shurflo question

[rholman 14]

I need some help with what hose to use on my 1.8 GPM @ 100 psi shurflo pump. It seems like a no-brainer because the shurflo instructions says to use 3/8 or 1/2" hose on the inlet and outlet. Well I just received my 100' of chemical hose w/ gun combo from Envirospec. I naturally assumed that it would be 3/8" hose. Well, it came and it is 1/4". Should I switch my plumbing to 1/4" or am I stuck with hose that will end up hurting my shurflo over time? Since my GPM is real low I can see getting away with 1/4", but I wonder if anyone else has been using 1/4" hose. I also am curious whether I can use PVC air hose to run chemicals through. I have 100' of red air hose and that is 3/8". I like the hose because it has crimped ends(no hose clamps) and it came with my hosereel anyway. I use primarily sodium hydroxide & citralic acid. I also am wondering if i should get rid of the brass fittings that I used to connect the strainer to the inlet hose when I run chemicals through it. I definitely flush after every job, but realistically how long will brass last in a situation where the brass is submerged in sodium hydroxide or citralic acid. I just got done custom fabbing 2 spray carts for stain and chemicals and I just want to get it right from the start...thanks for your help!

[bigchaz 157]

Real nice setup there bro! Hose reel is a cool idea for that. Do you have a shot of the back of the cart by any chance?

[rholman 14]

I sure do....I didn't want to go with a marine style battery box because when i haul it in my truck i take the battery out to lift it in and then lay it down in the bed of the truck. So i used some plastic spindle material that i found and drilled matching holes for the battery posts to fit snug into, but it still covers the posts from anything that might fall from above...like a big ol' screwdriver! I've seen some ideas on the web, but wanted to make my own style cart. I am taking this same model and just raising the aluminum plate so i can fit a ~30 gallon chemical barrel for bigger jobs(for mixing all the stain at once instead of 5 gallon buckets at a time to ensure uniformity in color). i might switch to an inline strainer that does not fit in the bucket, but is immediately before the shurflo inlet. I am open to suggestions. Oh yeah... i will be using this unit in the winter to pump rv anti-freeze thru the lines because I don't trust using air to push the water out. that is why i have the jumper hose going from the pump to the hosereel quick-coupled.

[DannyH 14]

I have been thinking of building something like this for a while but i never considered using a hose reel.What brand is that and how much 3/8 hose will it hold.Thanks

[rholman 14]

I bought 2 at tractor supply Co......$59.99 each. The hosereels come with 100' of hose. I did get two different hosereels even though they had the same model #. One of the hosereels has 200' capacity....the other just 100'. Anyone using air hose for chemicals(PVC not rubber)?

Legacy is the manufacturer of the hosereels.

[MMI Enterprises 289]

yea..orange roof 1/4 250psi 100' on sale now at Harbor Freight $15 each.

Less stain in the hose is always nice via the 1/4. For chem and volume though I like the liteweight 5/8 pvc waterhose from Costco or Ace.

[rholman 14]

thanks for the info! I will probably use the 3/8" air hose for chemical then and the 1/4" for stain. any thoughts on if my strainer will hold up to chemicals as long as I rinse it out after each use? I tried using this red filter in the bucket, but it caused the line to collapse every time i turned on the shurflo. I guess it was too restrictive due to the smaller openings in the screen/strainer? not really sure why. just figured i would save someone the headache. I did remove the brass hose barb so maybe that messed up the flow in some way.

tankfilter.bmp

[bigchaz 157]

Strainer looks good to me. My mesh is a bit more spaced out, but havent had any problems with the brass on it yet. It turns dark from all the chemicals but hasnt started corroding yet. The mesh tore on mine before anything ever happened to the brass. I just popped a new one on there

[squirtgun 122]

I'll have 2 of those hose reels for sale soon.They will hold 200ft of 3/8" hose each.

[rholman 14]

cool! I won't even worry about it anymore. Peace of mind is priceless! Thanks for the info.

[rholman 14]

Squirtgun..... are those used hosereels? new? how much?

[MMI Enterprises 289]

Really depends on what your spraying and how much use you want to get out of it. Bleach will eat the metals up pretty good but thinners and lacquers will eat up the plastics just as quik or even quiker. Some say to not use mineral spirits for shurlo cleanup as it will eat the parts but then some stains can pretty much demand using it to clean it out properly. My take is that different tools/parts for different chems is a good way to go and so is keeping readily available/disposable fittings on your stuff.

Sturdy mesh cupped over end of uptake hose may suffice to keep things from clogging unless you go real strong with questionably mixed solutions of caustic or tsp. With the stains, most contaminants settle pretty quik so if your uptake hose is off the bottom you won't get clogged too easy. The one you got pictured is often used for downstreamers as they can be real finnicky on getting clogged. The hose collapse you noted is a trade off always worth a mention.

Am upto about 4 sprayers around here. My dual flojet sprayer has an uptake hose of about 3/4" that combines into a T. The large size of the hose allows me to slip a cut off hose end over it which then allows for slipping in a standard washer type screen mesh you would have on a pressure washer intake hose.