Cleaning of an agricultural sprayer

Before proceeding to any cleaning operation of a sprayer, you must be sure that you know perfectly the local rules. To this aim, you can ask your area agricultural services for information.

To start with, you must use adequate personal protection equipment (suitable clothes: of plastic or rubber, boots, helmet with air filters and gloves), taking into account also the weather conditions, as, if these are not optimal, it is disregarded to carry out these cleaning chores.  

Herewith we indicate the steps to follow when cleaning an agricultural sprayer. We have divided these cleaning chores into 4 parts:

• Tank/Hopper
• Filters
• Rinsing circuit
• Emptying and removal of product waste

Steps to follow when cleaning the tank/hopper:  

1. Dissolve the mixture of remaining product in 20 portions of water and spray it, doubling the usual speed, over the previously treated vegetation.  Previously, make the machine work with closed nozzle-holders for 1 minute. 
2. Once the rinsing has been made, fill in the tank up to a 10 % of its standard capacity. Use adequate cleansers, and deactivators when required. With closed nozzle-holders, switch on the pump for one minute to remove all the possible remains of the product in the circuit.With the sprayer lever in emtpying position, open the nozzle-holders and proceed to empty fully the tank.
3. Finally, to keep the sprayer in good condition inside and outside, we recommend washing it externally, using an appropiate cleanser for it.

Remember not to empty the washing water (with cleansers and deactivators) over the vegetation.

Steps to follow in filters cleaning: 

1. Once the tank rinsing is finished, proceed to take the filter basket out as well as to dissassemble the suction and pressure filters.  Take the dirty waste stains or spots out of the filtering elements. 
2. Once these elements are clean, assemble them again to go on with the general cleaning of the tank.
3. Use the emptying area to remove the remaining product waste. 

Steps to follow if your sprayer has a rinsing circuit:

If your sprayer has a rinsing circuit, carry out the rinsing operation with water inside the rinsing tank. To this aim:

1. Change the position of the lever into the 3-way suction valve and, with the pump working, open the spherical valve of the inside tank rinsing robot. Carry out this operation for some minutes to warrant a perfect inside rinsing.
2. Spray over the previously treated vegetation, doubling the usual speed. 
3. Once the rinse has been made, fill in the tank up to a 10 % of its standard capacity. Use adequate cleansers, and deactivators when required. With closed nozzle-holders and the rinsing robot on, keep for some minutes the pump on to remove all the possible remains of the product inside the tank as well as inside the circuit.
4. With the sprayer lever in emtpying position, open the nozzle-holders and proceed to empty fully the tank.

If your sprayer has a sanitary water tank, use it only for personal hygiene and nozzles cleaning.

Emptying and suppression of waste product: 

As we have been mentioning throughout this article, removal of the products waste arising out of the machine's cleaning, as well as the emptying of the solid waste materials, which the tank, the filters and the circuit inside could have, should be made in an area specific to this end. This area must not be cultivated and be waterproof, to avoid filtrations of liquids towards wells, ponds, reservoirs and water streams channels and public sewage systems. Important remark: ensure yourself that the local laws allow the use of that area for emptying those products waste.

The cans that have contained chemical products can not be placed next to the remaining products waste of the land plot. Once rinsed and conveniently cleaned they must be brought to premises indicated for selective collecting of waste materials or stored in an aired and safe place until they are picked up by specialized companies in recycling dangerous products waste. If you decide to kepp those waste materials stored  and order their subsequent collection by specialized companies, you must ensure that the place for provisory storing is signalised enough and without possible access of people and/or animals. 

We hope that this article helps you to carry out an optimal cleaning of your machine and remember that in your sprayer's manual comes all this information thoroughly explained and with further recommendations.