The foam gun has dried up, what should I do? How to use flushing for a spray foam gun. How to clean a gun from dried foam

A spray foam gun greatly simplifies repair work. A rigid rod with a tip helps to penetrate any hard-to-reach places, and precise dosage allows you to fill seams accurately and economically. As a result, the foam is distributed more evenly and its consumption is reduced.

For long-term use of the tool, the following rules must be observed:

• clean in a timely manner upon completion of finishing work;
• wash the nozzle and reducer when changing the cylinder;
• do not leave it filled with foam, without a container;
• Do not allow shaking, falls or impacts.

If for some reason the gun was not washed in a timely manner, it can be cleaned in several ways.

Using the cleaner

The easiest cleaning option is using a special liquid. Moreover, it is advisable to purchase a solvent from the same manufacturer. For complete cleaning, perform the following steps:

• remove the used cylinder;
• remove the protective cap from the aerosol cleaner;
• secure the solvent canister and pull the trigger of the gun until the remaining foam disappears.

Finally, remove the container with the cleaner and check the free movement of the trigger. If the solvent has not been completely used up, then it is stored in the original container, again putting the protective cap on the container.

When working with the cleaner, you must follow basic safety precautions and avoid storing it in the sun or high temperature, avoid contact of solvent with eyes and do not burn empty packaging.

Removing cured foam

If the trigger is stationary, it will not be possible to clean the gun by rinsing it with a special liquid. Therefore, you first need to free the outer surface of the barrel from the foam adhering to it using a knife. You need to act carefully so as not to scratch the piston. Then do the following:

• lower the gun down and bury the solvent so that it does not get on other parts;
• gently pull the trigger, trying to drive away the frozen foam;
• with the trigger stationary, drop solvent onto the ball next to the place where the cylinders are fixed;
• after 10 minutes, attach the container with the remover and carefully blow out the gun.

If such measures are not enough, then the crown of the gun is carefully unscrewed and the valve is removed, and solvent is dripped inside. Wait about 25 minutes, and then free the parts from the foam clots and assemble the tool, bringing it into working condition.

The most difficult case

To remove hardened foam, delicate treatment is ineffective. To restore the functionality of the tool, you will need a stiff wire and acetone or other solvent. The work is performed according to the following algorithm:

1. Unscrew the gun, dismantling all removable elements. You need to disassemble it carefully, trying not to damage its parts.
2. Use a wire soaked in acetone to remove the foam.
3. Pour a little solvent into the barrel and remove the frozen plug using a wire.
4. When finished, the instrument is collected and washed using a can of cleaner.

The main disadvantage of wire cleaning is the incomplete removal of hardened foam due to the round cross-section of the barrel and the inability to visually evaluate the result. If this situation is repeated regularly, a narrowing of the trunk diameter is likely. To avoid clogging and reduced pressure, you need to clean the gun in a timely manner.

A good owner in the house, even if he does not work on a construction site, has tools. A spray foam gun is one of them. Using this device, you can seal cracks and cracks, but maintaining the tool in proper condition is not an easy task. After application, hardened polyurethane foam remains. How to get rid of it at home and what measures to take to ensure that the tool lasts for a long time?

Preparation and Safety

Before starting construction work, you need to think about safety precautions. When contacting a spray foam gun, it is important to follow a number of rules.

1. Do not use a supercooled foam can. It should be at room temperature.
2. When the air temperature is more than 30 and less than 20 degrees Celsius, do not carry out construction work.
3. It is prohibited to use the tool near an open fire or near a heat gun.

Before use, shake the can several times by removing the protective cap on the nozzle. Then screw the gun on.

Best Tools to Clean Gun and Nozzle

Acetone

Experts clean the instrument after use with acetone. This happens as follows.

1. Remove dried foam from the outside of the trunk with a utility knife.
2. Drop a small amount of acetone into the barrel hole, and after a few minutes, gently pull the trigger.
3. The gun should give way and the remaining foam will come out without problems.
4. If the first option does not help, the gun is disassembled into parts for deep cleaning.

