Almost everyone of us has to dispense a chemical onto a surface from time to time. When people need a sprayer, they often turn to pre-mixed trigger sprayers found on the cleaning cart or in the grocery store. There are some benefits to trigger sprayers. They are inexpensive and ready-to-use as soon as you buy them; however, they are inefficient and create a lot of waste over time.
Trigger sprayers for occasional use may be a suitable option, but if you find yourself spraying regularly, pump sprayers might be the better choice. Pump sprayers are safer, reduce plastic waste, and are more efficient.
Chemical Spray Drift
Chemicals produce droplets when sprayed that can land on surrounding surfaces or blow back into a person’s face. This is called spray drift . The occasional spray drift won’t cause serious or long-term consequences, but chemical spray drift can impact human health and the environment over long periods. Droplet size is a major contributor of chemical spray drift. Larger droplet sizes, which are achieved with lower pressure, can help reduce chemical spray drift.
The pressure cannot be adjusted on trigger sprayers. Trigger sprayers have a single mechanism to disperse chemicals by depressing the trigger, so there is no way to control the droplet size on most trigger sprayers.
Pump sprayers afford more control. Because pump sprayers pressurize through a pumping motion, the user can control a sprayer’s pressure and produce a spray with a larger droplet size. The pump-to-pressurize mechanism on most pump sprayers serves a variety of functions but also enhances chemical safety.
How far a chemical has to travel can also reduce chemical spray drift. Agricultural spraying employs spray booms to spray closer to the ground to help reduce spray drift from pesticides. A spray wand can achieve the same effect1.
Saves Money on Chemicals and Reduces Plastic Waste
So much of modern packaging is plastic, including throw-away trigger sprayers2. Trigger sprayers are convenient but disposable, creating excessive plastic waste. With growing concerns over single-use plastic, pump sprayers are an ideal alternative to trigger sprayers because they are reusable and durable enough to last for years and contribute much less plastic waste than single-use trigger sprayers.
Pump sprayers are more cost effective in addition to producing less waste. Sprayers pre-mixed with chemicals are easy and convenient but are more expensive over time. It costs more to buy a well-built sprayer and chemicals in bulk upfront but offers greater savings in the long-run. Pump sprayers are constructed better and come with features that enhance safety, efficiency, and durability. For example, features like adjustable nozzles allow the user to change the spray pattern based on their needs. Changing the spray pattern enables the user to achieve a more precise application, thereby reducing wasted chemical.
Efficient, Further Reach
Many pump sprayers have standard long wands and optional accessories, such as extended wands, to help users spray in hard-to-reach areas. Wands and optional extended wands are common in sprayers with larger tank capacities, but even some smaller pump sprayers have standard extended wands.
This makes it easier to spray in cracks and crevices or tall areas, which most trigger sprayers cannot do effectively. Another benefit of wands is safety. Wands create distance between you and the chemical. On the other hand, trigger sprayers are close to your hands, so any residual mist might land on your skin.
An Investment
If you spray chemicals regularly, a pump sprayer is a good investment. A pump sprayer is safer, move environmentally friendly, can save money on chemical waste, and is more efficient than a trigger sprayer.
[2] https://www.npr.org/2021/07/12/1015296355/zero-waste-single-use-plastic-trash-recycle