Your sprayer has served you throughout the summer, and now it is the time to give it the rest it deserves. Before you tuck a spraying tool away from the winter, you might need to do certain things to prepare it for the spring. It is prudent to inspect it thoroughly to protect it from freezing temperatures and frost damages.
Perhaps you have cleaned, calibrated and maintained your sprayer throughout the summer. Storing and wintering your sprayer will ensure it functions properly the next time you will pull it out of the store. Below are incredible tips to winterize your farm spraying equipment.
Clean
The next step after rinsing the tank of the sprayer should be to decontaminate it. You can use household products or buy a cleaning agent to clean the tank of your sprayer. However, remember to run the cleaning agent through the return and agitation lines. After cleaning it, rinse it with clean water and open up the nozzles and wash it thoroughly with clean water.
Storage
Storage of a sprayer contributes a lot to its efficiency. Any removable parts such as filters, pressure gauges, screens, nozzles, check valves, and tips should be removed to avoid damages. You can use soapy water to wash the sprayer and store it in an area where it can’t freeze. It might be crucial to circulate antifreeze throughout the sprayer as well as the boom’s hose. Don’t cap all boom nozzles; instead, leave one or two nozzles open to allow free circulation of air. Cap the vents after the sprayer are filled to make sure antifreeze is in the sprayer. Once the sprayer is ready for storage, clean meters and foam markers if they were used. You might need to follow the suggestions of the manufacturer to clean them.
Rinse
Before storing a sprayer for the winter, farmers might need to rinse it and get rid of all pesticide residue. Instead of filling up the sprayer with water, consider rinsing it several times with clean water. After that, dispose of the contaminated water and pesticide residues at a field that has no contact with any water source. However, never allow those residues to accumulate into puddles. Experts recommend cleaning a sprayer on a surface where contaminated water can be collected and dumped safely.
Maintenance
Once the sprayer is cleaned and rinsed, inspect it thoroughly and make a note of any repair concerns and fix them. Inspect valves, screens, boom, nozzles, hoses, pumps and the tank as well. After that, check for the integrity of the tank and make any modification that could be necessary. Even after cleaning the sprayer, farmers still need to be cautious and wear protective gear for their health safety.
Cleaning, inspecting, and repairing a sprayer ensures it serves you better in the next spray season. You will probably spend a lot of money and time preparing for the upcoming season if you don’t clean, rinse, inspect and repair your sprayer for off-season storage. Ice and frost will damage components that might be difficult to replace and add to the time needed to prepare the sprayer for the next spray season.