White Spirit

For effective cleaning, use white spirit. Before use, cut off the foam from the hole on the gun and pour in the product, then leave for 15 minutes. The main thing in using white spirit is to avoid getting it on the plastic part of the tool.

Mechanical method

The method is used when the foam has hardened tightly. The device is completely disassembled. Using a screwdriver, needle or wire, remove excess substance. Mechanical cleaning is a long and painstaking job, but effective.

Professional cleaners

The market is overflowing with offers. If desired, the owner can easily choose a special cleaner for the mounting gun. The product will get rid of excess foam not only on the equipment itself, but also on window and door frames, and clothing.

Removing polyurethane foam from different surfaces

MDF and wood

If the surface has recently been stained, the foam can be removed with a special cleaner. Once the composition has set, it becomes difficult to clean. What will help?

1. Using a utility knife, you need to cut off the frozen foam very close to the surface.
2. Fill with solvent or vinegar. Wait a bit for the dirt to soften.
3. Using a scraper or hard sponge, remove the mounting foam.

Glass

To remove hardened foam from glass, use a flat scraper for ceramic panels. If the composition has recently stained the surface, you can use a professional cleaner.

Metal

Cleaning from metal is similar to cleaning from a wooden surface. Removed upper layer material, then a solvent is applied. Use the back of a dishwashing sponge to scrub the surface. If necessary, the process is repeated.

Plastic

When installing plastic windows, it happens that foam ends up not only on the glass, but also on the plastic. Fresh composition can be removed with a solution for washing mounting guns. It is recommended to clean dried ones with Dimexide solution using a toothbrush or a hard kitchen sponge.

Linoleum

Remove foam from such a surface with acetone or Dimexide (sold in a pharmacy). Recently stained linoleum can be cleaned with a professional cleaning solution for a nail gun and putty knife. Scrape off the frozen mixture with a stationery knife, after moistening it with acetone. After the procedure, wipe the surface dry. Loading...

And most importantly, protect yourself. Make sure that the solution does not get on your skin or clothes. It will be difficult to remove it.

It will be effective to use paint solvents, acetone or gasoline, which perfectly wash all parts and passages in the adapter, preparing it for the next job. If contaminants from hardened polyurethane foam cannot be removed with a solvent, you can try mechanical cleaning with a knife and wire. In extreme cases, you may need to disassemble the gun and clean each part individually using available means.

To expend less effort, the gun should be cleaned every time after finishing work. If this is not done, the material will dry out very firmly.

Remove with acetone or other solvent

Acetone, like any other solvent, is fine , which has just begun to dry out.

In this state, it is extremely susceptible to the active chemical effects of the liquid solvent.

In addition to acetone, you can use paint solvents white spirit, xylene, solvent, 646, 647, 649, 650 and P-4. Galosh gasoline, kerosene and turpentine, which have similar properties, are also suitable. Water, including hot water, does not help in cleaning at all.

Attention!All of the above liquids have a strong, specific odor and are highly flammable. Therefore, you need to follow safety precautions when using them.

It is best to use solvents to regularly clean the gun from foam residues. Cleaning it with solvent after each use can save a lot of time at home later on.

Immediately after the work is completed, you must carefully disconnect the cylinder.

Using a clean piece of cloth, fresh pieces of foam that have not yet hardened are removed.

Another piece of rag is moistened with solvent, it is necessary to wipe the adapter (if available), the cylinder mounting collar and immediately wipe the tip of the gun.

The foam also needs to be wiped off around the trigger. If it has time to freeze there, it may make it difficult to use the gun in the future.

Also causing problems is the drying of the foam in the “barrel” of the gun - a narrow channel through which material under pressure from the cylinder is supplied to the required location.

To wash it, you need to carefully pour the solvent into the hole located in the place where the cylinder is attached.

Possessing high chemical activity and increased fluidity, the solvent will very quickly make its way through the uncured foam, exiting along with it through the tip of the gun. Efficiency this method depends on how quickly the solvent is used - the more it dries, the more difficult it will be to clean it.

