Paint Pressure Pots & Paint Pressure Tanks – A complete Buyers Guide
Paint Pressure Pots come with a variety of benefits but also have limitations. If you need help determining if a paint pressure pot would be well suited for your painting needs this buyers guide will provide details on paint pressure pots prices, quality differences, and features to consider. If you need additional help on choosing a paint pressure pot vs other options like airless consider this article.
Paint Pressure Tank Features – What To Consider
The first step in considering the purchase of a paint pressure pot is deciding what options you may want. Depending on the manufacturer and quality of the paint pressure pot you may have options for the number of regulators, type of regulators, whether the paint pressure pot has agitation, the material the paint pressure pot is made of, and even the pressure rating of the tank. Here are some helpful tips on choosing the right features to match your application for your paint pot.
Paint Pressure Pot Regulators
Options that can be added, depending on the brand of the paint pressure pot include whether there are 0 or up to 2 regulators. Additionally, you may be able to choose between extra sensitive regulation or standard regulators. Two regulators provide the opportunity to change your fluid pressure and your spray gun air pressure all at a single source. Two regulators allow for rapid adjustment of your painting settings and is ideal for a majority of applications. A single regulator will limit control at the pressure pot to just fluid pressure. This can be a good option if you are using the pressure pot only to control fluid volume or if you have an air regulator at the wall that you may prefer to use. Extra sensitive regulators allow for greater precision in adjusting the paint pressure pots fluid or air pressure. This can be beneficial when you’re working with thin coatings, like stains, that may need only very low pressures to achieve ideal results when being sprayed.
Paint Pressure Tank Agitation
A second option to consider is whether you may need agitation for your paint pressure pot. Agitation will help keep coatings that tend to separate after they are mixed in suspension. This can be important for a variety of different coatings with specific examples including zinc and stains. Common options for paint pressure pots agitation include direct drive or gear reduced agitation. The primary determinant of which agitation may be right will depend on the amount of material and the viscosity of the material. High volumes of material (above 5 gallon paint pressure pots) you will typically want to consider a gear reduced agitator as it will not wear rapidly under the excess demand that is created from the materials weight. You may also want to use a gear reduced agitator if the paint you spray is highly viscous, (like zincs) then you will typically want a gear reduced agitator even for smaller volumes of paint at a time. If you do not have high volumes of paint or you spray low viscosity materials a direct drive agitator will be fine for your painting needs.
Paint Pressure Pot Materials
Another option you may have with your paint pressure pot is the material it is made from. Common options include galvanized metal, stainless steel, or aluminum. If you will be using water based you want to consider stainless steel or potentially aluminum, though stainless will resist corrosion best. In addition to the material that your paint pressure tank is made from you will want to determine the quality of the design of the tank. High-end paint pressure tanks will be made with an ASME certification guaranteeing their ability to properly handle a certain volume of pressure or suction being placed on them. The ASME rating may vary depending on the paint pressure tank.
Paint Pressure Pot Sizes
Paint pressure pots may range in size from 2 gallons up to 30 gallons or more. You will want to consider how long your paints pot life is (meaning how long until it can no longer be properly sprayed due to it solidifying). If you have a short pot life you will typically consider a smaller size (like a 2.8 gallon pressure pot). If you need portability the smaller size pot will also work well. If you want to be able to paint for a long time before needing to add additional material, you may consider a larger paint tank.
Paint Pressure Pot Accessory packages
After you have decided on the features that may make the most sense you may also evaluate if the manufacturer offers any accessories with the paint pressure pot. For example, Binks offers Paint Pressure Pot Outfits complete with a spray gun and the fluid/ air hose you need. This provides a perfect solution for smaller painting jobs. Additionally, you can often get a spray gun that may cost $240 – $490 included at a price that is much less than the parts of the package would cost individually. A final accessory that can often be valuable are liners that are able to be thrown away, these liners are typically anti static so that their is less risk of a spark being created. The liners allow for quick change out of colors and/ or easier clean up of your paint pressure tank when you are done with your spraying
Paint Pressure Pot Price Differences – Why they Exist
A paint pressure pot may range in prices from $60 up to thousands. The differences you will get in these paint pressure pots are that top of the line paint pressure pots will allow you to use them for 20 years or more without problems. They will also actually tolerate the pressures they are rated for. Additionally, they will be completely rebuildable from the regulators to gaskets that seal the paint pressure pot. The lesser cost pressure pot may not tolerate pressures well and may only last a handful of uses, especially at higher pressures, before having to be thrown away. These are a few of the common reasons that paint pressure pots will vary in price.
Ultimately a paint pressure pot is an investment. By considering your application needs and the features that may make sense you can better be ready to select a paint pressure pot that will meet your need well. You can also consider why prices may vary and better decide on what is important for you. If you need further information you can contact us today.