If you are sure that you will be working with the gun within two weeks from the date of the last use, then it is possible not to clean it at all, but simply leave the used foam canister screwed on it. If you remove the can, the gun dries up.
Cleanliness before and after work
To clean the assembly gun, it is recommended to rinse it with a special solution, which is sold packaged in cylinders. To do this, remove the can of foam, screw on the can of cleaning fluid. After that, substitute a bucket or other container where the liquid will drain from the pistol, and gently press the hook for 3-5 seconds.
Wipe the edge of the assembly gun with a rag, wait 5-10 minutes and repeat pressing the hook for 5-10 seconds. And so on until the cleaning container is completely used up. After that, unscrew the cylinder, shake off the remaining liquid from the barrel. The gun is cleaned and ready for storage and further use.
Dry cleaning
Dried foam can be used with an acetone-based solvent or white spirit, as well as using the same cleaning fluid. Carefully cut off the dried foam from the barrel of the gun and the hole where the can is connected. Then pour the solvent into these holes and wait 10-15 minutes. Do not allow solvent to come into contact with plastic parts of gun. Clean the nozzles with a thin needle, it is almost impossible to wash them with a solvent.
Mechanical cleaning
Attach the cleaning can to the gun and gently squeeze the trigger. If the gun has not started to be cleaned with a spray can or the trigger does not work, then you will have to disassemble the device.
First, try to gently pour the solvent into the seat. If this does not work, carefully unscrew the crown of the seat and pour the solvent inside the crown and seat and wait 5-10 minutes. Using a wooden stick, remove the remaining dirt from the channels, add more solvent and collect the gun. Then connect a can of cleaning fluid and use it to clean the gun as described above.
If the foam is packed and the solvent does not take it, try the mechanical cleaning method, just pick out a solid wire of a suitable diameter, periodically shaking out the remaining foam from the device. Finally, pass the cleaning liquid through the tubes, dry and reassemble the gun.
Polyurethane foam is a real salvation not only for construction specialists, but also for amateurs. It is able to cope with sealing of almost any complexity, and is used when installing windows and doors, as well as soundproofing metal pipes and baths.
What are the advantages of using a polyurethane foam gun?
The ability to quickly solidify the material and the reliability of its fixation are the main reasons for the popularity of the material during construction and repair. However, these same advantages force specialists to work very carefully with foam, because removing its cooled residues is not an easy procedure.
Today, a foam gun is an optional attribute; in hardware stores you can find a huge selection of cans filled with material. If the foam will be used by you only once, then the need to buy a pistol disappears by itself. However, in practice, the purchase of an instrument is still quite justified.
A device for applying polyurethane foam gives several great advantages:
- it becomes possible to accurately dose the material used;
- the ability to adjust the feed rate of the material;
- comfortable foam application in conditions with irregular cavities and limited access;
- stopping the supply of material at the moment of releasing the lever;
- the possibility of using an incomplete cylinder, without the risk that the material inside it will solidify;
- under the condition of daily use of the pistol, the hardened material does not need to be removed from it.
During pauses between operation, oxygen does not enter the access system of the tool. Accordingly, the material does not seize in it. A small ball of solidified foam at the end of the tube is responsible for sealing the barrel. The tightness on the side of the cylinder is ensured by a closed trigger mechanism. If you replace the old cylinders of material with new ones immediately after use, then you can not think about cleaning the tool for the next few weeks. All you need to do is cut off the dried ball and continue applying the material.
For beginners who have no experience in working with a gun, we advise you to purchase a special cleaner along with the tool, which will help out more than once when servicing the equipment.
So that later you do not have to clean the working tool from the remnants of dried foam for a long time, you need to think about its cleanliness in advance. To do this, along with the gun, buy everything you need to clean it.
It is possible to thoroughly rinse the equipment only if two important conditions: speed and foresight. Both of these factors imply the purchase of a special cleaning agent and the promptness of its use. At the same time, experts advise buying a cleaner from the same company that produces the foam you purchased.
