you tips clean and in good working order. We recommend you keep a backup handy. One way to do this is if you normally replace your tip every 12 months, replace it in 10 months while it still has some life left and keep it as a spare. It will save you time, money and stress.
Hope this helps.
If you have tips or suggestions, please share them. Thanks.