# Airless Sprayer Cloggs Constantly



## colinvansmith

Hi All,

I recently purchased a Graco Magnum X5 airless sprayer. I've always applied painted using traditional methods but thought it time to try spraying instead. I am currently spraying the entire exterior of a farm building but I keep running up against the same problem the spray tip which is a RAC 515 keeps clogging or at least stops working, I am trying to spray Johnstones trade exterior masonry paint through it.

I have tried reversing the tip to clean it out and it works for a few seconds then it stops working even when the tip is reversed.

I have tries taking the tip of and cleaning it, cleaning the entire sprayer and re-priming it but nothing seems to work, i even tried thinning the paint but that didn't work either.

Everything seemed fine for the first 10 minutes of use but after that it stopped working. has anyone got any ideas as to how I can remedy this as i'm new to spraying and can't seem to find any answers.

colin


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## MikeCalifornia

Im not sure if the X5 has an inline filter before going out to the gun? I doubt it. I would use a strainer bag and wrap it around the intake tube. That will keep out the much smaller particles that your rock guard is letting through. Unfortunately though, you may really just need a bigger tip to spray the material you have. A 517 may be the ticket, but your pump might not support the larger orifice. Also make sure the gun filter is clean, might be clogged up with gunk already.


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## colinvansmith

Thanks for the fast reply, other than the strainer on the intake tube and possibly one inside the gun there definitely isn't another filter of any kind, When i screw off the guard and spray tip and pull the trigger the paint seems to com through the gun no problem which leads me to believe it may be the spray tip but i'm not totally sure though


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## driftweed

That's the problem with those sorayers, not enough power to ram it through the system.

On top of that, 2 jobs in and the sprayer will have hit it's designed yearly capacity. 

So now you have to Pre strain your paint, fight ongoing clogs, etc...

You just can't use a water gun to put out a house fire. But, hey you saved a few bucks right?

Once you VALUE YOUR TIME, you will see that the hours wasted troubleshooting this sprayer would have easily paid for a Graco 390 nova. How much time are you losing playing around, when you could have had the job done and started the next one?

Let's say you bill out (low end) $35/hour. X5 = $300 390 = $700

Now, let's add 2 hours to each job dealing with petty time sucks like this. 400/70 = 5.7 jobs. So in 6 jobs you have lost the difference to pay for a good pump. Not to mention, looking like a fool to your customers.

Is it REALLY worth it? And what are you going to do when that $300 pump crap out on the middle of a job? 

With a 390 you could rebuild it for under a hundred bucks, the x5 you are spending ANOTHER $300

Just things to consider


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## colinvansmith

do you think my mgnum x5 will be able to use an rac x guard and tip


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## colinvansmith

so you'd recommend a graco 390?


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## RH

colinvansmith said:


> so you'd recommend a graco 390?


Do you plan on using it to make money? If so, most here will recommend you get the best gun you can afford. I only use my sprayer for doors and trim, occaisionally a popcorn ceiling or two, and even then I went with a 395 for the extra fearures. If I had planned on using it regularly for exterior work I would have gone with a more powerful unit.


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## straight_lines

Make sure to put a 100 mesh bag strainer over the inlet. Make sure the gun filter is for the size tip you are using. A white filter will clog a small tip constantly, yellow is the medium and red is for fine finish and really small tips.


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## CApainter

colinvansmith said:


> Thanks for the fast reply,* other than the strainer on the intake tube and possibly one inside the gun there definitely isn't another filter of any kind,* When i screw off the guard and spray tip and pull the trigger the paint seems to com through the gun no problem which leads me to believe it may be the spray tip but i'm not totally sure though


There's a filter right behind the fitting for the material hose. You have to remove the hose, then remove the fitting right next to the pressure control knob. You will then be able to slide out the inline filter.

Google; Graco Magnum X5 drawings and it will offer a pdf. manual for the Magnum X5.


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## SemiproJohn

Your pump will be able to push certain products through a fine finish tip and the rac x tip guard. Of course, that is of no use to you with your present problem.