If the foam still has time to cool, then the solvent can be applied directly into the channel from the tip side. To do this, you can use a regular syringe with a thin needle. You will most likely only be able to use the syringe once and very quickly, because the solvent is very aggressive towards the soft plastic from which it is made. With a quick movement, you need to draw a full syringe of liquid, insert the needle into the canal the entire length and release it inside. This will greatly facilitate cleaning the expensive gun, allowing you to do it quickly and without much expense.

Aggressive solvents can also be used to And .

Pharmaceutical dimexide has properties similar to solvents.

It has a destructive effect on contamination, while being absolutely safe for the skin of the hands and the fabric used to apply it to the gun. The washing method is similar to that described above. If necessary, dimexide can be used And .

Cleaning the gun using a special cylinder

You can connect a special cylinder to the smeared gun, for example, Penosil Cleaner, which is filled with a cleaner under high pressure. This cylinder is designed for regular maintenance of a pistol that has just been used. It effectively flushes the valve, trigger and the hole of the barrel with solvents that corrode and squeeze out the foam that has not yet dried.

Mechanical cleaning

The mechanical cleaning method is used in the second case - when the pistol was not regularly maintained, and after several uses the foam near the connecting thread, trigger and in the channel hardened and literally turned into stone.

Removing foam that has turned to stone

The density with which it is filled under pressure from a cylinder, coupled with its durable physical properties makes the material in this case practically invulnerable to any solvents. The liquid poured inside the gun is not even able to make its way through the channel, which makes this cleaning method impossible. To do this, you need to use a mechanical method.

Cleaning the bore

Mechanical cleaning involves physically removing it from the gun.

Remains are removed with a knife

You need to arm yourself with a sharp shoe or stationery knife and a very thin wire with a pointed end. Using a knife, hardened pieces are cut off and access to the hole from which the foam was supplied is cleared as much as possible.

Then the wire comes into play - the harder the metal from which it is made, the better. With careful but confident movements, the wire is screwed into the bore. The metal makes its way towards the cylinder mount. The deeper the wire goes, the easier it will be to clean the gun later with a solvent.

Advice! It is not advisable to clean a pistol barrel using a Karcher - too much pressure can damage fragile parts.

Cleaning the cylinder and valve mount

Using the same knife, you can largely remove dried foam from the surface of the fastening and thread, thereby freeing up space for adding solvent. It is necessary to carefully remove all remaining sealant from the valve and threads, then moisten them generously in liquid.

Note!Together with cleaning the barrel bore, you can restore the gun, even if the foam has accumulated and dried very strongly.

How to disassemble a pistol

As a last resort, when the methods described above do not help, you must resort to disassembly toclean the parts of the spray foam gun individually.

Disassembling the pistol

Using pliers or an adjustable wrench, you need to unscrew the mechanism that is responsible for supplying material from the cylinder - it is located in the recess for its fastening.

After this, the trigger mechanism is disconnected and the gun barrel is pulled out, if necessary, all the corresponding nuts and bolts are unscrewed. After disassembly, each part can be individually treated with acetone, after removing any large remaining foam with a knife. The Kraftul and Stayer models are assembled in the reverse order.

Video

As you know, polyurethane foam hardens quite quickly in the open air, which is good when applied to building structures. But if this happens inside the construction gun, then there will be no way to continue working on filling the cracks or sealing the joints.
Is it really because of this that you will have to buy another tool, the price of which starts at 500 rubles? What if the same thing happens to the second one? So it won’t take long to go broke on pistols.
But not everything is so gloomy. Firstly, there is a universal foam cleaner in cans, which costs about 300 rubles. Its contents may be enough for two or three cleanings, that is, each such procedure will cost you 100 rubles.
Is it possible to do without this expensive product if there is a need to clean construction gun from the foam that has dried inside it? Yes, such a possibility exists. You can make a very simple device yourself, which will cost you total 5 rubles and can be used as many times as needed.

Working on a gun flushing device

The process of cleaning a gun from dried foam

Final remarks

In construction and repair business mounting gun has long become an indispensable attribute. Without it, it is not so easy to carry out various important processes: install plastic windows, install interior and entrance doors, install slopes, seal engineering systems, insulate facades, and so on. But this device often gets clogged, so when purchasing it you need to immediately clarify how to clean the foam gun.

