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foam brush air adjustment

Jimmy Buffett

Active member
Once again I am forced to show my ignorance. The air adjustment on my foam brush goes from 0 to 120 with the slightest touch. I assume it needs to be replaced but I'm not sure what it is called. It looks like what the catalog calls an unloader but that doesn't sound right to me. Apparently the 5 year mark is where you get to learn a lot about you Jim Coleman pump bench. Can somebody tell me what I'm looking for?
Thanks again,
J
 
Regulator's are used to control air pressure and will normally have a gauge. Needle or flow control valves are used to control air flow rates. I am not familiar with Jim Colman benches but if it have a gauge it is most likley a regulator. Unloaders are normally used for fluid and control how much fluid is by-passed back to the supply side of a pump.
 
I agree with ryko.
I dont know about JColeman equip...
I use a mini filter + regulator unit to regulate the pressure of the air that I mix with my FB, and I use a second one to regulate the air that drives the flojet pump for the FB liquid. The part# at kleen rite is REN201FR, at least there you can see a picture. I add a pressure gauge to it, because ... well, because I can be anal. :) You dont have to have a gauge, and technically you could get away with just the regulator (REN2214). I do also use a needle valve to then get fine control over the air flow rate. (Note: air & liquid T together at the top of my boom.)
 
I've had the best luck with the Speedaire regulator, part # 4ZM08 from Grainger. With the Norgren you have to mount it with the drain at the bottom, but you should have an oil/water separator on your system already.
 
I think u are talking about a parker regulator. I have a SuperSaver and I replaced those with a 1/8 parker regulator. I change only the black plastic part. Just turn it counter clockerwise.
 
Jimmy;
All those MINI style regulators go bad after a while 5-years is about right. Inside those things is a spring to a rubber diaphragm on a needle. The spring is coated steel and will corrode after awhile. That's why the adjustments jumps like that. Just pull them and replace them Speed air (graingers) is a good one

Zack
 
ONECard said:
All those MINI style regulators go bad after a while 5-years is about right.
Moisture causes them to fail. If the systems are adjusted and maintained properly, and the regulator is fed with clean, dry air, they last much longer than five years.
 
Moisture causes them to fail. If the systems are adjusted and maintained properly, and the regulator is fed with clean, dry air, they last much longer than five years.

I have 8 or 10 of them in service for about 15 years now, no problems. Some Parkers, some Norgrens.
 
I think part of the problem with corrosion on the Coleman system is back feeding of product through the air line. When someone kinks a low pressure hose long enough the product will slowly backfeed until it reaches the regulator and leaks out.
 
cfcw said:
I think part of the problem with corrosion on the Coleman system is back feeding of product through the air line.
Yes, and this is what I meant by "adjusted properly." I've even seen some systems with no needle valves on the air side at all, so the air pressure has to be set below 10 PSI. If a foam brush hose gets pinched, liquid can with some regulators run back to it. Most air regulators were not designed to have moisture through them, ever.
 
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