Your sprayer is rated to accommodate no larger a tip (orifice size) than the .515 you have been trying to use. I tried finding data sheets on Johnstone masonry paint, but had no luck. I think you are trying to push too thick a product through too small of a tip. See if label on the back of that paint recommends the proper tip size for that product. My guess is you need at least a .017 orifice, if not larger. If this is true, your new sprayer is useless for this particular application.

And, yes, there is most definitely a filter in the gun handle. 

If you can't get the paint through the tip when it is reversed, either the paint is full of gunk, the filter is clogged up, or both. I started with a little Graco similar to yours and I never experienced this. It lasted way, way beyond the 125 gallon life estimated by the factory. However, I didn't try to make it do anything it wasn't designed to do.

You have to shell out around $800, minimum, to get a new sprayer that can push the paint at a decent gallons per minute rate, that has more horsepower, and that can accommodate larger orifice spray tips if you want to apply thicker products. That is just the reality. 

You should be able to get your sprayer clean so that you can use it for spraying appropriate products (most latex acrylic paints, stains). Good luck.


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## SemiproJohn

colinvansmith said:


> so you'd recommend a graco 390?


That is the smallest graco you can get that will give you some flexibility. The more you spend, the more horsepower you get, the less hard the pump has to work, the thicker the material you can spray, the faster you can spray (to an extent). I'm using the 390 nova currently and it works great for what I need it for. Nothing commercial, no heavy textured paints or drywall mud, just stains and normal enamels, acrylic latex.


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## Epoxy Pro

What did you run through it before using it on a job? My guesses are pulling crap up from the bottom of the can/bucket or gun filter needs replacement. These two are the most common issues.

With a reversible tip, if the paint won't spray at all, spin the top to clean it out, if its hard to turn shut sprayer off, release pressure and try spinning the tip. If still no loosen the guard and spin the tip, tighten guard back up.


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## driftweed

Put panty hose on your rock catcher


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## CApainter

Did you find that inline filter Colin?


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## CApainter

I guess I solved the OP's problem!


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## SemiproJohn

CApainter said:


> I guess I solved the OP's problem!


Perhaps you did. Or perhaps he threw the sprayer in the lake. 

Don't you just love it when somebody asks for advice and then doesn't return (not yet, anyway) to fill us in?


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## CApainter

SemiproJohn said:


> Perhaps you did. Or perhaps he threw the sprayer in the lake.
> 
> Don't you just love it when somebody asks for advice and then doesn't return (not yet, anyway) to fill us in?


I had a feeling he was un aware of the in-line filter. I've missed some on units in the past and was shocked to find I could even spray with the amount of debris stuck in them. 

The beauty of the internet is, you can look these things up immediately. I was just curious if he had any improvements once he found and cleaned it.


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## RH

SemiproJohn said:


> Perhaps you did. Or perhaps he threw the sprayer in the lake.
> 
> Don't you just love it when somebody asks for advice and then doesn't return (not yet, anyway) to fill us in?


Yeah, and the next morning I always feel so cheap and used.


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## [email protected] AT LARGE

colinvansmith said:


> Hi All,
> 
> I recently purchased a Graco Magnum X5 airless sprayer. I've always applied painted using traditional methods but thought it time to try spraying instead. I am currently spraying the entire exterior of a farm building but I keep running up against the same problem the spray tip which is a RAC 515 keeps clogging or at least stops working, I am trying to spray Johnstones trade exterior masonry paint through it.
> 
> I have tried reversing the tip to clean it out and it works for a few seconds then it stops working even when the tip is reversed.
> 
> I have tries taking the tip of and cleaning it, cleaning the entire sprayer and re-priming it but nothing seems to work, i even tried thinning the paint but that didn't work either.
> 
> Everything seemed fine for the first 10 minutes of use but after that it stopped working. has anyone got any ideas as to how I can remedy this as i'm new to spraying and can't seem to find any answers.
> 
> colin


