# Is my Graco X5 defective or am I doing something wrong?



## rimmi2002 (May 30, 2021)

Hi,

I recently bought my first airless spray painter, Graco X5.It is awesome. I was wondering if someone can help a newbie out. I have had excellent results, but it has been a paint guzzler. I have a few questions.

1. The first two times I ran the machine I could prime it by putting the suction tube in a bucker of water. The last two times the machine will not suction water for priming. I have to actively flush water into the machine with the water hose (with the provided adapter for cleaning) and then it starts to prime. Is this normal behavior or am I doing something wrong or is something defective with the graco?

2. I recently bought the Titan HEA Inline gauge and attached it to the sprayer. There is a wide variation in pressure. For example today I sprayed Sherman Williams interior latex paint with on baseboard and trim with a FFLP310 tip. It's recommended pressure is 1200 to 1300 PSI. It wouldn't work properly until I took the pressure up to 2000. On top of that the machine seems to decrease about 400 psi in pressure before it re-pressurizes again. This is a wide variation in pressure. Is this normal behavior?

If it is normal how do I set my pressure? if the tip is recommended at 1300 psi should I run the machine at max 1300 or minimum 1300?

3. Today, with the FFLP310 tip I sprayed ~140 Linear feet of baseboard/trim + 2 doors (one side only). This used up almost a gallon (~15% left in a gallon can) of paint. Is it normal for the machine to use so much paint?

Thanks for the help!


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## CApainter (Jun 29, 2007)

Check out page 14 and 15 on the Graco X5 manual linked below. It mentions having to press the button "twice" next to the prime knob when Priming/Cleaning.

Graco Magnum X5 Manual (Page 15 of 34) | ManualsLib


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## rimmi2002 (May 30, 2021)

CApainter said:


> Check out page 14 and 15 on the Graco X5 manual linked below. It mentions having to press the button "twice" next to the prime knob when Priming/Cleaning.
> 
> Graco Magnum X5 Manual (Page 15 of 34) | ManualsLib


Thanks I will try that next time. Any comments of the pressure gauge? should it be doing that? Also is the recommended pressure for a particular paint at the outlet of the machine or at the gun tip?

Thanks,


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## cocomonkeynuts (Apr 14, 2017)

rimmi2002 said:


> Thanks I will try that next time. Any comments of the pressure gauge? should it be doing that? Also is the recommended pressure for a particular paint at the outlet of the machine or at the gun tip?
> 
> Thanks,


pressure is irrelevant. Spray at the minimum pressure possible and still maintain a good pattern with whatever tip you use.


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