You need to clean the device immediately after work, without waiting for the foam to dry completely
Once you've finished applying the foam, start cleaning the tool right away without waiting for it. To do this, remove the used canister from the gun. If it still contains foam, then you do not need to throw out the container - the material in it will retain its characteristics for a long time. Then remove the protective cap from the purchased cleaner. Attach the product to the gun. Then press the trigger of the pistol several times, repeating pressing until there are no particles of dried material in the stream.
After that, the cleaner must be removed and the free play of the start lever must be checked. You can also use the rest of the product on things and surfaces on which the foam particles are frozen. Just remember to close the cleaner can.
When removing foam residues, in no case should you forget about safety. Chemical components from the composition of the cleaner can cause severe damage to mucous membranes, eyes and human skin. Moreover, the flushing agent is in the container under pressure, so one careless movement can cause great trouble.
Safety precautions should be followed when using the cleaner
First of all, the cleaning agent should be kept away from heat sources. It is best to keep the cleaner in a cool, dark place. Secondly, do not smoke near the purifier cylinders - they are highly explosive. Thirdly, rinse the instrument only after protecting your skin from drops of the product. To do this, wear gloves made of thick fabric and a respirator.
The jet of solvent must be directed away from you and make sure that its drops do not fall on the skin. Use old clothes, as fabrics are difficult to handle. If, during the cleaning process, the drug nevertheless gets into the eyes or mucous membranes, be sure to rinse it with a copious amount pure water... Never try to cut open the empty container or use it for any other purpose.
In case you decide to clean the spray gun polyurethane foam, but it has already accumulated a large number of dry material, do not forcefully remove them. In most cases, the foam will remain inside the instrument, and some of its elements may break. To prevent this from happening, you will have to act very carefully and show maximum patience.
The first step is to remove any residual material on the outer walls of the gun. To do this, you need to use a sharp construction knife and carefully scrape off the particles without damaging the piston. After that, you need to put on gloves and draw acetone into the syringe. Then the gun is lowered down to the floor, and a few drops of solvent are poured into the beginning of the barrel next to the trigger mechanism. When doing this, be careful not to get the product on the plastic parts of the tool.
Next, begin to smoothly pull the trigger. If you remember about the need for cleaning not too late, then the material that has not yet completely dried will begin to flow from the nozzle of the device. Then attach the cleaning agent bottle to the gun and remove the remaining foam inside. As soon as the flushing of the gun for applying the polyurethane foam is finished, the container with the cleaning agent must be removed and tightly closed with a lid.
If the trigger of the tool does not lend itself to pressing, then this indicates that the ball valve is stuck. This makes cleaning the foam gun a little more difficult.
To clean the tool, locate the metal ball next to the foam cylinder reducer. After that, fill the ball with acetone and leave it there for 15 minutes. Do not carry the tool to prevent fluid spillage on other parts of the gun.
Next, securely fix the container with the cleaner and begin to gently squeeze the trigger of the gun to blow through the barrel. If acetone has acted and destroyed the dry material on the surface of the ball, then you just have to thoroughly clean the gun from the dried polyurethane foam.
The remaining material from the outside of the gun must be carefully scraped off with a knife.
If all of the above measures did not help, then acetone will need to be poured as deep as possible, partially disassembling the pistol for this. To do this, hold the tool with your left hand in the place of fixing the cylinders. Unscrew the adapter carefully, remove the valves and set them aside. Pour solvent into the barrel and cylinder attachment and set the gun aside for half an hour. After that, start pressing on the ball, gradually removing the adhering foam particles from it. If you followed the described algorithm, then the dissolved material will begin to flow from the nozzle of the gun.
At the end, it remains to assemble the tool in reverse order and attach a bottle of cleaner to it in order to completely get rid of the foam in the device.
All these measures will help to remove the remaining foam that has remained in the device at the outlet, has already hardened, but has not yet fully gained its characteristic strength.
