How To Bleed Your Pump

To begin bleeding the container at the inductor, ensure the container is centered beneath the inductor to minimize mess. Place shop rags around both bleed ports to catch any material that may escape. Lower the inductor onto the container so it is parallel with the top, but avoid engaging the material yet. Prepare the inductor by removing the T-handle and opening the inductor vent valve by rotating it until it is parallel with the fitting body. Use a small screwdriver to clean some of the grease from the valve. The cleaning doesn’t need to be perfect, but it will help prevent material from shooting out when the bleeding process starts.

Using the ram control lever, slowly lower the inductor into the container. Use a feathering technique to maintain control and wear safety glasses for protection. Look into the T-handle bleed port without placing your face directly above it. When material begins to emerge, rotate the ram elevator lever to the stop position, reinstall the T-handle, and clean up the material with a paper towel. For moisture-cure materials, such as urethane or certain adhesives and sealants, stop the ram just before material exits the bleed port and reinstall the T-handle to prevent the material from acting as a thread locker.

During the bleeding process, you may need to adjust the ram pressure setting. Note the original pressure setting before making adjustments. Higher pressure will press harder on the material, causing the ram to move faster, while lower pressure will result in slower movement. Pressure adjustments can be particularly helpful when working with materials that are very thick or thin.

Next, check for air at the inductor vent valve. Rotate the ram elevator lever to the “ram down” position. When you see a steady stream of air-free material coming from the valve, rotate the inductor vent valve knob until it is perpendicular to the fitting body. If your material has curing properties, clean up any material immediately to prevent it from hardening on the inductor plate or in the valve. If material flows out too quickly, causing waste, decrease the ram regulator air pressure until this part of the procedure is complete. At this point, the container should be properly bled.

To bleed the pump, first ensure the pump is off by either pressing the pump shut-off button or turning the red pump shut-off knob. Reduce the pump regulator air pressure to almost zero, then open the pump bleed valve by turning the knob half a turn. Hold a rag, paper towel, or container under the bleed valve to catch the material. Once the material begins to flow, turn the pump back on and slowly increase the pump regulator pressure until the pump cycles at a rate of about once every two seconds.

When material starts flowing, the pump will slow as it builds pressure. Gradually increase the pump air pressure until a slow, steady stream of material emerges from the bleed port. If air is still present in the system, you will hear air bubbles popping as they escape through the bleed valve. Continue bleeding the system until you no longer hear air bubbles for at least three to four seconds. Once the air is fully removed, close the bleed valve and readjust the pump regulator to its original setting. If done correctly, the pump should now be fully bled and ready for operation.