Garden sprayer not pressurizing

littlerock

I have a garden sprayer which works by pumping out the air (using the plunger on top) and then spraying liquid through the nozzle. The pump is not pressurizing when the plunger is worked (ie it is not pumping out the air) and so the spray is not working either. I have looked at all the valves and they all appear to be OK and the the pump/spray mechanism is tightly screwed onto the bottom container.

Any suggestions?

Alfrescodave

Could be leaking somewhere; can you work the plunger when the whole unit is under water (in the bath ?) and see if bubbles are escaping

Davesnave

These usually work by pumping air in, not out, otherwise you'd have a vacuum in the tank, and the bit that pumps is a one way valve in the central tube. Another valve below it on the end of the tube usually stops air escaping back up the tube.

Have you looked at that bit? If there is no air escaping in the bath test above after you've pumped, then it's the valve(s) that's faulty.

Sometimes, putting a lubricant like petroleum jelly on the valve helps, bit if it's split or the one at the bottom of the tube is damaged, then you need new ones.

If it's a Hozelock, these bits are usually easy to source. If not you might have to get the bits on-line.

(I'm assuming here that it's a non professional type of sprayer, not a Cooper-Pegler or similar.)