Peculiarities

Using sealant and a gun for dispensing it, various cracks and voids are sealed and a wide variety of manipulations are performed. But, despite the simplicity of the design, this device requires special attention and care.

There are several types of device, which determine the method of cleaning it:

1. Metal pistol. The most reliable and durable tool. Its service life reaches an average of 5 years. Easy to use and clean.
2. Teflon. The device has metal surfaces coated with Teflon for protection. Due to this feature, the gun is easy to clean. The method for removing sealant is the same as for its metal counterpart.
3. Plastic. It is a disposable device, so cleaning it is impractical.

As a rule, the mounting gun is used more than a dozen times, and to ensure that further work with this tool does not cause trouble, it should be cleaned in a timely manner.

There are several options for removing sealant from the gun:

1. Cleaning without removing the cylinder. The easiest way to clean your foam dispenser. Suitable for frequent use of the tool and involves replacing containers with polyurethane foam when they are completely empty.
2. Using a chemical reagent. The gun is washed chemical compounds, is carried out after completion of all installation work and removal of the cylinder. This cleaning method is ideal for short-term use.
3. Mechanical cleaning. Includes disassembling the device and thoroughly cleaning all its parts. For this operation, a special wash, a pocket knife, and cotton fabrics can be used.

What to clean with?

The degree of contamination of the gun determines how it is cleaned. The simplest and most accessible option is used when contamination is removed immediately after using the unit. It involves removing visible particles from the gun and displacing residual sealant masses from the barrel.

Mechanical cleaning involves complete disassembly tool:

1. It is necessary to unscrew and remove everything that is possible. The instructions that come with the kit should include detailed information regarding the design of the product. When disassembling, you need to try not to damage anything or break the threads.
2. When disassembling the gun, you should clean all parts from foam and wipe them with a dry cloth, and blow out the barrel. For these purposes, a ramrod is useful; you can make it yourself from improvised means, for example, wire.
3. Pour rinse into the barrel, then clean the tube from any remaining foam masses with an improvised rod. Repeat all manipulations until the ramrod moves easily in the barrel and its tip appears on the back side. If the foam in the barrel has dried, it will not be possible to remove it with chemicals alone.
4. The barrel must be cleaned very carefully so that during further work the remaining foam does not interfere with the passage of the new polyurethane foam sealant.
5. After cleaning the tool, you need to lubricate its connecting parts and assemble it.
6. The tool is ready to use.

It is necessary to perform such actions only if you have an idea of ​​how the device works. If there is no such information, then it is better to seek help from specialists.

Disassembling a pistol is an extreme case, and it is better not to carry the equipment through such procedures. Even after thoroughly cleaning the gun, new sealant may not flow well through the nozzle, rendering the gun useless.

The following cleaning method is used if the gun barrel is completely clogged and the adjustment lever (trigger) is not pressed. In this case, it is necessary to carefully clean the nozzle from the foam material and lubricate it with solvent. The barrel must be lowered. After a few minutes the lever should begin to move. If this happens, you can continue with subsequent cleaning.

If the trigger mechanism does not move, then you should use the third method. There is a small ball in the area where the foam container connects to the gun. It is this that needs to be treated with a solvent. Such actions will help with cleaning if the foam has clogged the bypass valve very badly. No earlier than 15 minutes later, you can secure the bottle with the cleaner and clean the barrel with its contents.

Based on all of the above, we can conclude that when starting to work with a foam gun, you should always have a bottle of cleaner available. Forethought will help you timely clean expensive equipment from remnants of foam that has not yet hardened and prolong the performance of the device. If the sealant has hardened, the use of brute force may damage the gun, especially if it has a Teflon coating. In this case, the device becomes unsuitable for reuse.

If the tool remains dirty after finishing work, and there is a possibility of foam drying, do not pull the trigger before carrying out cleaning procedures. Such actions can lead to damage to the mechanism.