Tool cleaning in advanced cases
You can clean the gun from completely cured polyurethane foam using various methods and means. However, you need to be prepared for the fact that in the end you will not be able to return the instrument to an acceptable state for work. Nevertheless, you still need to try.
To begin with, take a hard metal wire, the diameter of which will be a couple of millimeters less than the diameter of the barrel. You will also need acetone to work, so be sure to wear gloves and a respirator.
Disassemble the working tool completely without ripping off the thread. Large chunks of hardened material must be scraped off with a construction knife. Next, begin to pick out the foam, trying not to make very sharp movements with your hand with the wire. First remove dry material from the trigger and valve. Then proceed to clean the gun trigger barrel. To do this, drip acetone inside the part and wait about 15 minutes. As a result, the foam will soften, and you can stick the wire inside it, then pull it out along with the hardened material. Once you are done cleaning the barrel, attach a bottle of cleaner to the tool and start flushing it.
For the implementation of repair and construction work, a gun for polyurethane foam is very often used. The mechanism of using the device is very simple, so it is used by both professional craftsmen and amateurs.
The gun allows you to accurately and efficiently fill the seams with the help of polyurethane foam. But every tool needs care. This is especially true for the gun, as cured sealant can affect the performance of the tool.
Peculiarities
Modern construction equipment manufacturers offer a wide range of quality and convenient foam guns. The rules for cleaning this instrument depend largely on its type.
To date, the following types of assembly guns are offered for sale:
- Plastic... They are considered disposable, since plastic is an unbearable material. Such a tool does not need to be cleaned. If the work on filling the joints is completely completed, and there is still foam in the cylinder, then it is necessary to wipe the nozzle of the gun from the sealant residues, and in the future the gun with the cylinder can be used again.
- Metallic... They are characterized by durability and reliability. A gun made of quality metal can be used for several years. This option can be easily disassembled for thorough cleaning from the remains of polyurethane foam.
- Teflon... This variety is the most durable, high quality and expensive. Each metal part is protected by a Teflon coating. Cleaning of such a gun is easy enough. The tool can be disassembled to clean the sealant.
The assembly gun offers many advantages:
- produces an accurate dosage of foam;
- regulates the feed rate of the sealant;
- allows the use of foam even in places with limited access;
- it is enough to release the trigger to stop feeding the material;
- allows you to use only part of the bottle with a sealant, while you can be sure that the foam will not harden until the next time;
- if you use the gun every day, there is no need to remove the congealed material.
The peculiarity of the assembly gun mechanism is that in the pauses between work, it guarantees complete protection of the sealant from oxygen ingress, therefore, the foam is not prone to drying out. The tightness of the alignment is carried out due to the remains of foam that remain at the end of the tube, and the trigger mechanism in the closed form is responsible for the tightness of the cylinder.
To get back to work, just cut off the foam ball on the nozzle of the tool.
When should you clean?
When choosing a quality gun for polyurethane foam, you should focus on the material and price of the tool. Expensive options are characterized by a long service life. No need to buy every time new instrument, so an expensive pistol easily pays for itself.
The lifespan of the assembly gun depends on its maintenance. After work, sealant remains inside the tool. It will not damage the product if you quickly clean the nozzle, barrel, adapter and other elements of the mechanism.
It is not always possible at the end of the work to start cleaning the foam gun, therefore many are faced with hardened foam. In this case, its elimination will take more time and effort.
Inexperienced craftsmen do not always understand why a pistol needs to be cleaned, so they ignore this procedure. As a result, upon further use, it stops working, since the foam has dried up and the barrel is clogged. The tool requires cleaning if the repair and construction work has already been completed... Next time it will be ready for use.
If you need to seal the seams with foam once, then there is no need to spend money on buying a gun, then you can do just fine with a sealant bottle with a special applicator.
According to experience, even home craftsmen prefer pistols, since they will have to be used more than once.
If cleaned correctly and regularly, it will last for many years.
How can you rinse?
