Today I am going to talk about why your pump is pumping slow Part 2. In the previous blog Part 1. I showed you what causes your pump to pump slow and how to fix it 8 out of 10 times. In this blog I will be talking about another extremely common cause of the dreaded slow pumping pump. This will be a short post and hopefully educational for someone encountering this issue.
After you checked the screen in the end of the oil dispensing handle and it did not fix your slow pump. The next thing you are going to do is disconnect the air line you have going to your pump. Most of the time it will be a quick disconnect and if its not, the person who installed it probably wont be the guy fixing it or he has never done a job such as this. There should always be a ball valve, a quick disconnect, and an air regulator at the minimum where the air enters your pump. Once you get the air line disconnected, hook a blow gun up to the end. If you have barely to zero air pressure coming out the end of the blow gun you have a plugged air line. If this is the case I will assume you also have a water problem in all the airlines in the shop. how to fix this, replace the section of airline that is going to your pump. Open your wallet and invest in an air drier, your employees and your shop equipment will thank you.
If you hook your blow gun up and you have full pressure coming out the end, check this. Many quick disconnects the male part have a screen built into them. In theory its a great idea to keep particles out of tools and pumps but if you have metal airline and a water problem these screens get plugged with debris. Unscrew the male end quick disconnect and try to look through it. If its clogged you will know. Simply replace it or stick an awl/ or small screw driver through it to clean the debris. reinstall the air line and you slow pumping problem should be gone.
Any time you remove the air line from your pump it is a good idea to squirt a little lube in there to keep the seals sliding smooth. If Your slow pumping problem is not fixed at this point you will now have to point your focus on the pump its self. I hope this tip saved you money and helped your shop stay pumping strong
Yours truly
