If you’re wondering how to use a paint sprayer – you’ve come to the right place. Airless spraying is an innovative and effective way to create a perfect finish in no time at all. Whether you’re new to using a sprayer or just looking to refresh your knowledge, this article tells you exactly how to use a spray gun for paint jobs, including selecting your equipment, setting up and applying your paint.
This guide includes:
- How to use a paint sprayer
- What is an airless paint sprayer?
- What is included with an airless paint sprayer?
- Airless paint sprayer equipment checklist
- The benefits of airless spraying
A step-by-step guide to using a paint sprayer
You could write a book on using a paint sprayer, but we’ll keep it simple. The most challenging part is setting up the airless paint sprayer; here is our step by step approach.
Stage 1 – Priming the sprayer
- Step 1 – Plug the sprayer in (obviously)
- Step 2 – Put the suction tube into the paint.
- Step 3 – Turn the “prime/spray” switch to “PRIME,” turn on the sprayer and then turn the pressure up.
- Step 4 – Once primed (it takes about 10 seconds), turn down the pressure to zero and switch off for a second.
We’re going to take a minute to think about the next bit, as it may seem complicated. However, rest assured it is not at all difficult.
There will be water in the hose from when it was last cleaned out. You need to clear this water from the hose and then fill it with paint. To do this:
- Step 5 – Turn the sprayer to “SPRAY” – the pressure will build up when you do this. You DO NOT WANT that to happen at this stage as you want to run the water into a bucket; if it’s under pressure, that will be very messy.
- Step 6 – Take the tip and tip guard off the gun; this will make this stage easier.
- Step 7 – You need to pull the trigger on the gun BEFORE you turn to “SPRAY” so that the pressure cannot build up.
- Step 8 – Slowly start to turn the pressure up. The water will start to run out of the hose. Then we move onto stage 2 as explained below.
Stage 2 – Flush out the water until you get to paint
- Step 9 – Turn the sprayer back on.
- Step 10 – Point the gun into an empty bucket and pull the trigger.
- Step 11 – Switch the “Primer/spray” switch to “SPRAY” and turn the pressure up slowly.
- Step 12 – The water will run out of the gun as the paint makes its way along the hose. This will take about 30 seconds.
- Step 13 – Once you see paint, turn the pressure down and switch it off.
Stage 3 – The final stage, test the spray pattern.
- Step 14 – Switch on the sprayer, set to “SPRAY”, and turn the pressure up. This time the pressure will build up and the gauge will show this. Once up to pressure, the sprayer will go quiet.
- Step 15 – Spray a test area of the wall to see what the spray pattern is like. You want it nice and solid.
- Step 12 – Turn up the pressure until you get a good fan pattern.
This last testing stage is essential. If the paint is not atomising enough, then you can do two things.
- Turn the pressure up until the pattern is solid. If you are at full pressure and you still have tails, then you can thin the paint.
- Warm paint is better than cold paint, so getting the paint up to room temperature helps a lot. You can get heated hoses, but that’s more advanced and more expensive.
Watch our video for more help on setting up your airless sprayer
What is airless spraying?
Airless spraying is a system that sprays paint without the use of compressed air. Traditionally sprayers have used a compressor to generate air to atomise the paint.
The airless system pumps the paint along with a hose to a spray gun at very high pressures – typically 2000 psi. The paint is then pushed through a tiny hole (17 thousandths of an inch), which smashes the paint stream into a mist.
Airless spraying is very fast. Some sprayers can deliver 5 litres of paint per minute, which translates to 60m2 per minute. In real terms, if you are spraying rooms, it is more like 6m2 per minute. If you’re wondering how much time can be saved by using a paint sprayer, a typical 50m2 room will take around 8 minutes to paint.
What is included with an airless paint sprayer?
As well as knowing how to use a paint sprayer, you should be aware of the essential parts that are included. These are:
1. The pump
This has a suction tube that goes into the paint and pumps the paint down the hose to the gun. The size of the pump will determine how fast the sprayer works. A small pump may only pump 1.9 litres per minute, whereas a larger (more expensive) pump will spray 5 to 10 litres per minute.
Most airless sprayers use a piston pump. The size of this piston is one of the things that determines how fast the sprayer will pump the paint.
