Anyone have problems with spray bottles that stop working?

[rogerman]

Originally Posted by Lagoon

Yes no more sore hands and arms with those prissy spray bottles - pumps with pressure is where its at

Haha I have a 2500 litre tank and a pump that does 180 litres/minute I have 14 spray heads with 8 of them spraying down rather than the sprinklers that have a rotor and the water tends to go up first.

Takes me about 15 minutes to "spray" 3000 plants

[Bolero]

Yep they're all made on the cheap. I have the same problem no matter how much I spend on the bottle.

However, one type where you just pump the top and hold down a button seem to work a lot longer than the others. I mean there is a button on the handle that releases the water under pressure (from the pumping). They still wear out but they are much better than the ones you have to constantly squeeze to get mist from.

[ToddsterVonCattMan]

Wow—haven't you guys heard of Spraymaster spray bottles?



They come with a 5 year warranty, and work wonderfully. I've been using mine daily for 8 years. For around $7, every grower should have one...!

[natasha]

i use a BABA pressure sprayer now. it is quite expensive but i just give it a go since i have bought plenty of pressure sprayer & pump sprayer before that didn't work in countless circumstances. one pressure sprayer even break under pressure! luckily i didn't have any heart problems!

the BABA pressure sprayer have a relief valve (so i don't have to hear an explosion again!), some spare parts, spray adjuster and the best is you can hold the spray practically till no pressure left! its the best rm24 i've spent on a sprayer!

[Blueszz]

For the people in Europe, I use the Gardena brand and they work great. They come also with several years waranty but I never have problems with them functioning well.

Nicole

[fotofashion]

It has been my experience that, of the handheld squirt bottles, there are basically two styles. One looks quite smooth on the outside and is cheap. The other's mechanism looks complicated and unattractive but this one is the one that lasts. It costs just a little more but sure does save the frustration of pumping and pumping and getting nothing. Now, I need to buy one or two more for my burgeoning orchid collection.
Beverly A.

[Becca]

I use the half gallon spray bottles....they last for a while....and then for one reason or another it won't hold it's pressure. They are about $10 as others have mentioned so I just go and get a new one. I did recently buy an hand held sprayer called the Orbital 360 sprayer (or something like that) from repotme.com. I haven't had it long enough to give it a recommendation, other then it really will spray no matter what direction you hold it (even upside down).

[Doc G]

get a bottle of white vinegar. either soak the entire spray head, or just dribble some into the plunger area. Unfortunately it can get to be a weekly chore, but it will free it up for a while.

[cb977]

I have a number of smaller sprayers for things such as my alcohol/409 combo and the Listerine but for watering/fertilizing, I have a Gilmour Pump sprayer.
I have the 2 gallon version but they also come in 1 gallon size...and all have a lifetime warranty!
Anytime I've had a problem (rarely) with leaking or not spraying, I just contact the company and they send out either new parts to fix it or a whole new pump! No questions asked!
Their customer service is phenomenal and I highly recommend their pumps to everybody

http://www.gilmour.com/Tank-Sprayers...s/Premium.aspx

[beanluc]

Some good products and ideas described here, thanks!

For the record, I also discovered something very similar to the "vinegar" tip offered by Doc G:

A lubricant on the end of the plunger right behind the trigger helps for a while too. I put a drop of vegetable oil on there, work it a few times, then rinse off with some hot water and a towel. It's good for about a month. Then, next time, I don't use the oil, but I put dish soap on there instead, same way except for the rinsing (only drying). By alternating, I avoid gummy stuff that can build up when you use the oil every time. But, soap by itself doesn't work if that's all you use - it stops working. so I found the alternating routine, and I haven't had to replace any bottles since I first posted this here.