To keep the gun always ready for use, ideally it should be flushed after each use. Experts recommend flushing the tool, even if you plan to change the sealant bottle from one manufacturer to another, or want to use foam with a different temperature resistance.
Usually, materials from different companies have different impurities in the composition, and if they come into contact, they can turn into a mixture that no cleaner can help eliminate. The tool will have to be thrown away.
When buying a sealant, you should immediately purchase a cleaner so that they are from the same manufacturer.... This approach will allow the gun to be cleaned quickly and easily, as the company has made the most effective in-house sealant cleaner.
In reality, there is not always a purifier at hand or free time tool flushing, so gun flushing is usually done at the end of the working day.
If there is no special tool for cleaning the tool from foam, then you can use the tools at hand.
One of the most effective home remedies is the use of Dimexidum. With it, you can dissolve the foam in a few minutes.
How to clean it properly?
To make a high-quality cleaning of the foam gun, you should perform the following sequence of actions:
- It is necessary to remove the empty sealant can from the gun with the tool at the top.
- A special container of cleaner is required to clean the tool.
- The flushing agent must be fixed in the same place where the sealant was located, but the cap must be removed from it before using it.
- It is necessary to bring the gun into working condition, while the bottle with the cleaner will be located at the top.
- Gently pull the trigger of the gun, continue this action until foam stops coming out of the nozzle of the tool.
- Remove the chemical canister.
- If, after cleaning, the agent has not run out, then it should be closed with a lid, and the composition can be used for the next cleaning of the instrument.
If it was not possible to clean the gun immediately after the end of the work, then before cleaning it is forbidden to pull the trigger of the tool, because this can break the entire mechanism.
You need to do the following:
- Using a sharp object, remove the remaining frozen foam from the barrel of the tool.
- The pistol can be flushed with Dimexidum or acetone.
- It is necessary to lower the device with the nozzle down, and drip a few drops of solvent into the trigger mechanism.
- Leave the instrument in this position for one minute so that the foam inside the instrument begins to soften.
- Squeeze the trigger with ease.
- If the pressure is soft, and the foam comes out of the nozzle, this means that the product has worked, and the gun can be used for work.
- If the sealant does not come out of the nozzle, then you need to drip a few drops of cleaner onto the ball located in the adapter of the device.
- After five minutes, screw on the cleaner bottle and gently pull the trigger.
If the above methods of cleaning the gun did not help to remove the frozen foam, then all that remains is to disassemble the tool:
- it must be held from the bottom of the nest;
- first unscrew the crown;
- remove the valve;
- drip the cleaner into the socket and on the rest of the internal parts of the tool;
- leave in this state for 20 minutes;
- remove foam residues with a cotton cloth;
- then you need to collect the tool;
- flush with solvent.
If more than six hours have passed since the end of the work with the gun, then you can immediately proceed to the mechanical cleaning method, since during this time the sealant solidifies tightly inside, so ordinary flushing cannot cope with the task.
Professionals and DIYers use a variety of tools for repairs, including a foam gun. With this tool, the sealant is applied quickly, accurately and accurately. At the same time, the device is very capricious and implies careful handling, as well as strict adherence to the rules and instructions recommended by the manufacturer.
Which gun can be cleaned of foam
According to the method of release from the cylinder, the polyurethane foam is divided into household and professional. The first is usually produced in containers with a special adapter - with its help, the sealant is sprayed under pressure. In this case, the nebulizer is not cleaned. The second can be purchased in cans that attach to a special pistol. These devices can be cleaned and disassembled.
It is believed that professional pistols are an overkill when performing household work, but there is also an opposite opinion based on the indisputable advantages and benefits of such tools. Inexpensive fixtures for the release of polyurethane foam are designed to perform a small amount of work and are not recommended for frequent use, being, by and large, disposable. According to the accompanying instructions, they do not need to be cleaned. On the other hand, no one bothers to put in order a practically new (even the cheapest) tool and thereby save a certain amount of money.
