PMC Equipment hopes spray foam insulation contractors and polyurea coatings contractors are not experiencing significant long-term or short-term shutdowns on their spray foam insulation proportioners and polyurea coatings equipment. Unfortunately, shutdowns have been the reality for some! Keeping spray polyurethane contractors working and up and running is #PMCEquipment ‘s focus. However, PMC has prepared a best-practices method for both short and long-term shutdown procedures of your spray foam proportioners, just in case. This way, when you are working again, the start-up process is seamless.
Tools needed – Below is a list of helpful tools for a short and long-term plural component proportioner shutdown
- 50-50 DOP (Pump Lube) and DPM (gun cleaner.) Approximately 2 1/2 gallons of each, five gallons total.
- Two, five-gallon pails.
- TL-3, calibration tool
- Two PVC sleeves
- Proper PPE
Temporary shutdowns – such as lunch breaks: Use proper PPE!
- Set Pump Switch (See Figure 6 on page 15) to the OFF position. PH-2 Manual, Classic Manual
- Turn both “A” and “R” Heaters OFF. Hose Heater should remain ON. Never leave Proportioner ON if unattended.
- CLOSE Spray Gun Manual Valves. CAUTION! Excessive force opening or closing the Manual Valves may damage the Manual Valves and/or Coupling Block.
Short-term Shutdown Procedure – this procedure is acceptable for up to two months: Using proper PPE is essential.
- Using a mixture of 50-50 DOP (Pump Lube) and DPM (gun cleaner.) Approximately 2 1/2 gallons of each, five gallons total. Place 2 1/2 gallons of the mixture into 2, 5-gallon pails.
- Remove transfer pumps from drums, wipe clean of any residual chemical on the outside, and place it into the five gallons pails containing the flushing mixture.
- Using tool TL-3, calibration tool, attach to the coupling block and direct into two five-gallon waste containers. If TL-3 is not available, disconnect the coupling block and flush through the hoses.
- Reduce hydraulic pressure
- Turn on the air to the transfer pumps, open up the ball valves, and set the machine to NORMAL, and the pumps will cycle. Components A and B are flushed from the hose once the machine runs. The mixture of Pump Lube and DPM should begin to appear.
- Bring the heated hose assembly back to the 2, 5-gallon pails containing the mixture of flushing chemicals and continue to recirculate. Increase the hydraulic pressure so that the velocity of the chemical increases. The rate of the chemical recirculating through the machine flushes out any residual A and B components that may be in the pre-heaters, pumps, and hoses. Continue to recirculate for about 10 minutes. No heat is needed.
- Remove the transfer pumps from the five-gallon pails containing the flushing agent, clean any residual chemical from the outside of the pumps.
- Properly dispose of used flushing agents.
- Use five gallons of clean DOP and place two and a half gallons into two clean five-gallon pails.
- Place transfer pumps into the pails containing clean DOP.
- Reduce hydraulic pressure on the machine. Turn the air to the transfer pumps, open the ball valves, set the spray foam machine to NORMAL, and slowly run the system until clean DOP comes out of the A and B hoses.
- Close the manual valves on the coupling block. Leaving some pressure on the machine is OK, 300 psi or so. Turn off the air to the transfer pumps, close the ball valves.
- Store the transfer pumps in an upright position in a PVC sleeve containing clean pump lube. The PVC sleeves should also be fitted with bung adapters to lock the transfer pumps and keep them airtight.
Long-term Shutdown Procedure or Winterization Procedure – this procedure is acceptable for longer than two months:
- It is recommended that the DOP be allowed to remain in the lines for 24 to 48 hours.
- Then, repeat step-two
- An additional amount of clean DOP is flushed through the spray machine.
- This shutdown procedure is acceptable for six months.
- If re-circulation lines are being used, those lines should also be flushed and capped with the DOP.