Pressure Line Gauges

Pressure Line Gauges:

It is surprising to see that the vast majority of spray units only have one pressure gauge on them, and that this gauge is usually taking a pressure reading from before the solenoids, which is not a true indication of your nozzle pressure. There should be a gauge taking a reading from your boom feed hose AFTER the solenoids, and this should be done for each boom section to ensure that all sections are spraying at the same pressure.

Most solenoids have fairly low flow rates and are quite restrictive (compared to ball valves or motorised plunger valves). As solenoids wear, their flow rates can alter, which results in different rates going out each boom section, therefore under or over-applying chemical. A gauge on each boom section would enable you to recognise this discrepancy immediately and enable you to rectify the problem.

If you are using an automatic spray controller, these gauges are also a useful indication of nozzle wear, as the older your nozzles become the lower the pressure reading will be, although your applied rate will remain the same.