Such a disposable gun can also be cleaned of foam, saving on the purchase of a new tool.
If you want the pistol to serve for a long time and without breakdowns, you will have to spend a rather large amount and purchase a collapsible unit. The best models have purely metal parts and parts and include additional options such as Teflon coating. Such a device can be cleaned without any problems or, if necessary, disassembled.
For the sake of fairness, it should be noted that the advertised and more expensive Teflon pistols, as well as metal or plastic models, tend to get dirty as a result of foam exposure.
How can you remove polyurethane foam
It is recommended to flush the pistol using special chemical washes, which are placed under pressure in cylinders. Flushing aids are usually used immediately after a job, as most of these chemicals are effective in removing only fresh foam. There are a huge number of specialized washes-cleaners on the market, among them the following brands are most in demand (according to Yandex Market data).
Table: cleaners in the domestic market
By chemical properties and content, all of the compositions mentioned actually have similar characteristics. When buying a wash, you just need to carefully study the instructions that come with the product.
Photo Gallery: Gun Flushing Products
Atoll is suitable for flushing all types of nailers 
Dali - effective remedy cleaning of dirt when working with polyurethane polyurethane foam Germez is used for construction, repair and installation work Hauser - a highly effective remover of uncured polyurethane foam 
KraftFlex Premium professional polyurethane foam cleaner 
Krass Easy Cleaner - removes marks and dirt from the pistol, cleans the body and barrel 
Profflex - aerosol cleaner Aerosolized liquid for cleaning Profil nail guns Designed to remove uncured foam from various surfaces 
Zubr Expert - domestic cleaner for the assembly gun
Do not try to wash off fresh sealant with water, as this liquid participates in the polymerization of the material. Use only formulations recommended by experts.
If the gun gets dirty after repair or construction, all you need is a flush bottle and a rag. Otherwise (for example, when the tool is jammed), first of all, you should determine the reason why the unit stopped functioning. Often the failure of the pistol is triggered by a malfunction of the device, and sometimes by problems with the cylinder. The latter usually happens when working outdoors in the cold season, or as a result of improper storage of the container.
Checking the cartridge is carried out by replacing it with a known good one. If you are sure that the whole thing is in the foam that clogs the tool, you need to try to clean the gun by attaching a washer.
Required tools and materials
To flush and disassemble the device in case of contamination with polyurethane foam, you will need:
Among the necessary tools and materials for cleaning a gun are sushi sticks Safety engineering
Before you start cleaning the tool for applying polyurethane foam, it is worth brushing up on the safety rules:
How to clean the gun from polyurethane foam
First, wipe the gun body with a solvent-dampened cloth. Do not use a knife or other sharp objects for cleaning to avoid damaging the surface.
The trigger can sometimes jam tightly
Cut off dried foam from the tip of the nozzle with a knife
Be careful not to damage the threads of the foam adjuster
During the procedure, the stem must also be cleaned.
The main valve may also be dirty.
Use a screwdriver as a lever to unscrew the element.
Use wooden sushi sticks to clean the valve
Rinse the assembled device againHow to clean up dried sealant
Cured foam can be removed with any acetone-based solvent or white spirit. Dirt with dried polyurethane foam is the most difficult to remove, so before you start sealing anything, it is worth stocking up on one of these products in advance in addition to the standard cleaner.
The vast majority of gun flushes will only effectively remove fresh sealant. After three or four hours, the foam completely hardens and it becomes possible to remove it only with the use of powerful solvents and mechanical cleaning (which is extremely undesirable).
You can wash off dried foam with acetone.
Different brands of foam guns have similar designs
The gun valve should be cleaned especially carefully.
The cylinder assembly should be thoroughly rinsed before use.What to do in advanced cases
In serious cases, the tool will have to be disassembled and repaired following the instructions above. Craftsmen claim, however, that it is possible to effectively remove old polyurethane foam from the surface of a pistol using a drug such as Dimexide. However, the video below shows that the use of this tool does not bring the desired result.
