How to Maintain Your Misting System

As with any other electrical equipment or appliance, one of the most important factors for lengthening its useful life is proper maintenance. While your provider can conduct regular service checks, it is still part of your responsibility as the end-user to check your misting system from time to time to ensure that it is in top working condition.

Maintaining your misting system is relatively simple. In general, you only have to do these three things:

1. Clean the nozzles

As you use your misting system, minerals and rust slowly form and accumulate in the pipes, even if your system has a built-in filter. So water flow won’t get restricted, you have to clean the nozzles from time to time. The best way to do this is to manually remove them by hand and let them stay in a solution that is specifically made for dissolving minerals. You can find one in a hardware store. Follow the solution manufacturer’s recommended soaking time. After that, rinse the nozzles and briefly turn on the system in order to remove any residue.

2. Inspect for leaks

If you see that there is water running off or collecting near your misting system, then you most probably have a leak. If a leak is suspected, the first thing that you should do is go back to step 1. That is, clean the nozzles. If cleaning the nozzles does solve the issue, then you should go ahead and check the rest of the misting system to spot where the leak is coming from. Pay particular attention to the fittings and lines. If you do see a leak, you can fix it or replace it. Parts are usually available in the nearest hardware store or from your misting system provider.

3. Maintain the pump

This section does not apply to low-pressure misting systems. If you are using a mid or high-pressure system, keep in mind that your equipment will last you many years if you take good care of the pump. Pump maintenance basics include changing the filters and oil change. You should also read the owner’s manual that comes with your misting system so you would know how to do pump maintenance properly and when to do it.

Changing the filter is usually as simple as unscrewing the housing, taking out the old filter, and replacing it with a new one. The frequency of this maintenance step depends on what kind of water runs in your misting system. If your household has very hard water, you can opt for water conditioning in order to minimize clogging.

Changing the oil is done by unscrewing the oil cap, draining the old oil, and then filling the pump with the right kind of oil. Depending on the model, the first oil change should be done after about 50 hours of use and every 500 hours thereafter.

There are other pump models that require even more maintenance, such as checking their regulators, seals, valves and switches. Refer to your misting system’s manual or contact your provider to make sure that you are not missing anything.