CHANGE FILTER IN YOUR GUN FOR STARTERS. IF PROBLEM PERSISTS, RUN SOME LAQUER THINNER THROUGH YOUR AIRLESS UNIT, HOSE AND GUN. LEAVE THE SOLVENT IN YOUR SPRAYER UNDER PRESSURE FOR AN HOUR OR TWO. NOW YOUR TOOL HAS SOAKED IN SOLVENT, DROP YOUR FOOT INTO A BUCKET OF PAINT THINNER. SQUEEZE TRIGGER UNTIL LAQUER THINNER IS ALL EXPELLED AND YOU SMELL MINERAL SPIRITS ONLY. LEAVE UNDER PRESSURE AND REPEAT PROCESS EXCEPT USE A COUPLE GALLONS OF HOT WATER TO RUN THROUGH YOUR MACHINE HOSE AND GUN. THE LAQUER THINNER SHOULD OF DISSOLVED ANY DRIED TRASH THAT CAUSES CLOGS AND THE MINERL SPIRITS WILL LUBRICATE YOUR O-RINGS AND RUBBER SEALS. NOW IT;S TIME TO REMOVE THE GUN FROM HOSE AND LET THE MACHINE RUN UNPRIMED AMD PRIMED. ALL LARGE TRASH SHOULD HAVE BEEN EXPELLED BY NOW. ASSUMING YOU ARE USING A GOOD CLEAN PRODUCT AND OR STRAINING YOUR PAINT YOU SHOULD BE GOOD TO GO. IF NOT YOU NEED TO LEARN WHAT THOSE NUMBERS ON YOUR SPRAY TIPS MEAN. HAPPY SPRAYING AND THERE IS ANYTHING YOU NEED TO NOW ABOUT PAINT OR APPLICATIONS FEEL FREE TO ASK ME.


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## finishesbykevyn

[email protected] AT LARGE said:


> CHANGE FILTER IN YOUR GUN FOR STARTERS. IF PROBLEM PERSISTS, RUN SOME LAQUER THINNER THROUGH YOUR AIRLESS UNIT, HOSE AND GUN. LEAVE THE SOLVENT IN YOUR SPRAYER UNDER PRESSURE FOR AN HOUR OR TWO. NOW YOUR TOOL HAS SOAKED IN SOLVENT, DROP YOUR FOOT INTO A BUCKET OF PAINT THINNER. SQUEEZE TRIGGER UNTIL LAQUER THINNER IS ALL EXPELLED AND YOU SMELL MINERAL SPIRITS ONLY. LEAVE UNDER PRESSURE AND REPEAT PROCESS EXCEPT USE A COUPLE GALLONS OF HOT WATER TO RUN THROUGH YOUR MACHINE HOSE AND GUN. THE LAQUER THINNER SHOULD OF DISSOLVED ANY DRIED TRASH THAT CAUSES CLOGS AND THE MINERL SPIRITS WILL LUBRICATE YOUR O-RINGS AND RUBBER SEALS. NOW IT;S TIME TO REMOVE THE GUN FROM HOSE AND LET THE MACHINE RUN UNPRIMED AMD PRIMED. ALL LARGE TRASH SHOULD HAVE BEEN EXPELLED BY NOW. ASSUMING YOU ARE USING A GOOD CLEAN PRODUCT AND OR STRAINING YOUR PAINT YOU SHOULD BE GOOD TO GO. IF NOT YOU NEED TO LEARN WHAT THOSE NUMBERS ON YOUR SPRAY TIPS MEAN. HAPPY SPRAYING AND THERE IS ANYTHING YOU NEED TO NOW ABOUT PAINT OR APPLICATIONS FEEL FREE TO ASK ME.


Appreciate you taking the time to post. Just so you know, this thread is from 2016. Maybe introduce yourself to the group here and remember to check dates of the threads. Great answer all the same..


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## Joe67

finishesbykevyn said:


> Appreciate you taking the time to post. Just so you know, this thread is from 2016. Maybe introduce yourself to the group here and remember to check dates of the threads. Great answer all the same..


I'll just add to also turn off the caplocks. I DON'T LIKE BEING YELLED AT!! (Unless I've earned it).


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