Video: Dimexide versus polyurethane foam
How to avoid gun clogging
The author of the article was convinced on personal experience that in most cases it is better not to remove fresh foam from the pistol body (as well as from any other surface). Wait for the sealant to dry and clean with a plastic knife. Meanwhile, all kinds of solvents and washes are distinguished by very aggressive compositions, and negatively affect most plastics and paints. The vapors of these substances are also quite toxic.
The main difficulty in using the gun is to clean the structure after applying the polyurethane foam. Despite the convenient scheme of use and the advantageous advantages of the tool over household cylinders with a conventional applicator, the design has a structure inconvenient for trouble-free cleaning.
Foam cleaning is carried out immediately after application, until the sealant has time to dry completely. But if the material has hardened, there are methods to get rid of the contamination.
Pistol design
In no case should the foam be washed off with water, because it is a kind of catalyst that enhances the process of polymerization of this material.
To avoid unforeseen situations, you should get a cleaner in advance to remove traces of polyurethane foam. On the part of specialists, it is recommended to purchase a product of the same brand as the sealant used in the work.
This requirement is due to the fact that manufacturers, based on their own formulas for the manufacture of polyurethane foam, create cleaners. The use of products of one brand leads to an effective result.
System for using the foam remover:
- After applying the assembly sealant to the appropriate areas, the can is removed.
- The cleaner bottle is screwed into place.
- The trigger is pressed until the spray from the gun is free of traces of polyurethane foam.
This completes the cleaning of the device. It remains to check the structure for the absence of sealant residues. If you intend to continue using the balloon with material for filling joints, the cap is returned to its place until the next use.
Cleaner device Any cleaners are, in fact, solvents. All of them can be harmful to health. Therefore, they follow the safety rules.
Protective measures:
- Do not store the product in direct sunlight or near objects with high temperatures;
- Empty cylinders after use must not be burned, opened;
- In the process of work, the tool is directed "away from oneself." The ingress of material into the nose, eyes and mouth is unacceptable, if this happens, you should immediately seek medical help;
- The product must not be stored near sources of open fire;
- It is recommended to ventilate the room well.
Method for removing hardened sealant build-up
In cases where the flush with the cleaner is not completed in time and foam has blocked the trigger, a different contamination control technique is used.
Do not push hard on a frozen trigger. If the mechanism does not lend itself to pressure when pressed gently, then the use of force will break it.
The scheme of actions in this case is as follows:
- First, the tool barrel is freed from external contamination. Often, foam sticks to the gun and a knife is used to remove it. The structure should be cleaned very carefully so as not to damage the piston.
Outdoor cleaning with a knife - After that, the device is lowered down. Using a special solvent designed to remove the hardened sealant, treat the beginning of the structure with a small amount of the substance. In this case, it is worth avoiding the contact of the dissolving liquid on other components of the instrument. This will damage the gun and cause damage.
- After waiting a little, try to squeeze out the foam by gently pulling the trigger. This should be done without sudden movements and the use of force. If the situation is not too advanced, the liquefied sealant will gradually come out. Otherwise, you will need to change tactics.
- A trigger deadly in the gun indicates that the main valve is clogged with sealant. In the area where the cylinders are attached, there is a small ball on which you need to pour a very small amount of dissolving liquid. After a ten-minute wait, a bottle of cleaner is attached and cleaned in the standard way.
And finally
Typically, following these steps will fix the problem:
As a last resort, measures of a more radical nature are applied. Hold the tool in the lower part (under the socket) and unscrew the crown. Remove the valve from the structure and put it aside.
Exploded tool A small amount of dissolving agent (literally a few drops) is poured into inner part and into the nest itself. The holding time is at least a quarter of an hour. After that, by pressing the ball, all internal components should be cleared of foam.
Then they start assembling the tool. The procedure is carried out in reverse order. Under no circumstances should the trigger of the pistol be pulled without a bottle of sealant on it. This reduces the life of the device.
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