It is necessary to clean the gun from frozen polyurethane foam according to certain rules:

1. Immediately you need to clean the barrel from adhering sealant. For these purposes, you can use a knife, but clean it very carefully so as not to damage the valve.
2. The valve/nozzle of the gun must be positioned straight down. The release mechanism must be filled with dimexide. After a minute, you can lightly pull the trigger. If it begins to oscillate and sealant flows from the nozzle, then the gun can continue to be used. If this does not happen, then you will have to proceed to the next stage of removing the accumulated sealant.
3. There is a small ball near the connection point for the cylinder. It is necessary to apply a small amount of dimexide to it, and then attach a bottle of cleaner. After a minute or two, you can try to press the adjustment lever.

If none of the described methods helped, you need to completely disassemble the instrument and drip solvent or the same dimexide into the socket and all internal parts of the device. After 20 minutes, all remnants of the hardened mass of sealant will give in and can be easily removed with a rag. After assembling the gun, you need to wash it with the reagent.

This method of removing foam should be carried out only when more than 7 hours have passed from the end of the work. During this time, the foam dries completely, so the instrument must be cleaned mechanically. After such cleaning, the device may produce less pressure than before. Therefore, it is better to immediately take care of the device and remove all possible foreign matter immediately, before it has time to dry.

There is another method that allows you to avoid the mechanical cleaning procedure and full analysis a device thanks to which the gun nozzle will always be in good working order and ready for use. To do this you will need a tube, preferably a plastic one (can be removed from a one-time use tool), wire and the gun itself.

Using a wire, you need to hook the tube to the nozzle of the device, and after working with the gun, remove it. For subsequent use of the gun, a new plastic tube is taken. This way, the tool will always be clean and ready for use.

What to wash with?

The mechanical method is quite effective way Clean the gun from polyurethane foam. However, if the foam has hardened in the barrel cavity, then removing it to the last particle will be very problematic. As a result, with each subsequent use, the pressure of the foam will become weaker and weaker, because the sealant will cling to the remaining fractions of the substance. Timely removal of sealant residues will help solve the problem, and if the situation is severe, flushing the equipment.

You can thoroughly rinse the gun by observing two important rules: speed and forethought. These points imply the acquisition special means for cleaning and quick use. Experts advise buying a cleaning agent from the same brand that produces polyurethane foam, and working only in this duo.

Once you have finished applying the sealant, you should immediately begin cleaning the tool. Remove the used cylinder. If there is still foam left in it, there is no need to throw away the jar - the substance in it will retain its properties for a long time.

Washing the gun follows simple rules:

• The container with the sealant is removed, and a bottle with an aerosol for cleaning is fixed in its place.
• We pull the trigger. Liquid will begin to drip from the spout of the device. You need to hold the trigger until the stream becomes clear - this is main feature that the cleaning agent was able to dissolve the dried foam.
• The cylinder must be removed and the trigger pulled again. If it moves jerkily, it means that it was not possible to wash off all the dirt, and you need to repeat the procedure again.

According to safety rules, when washing, the barrel of the instrument must be directed away from the person so that the cleaning material does not get on his mucous membranes and skin.

The solvent can leave burns on the body, so you need to be extremely careful and attentive when working with it. You cannot smoke near the cylinder, store it near a fire, in the sun, or open the container. If the substance gets into your mouth, eyes or nose, you should immediately seek help from a doctor.

Aerosol wash can be replaced. If you don’t have a special product at home, you can use acetone instead. Pour it into the nozzle of the device and clean the gun with iron wire. You need to wash it slowly so that all spare parts remain safe and sound.

Care instructions

The main thing to remember when buying a spray foam gun is: this type equipment must be cleaned after each use, without delaying the cleaning procedures.

The main cause of breakdowns of these devices is clogging with hardened foam. Blockages can occur in the following places:

• in the nose of the bottle;
• in the locking ball;
• in the supply valve.

These breakdowns are classified as mechanical, and to eliminate them, you just need to clean the tool; you shouldn’t throw it away right away. But if sticking occurs in the barrel of the gun, cleaning will not help and repairs will not be possible.