Flushing Out the System
One of the most common reasons rigs come in for repairs is lack of hose recirculation of material or not flushing the material lines, causing a buildup of iso crystals; ultimately damaging hose lines and potentially other equipment. In order to prevent buildup when your rig is shut down for an extended amount of time, recirculating or flushing out the system is imperative. Here, our tech experts share the items needed and steps involved in flushing the material hose connected to your proportioner.
You will need:
- 5-10 gallons of Dyna lube and Hydraulic Fluid (depending on hose length)
- Two 5-Gallon Buckets (or one per pump)
- Screens for straining
- Hydraulic Fluid
Step 1: Remove your pumps from the material
When removing your pumps from the drum, drain any excess material from the pump into the material barrel and lay the pump on a piece of cardboard to protect the floor. Clean off excess material with carb cleaner. Repeat with any other pumps.
Step 2: Store your pump in Dynalube
Once clean, fill one bucket with Dynalube and place the pumps in one of the buckets.
Step 3: Flush your machine
Use a small mesh screen on the second bucket to catch loose debris, turn your machine heaters on while the machine is flushing with Dynalube. Catch any debris with the mesh screen.
Step 4: Repeat if necessary
Repeat step 3, as necessary, for heavy build up on your machine.
Step 5: Flush with Hydraulic Fluid
Repeat step 3 with hydraulic fluid. Remove pumps from buckets when complete.
Step 6: Final cleaning
Clean the pumps once more with carb cleaner and place them in a tub holder with Dynalube or replace back into the material drum.