2. The hose
On a standard airless system, the hose is 15 metres long. This enables the decorator to keep the pump in one place and reach all corners of the house. Hoses can be bought in various lengths, and shorter hoses are recommended for working in a small space.
The hose is pressure tested to 12,000 psi and is stiff and inflexible, especially when under pressure. To make spraying more effortless, you will need to add a whip hose (a short flexible hose) between the hose and the gun.
3. The gun
The gun is just a way of turning the flow of paint on and off using the trigger. The gun has a filter in the handle that makes sure that no large particles block the tip. The tip is inserted into the gun, which converts the paint stream into a spray. The tip determines the fan width and also the quantity of paint that is sprayed. This makes setting up the gun really easy as the tip does all the work; there are no knobs or dials.
Airless paint sprayer equipment checklist
We’ve created a simple table with all of the essential airless sprayer equipment you need.
| Equipment | Purpose |
| Airless sprayer | uses a high-pressure pump to spray paint. The pressure you will spray at will range from 1000 to 2500psi when it comes out of the tip – enough to atomise it without air.
Some of the sprayers that we love to use include the Tritech, Graco, and Wagner sprayers, but there are plenty of great air sprayers on the market across different price ranges. |
| Cleanshot valve | We call it the swiss army knife. This fits on the end of an extension pole to prevent spitting. An extra valve at the end of the pole shuts off the flow of paint as you release the trigger at the gun. |
| Diaphragm pump | A pump design uses a flexible membrane and pulsating hydraulic fluid to produce pressure, different from the piston pump. |
| Electronic pressure control | Regulates the pressure electronically rather than mechanically to provide more precise control. |
| Fine finish tip | A specially designed tip for atomisation on surfaces where a better finish is needed, such as doors and skirting. |
| Orifice | A tiny hole (measured in thousandths of an inch) in the tip that the paint passes through. Shown by the second part of the number stamped on the tip, e.g. 517 is a
17 thousandths of an inch orifice. The size of the hole controls the amount of paint sprayed on the surface. The bigger the hole, the more paint. |
| Packings | Material used to make the piston liquid-tight and therefore build pressure. Needs changing every couple of years. |
| Pole | An extension pole screws on the end of the gun to give more reach. Available in several sizes. Can be used to paint ceilings or to make spraying walls easier. Can be screwed together to give extra reach if needed. |
| Pressure roller | A roller that fits on the end of an extension pole and is fed paint by the airless sprayer. Eliminates the need to keep dipping the roller in paint and, in theory, creates less overspray. |
| Return tube | The smaller tube that returns the material back into the paint container when the pump is in prime mode. |
| Spray tip | Slots into the tip guard and is the business end of the airless sprayer. Controls the fan width and the amount of paint sprayed onto the surface. These wear and need to be changed when done. |
| Throat seal liquid | AKA “TSL.” A lubricant that is placed in a small cup at the top of the piston to keep the packings wet and lubricated. Needs to be done every four hours of continuous use. |
The benefits of airless spraying
Decorators use airless spraying equipment for a number of reasons:
- Speed – using a paint sprayer is much faster than traditional brush and roller methods meaning you can get more jobs done in less time
- Profit – Completing more jobs to a high standard in half the time quite simply equates to more money
- Finish – When you know how to use a how to use a sprayer correctly, you can get a stunning finish, especially on woodwork and kitchen cabinets
- Ease – It is much easier to spray a ceiling than roll it, and spraying skirting is much easier on your knees than brushing them
- Fun – Spraying is just a lot more fun. We see decorators enjoying themselves again once they’ve mastered how to use a spray gun
Watch our video on how to make spraying even easier:
Airless spraying courses with Paint Tech
If you want to know how to use a paint sprayer so you can enhance your skills and grow your business, sign up now for one of airless paint spraying courses. Whether you’re new to the trade and want to learn the basics or are interested in advanced skills like UPVC Spraying or HVLP Equipment, our professional courses teach you all you need to know.
You can also apply for CITB Funding to cover the cost of your course or take advantage of sole trader discounts. Talk to Paint Tech now to find out more, or book an airless paint spraying course today.
