Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi,
I recently got a new "Garden Pressure Sprayer" at a reptile show. I got it for misting/humidity purposes. I also use it on my house plants. It is one of those hand held sprayers with a pumping mechanism built it. I have been having some problems with it. First off, when I got it, it took a LONG time to get rid of the "new plastic smell". Then, the pressure pump mechanism started to discolor and make the water smell. I think it discolored from the oil that was used on the pump rod. I then disassembled and cleaned the sprayer with soap and HOT water to get rid of the discoloration and smell. Now, the sprayer does not pressurize well. I think the hot water may have deformed the rubber O-ring on the plunger. Is this a likely assumption, or is their some other reason for the sprayers malfunction? The bottle of the sprayer has maintenance instructions printed on it. The first instruction is "Periodically apply a few drops of oil down the pump rod hole". What kind of oil am I suppose to use? I used a soybean oil based lubricant that is suppose to used as you would use a 3 in 1 oil. I think this oil might not be good for this purpose, as the discoloration of the pump occurred after I applied the oil. Someone suggested I use just plain vegetable oil, but I am not sure about it. The water smells and tastes like the oil, so I am worried if it could hurt my animals. Could the oil hurt my animals? I appreciate your patience in reading my post and I apologize if it was some what long-winded. Thank you, Josh

I forgot to mention that I really like what this sprayer can do. I would prefer to not got back to using a normal spray bottle. I have always had problems with these and they wear out way to fast. Thanks agian, Josh

From your description it sounds like you purchased a standard garden sprayer. I have had one of these for a few years. Sometimes it clogs, sometimes the seal at the top is not real good so there is a pressure leak, etc. Contact the manufacturer for a replacement seal. Also, I have never had to oil the pump, never. I would not want to spray any of my animals, their cages, etc. with a mix of water and oil. You may want to ask them about this when you get a replacement seal for the top. I would also check at Home Depot or Lowes for another model, possibly all plastic, oil free pump, etc.

using soap to clean it may be a problem - the soap dries and clogs....

If this sprayer had a bad seal as mentioned by another poster it's possible some of the lubricating oil could've been forced out of the pump into the water. I would try disassembling as much of the sprayer as possible and cleaning all parts thoroughly with Palmolive, primarily because it works well as a degreaser. Rinse everything thoroughly when you go to put it all back together. Most of those sprayers use a cylinder with a plunger inside to create the pressure for the pumping action. The bottom of the plunger typically has a rubber o-ring of some sort. Apply a film of petroleum jelly to that o-ring/seal before putting the pump mechanism back together. Hopefully that will make everything work better. If not, check out www.interlinksupply.com on this site they sell professional models of pump-style hand sprayers that can be completely rebuilt. They're more expensive but worth it.
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Matt Campbell

"I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in." John Muir

Use Dawn, not Palmolive. Dawn is the liquid that is used to degrease wildlife that's been injured by oil spills. It's strong but safe.
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Matt Campbell

"I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in." John Muir