5 useful tips on how to prepare your sprayer for winter

The sprayer is one of the key machines in any farm, and spraying is undoubtedly one of the main spring events and its timely implementation provides your crops with the protection they need to develop to the maximum their potential.To avoid unpleasant surprises during spring spraying, we share with you 5 useful tips to help you make it easier to tune the sprayer for the winter.Tip 1: Clean the sprayerCleaning the sprayer involves cleaning inside and outside the machine. Proper cleaning helps prevent premature rust and corrosion. The outside of the machine is best cleaned with a water jet and Berthoud's ALL Clean preparation. It is used in a ratio of 100 l. water/2.0 l. concentrate, which allows you to make 250 l. solution with one tube of 5 liters of concentrate. Internal cleaning takes place in several steps:

1. Emptying all tanks of solution - in Berthoud sprayers with a Berlogic control panel, this is done by enumerating functions with numbers from 1 to 4.
2. Remove the filter
3. Filling the tank with clean water and cleaning solution. Berthoud's advice is to use All Clear detergent, which is used in a ratio of 100 l. water/0.500 l. concentrate, which allows you to make 1000 l. solution with one tube of 5 liters of concentrate.
4. With the solution, the tank is washed by going through all the functions of the Berlogic (Dualelec) panel of Berthoud as the last function should be spraying and the solution from the tank must be sprayed through the nozzles of the rods.

After completing steps 1, 2, 3 and 4, the spray system of your sprayer is already cleaned.Tip 2: Check the condition of the sprayerAfter cleaning the sprayer, it is nice to check its condition - see if there are any cracks on the paint or scratches disturbing the coating. So you will prevent the appearance of premature rust or corrosion. In addition to the metal parts of the machine, it is good to inspect the tank and its integrity, as well as the condition of the cabin in self-propelled machines. We recommend that you also check the nozzles after the end of the season.Tip 3: Winterize the sprinkler systemAfter cleaning and inspecting the sprayer, the tank and the water system should be filled with non-freezing liquid to protect the pipes and tank from freezing during the cold months.Berthoud's advice is to use the All Winter* preparation after the following way:The clean water tank is filled with a pre-prepared non-freezing solution. With the engine running at low revs, go through all the functions of the control panel - from number 1 to number 4 (valid for Berthoud sprayers) to clean the system well, the last function to be turned on is spraying number 5. Do not forget the funnel for mixing detergents and its function for washing the tubes. So it is sprayed until the concentrated solution begins to come out through the spreaders on the rods. If the sprayer has a continuous circulation system this will happen within 10-20 sec., and if there is none, it may take a little longer. Thus, from Berthoud they ensure that the sprayer can overwinter frosts down to -25^owithout any damage to the pipelines. *The All Winter preparation is not aggressive to seals and does not react chemically with residues of plant protection references, which guarantees good winter storage of your sprayer.It is used in a ratio of 15 l. water/10 l. concentrate, which gives you the opportunity with one tube of 10 liters of concentrate to make 25 l. solution for protection at - 25° С Tip 4: Take care of the sprayer storageThe best place to store the sprayer in winter is in a dry and closed room. Regardless of where you choose to store your machine — indoors or outdoors — all openings on the machine must be closed to keep insects and other contaminants out of it. From Berthoud recommend the use of a protective acticorrosion sprayto protect metal parts on bars and chassis (such as bolts and joints) that are not protected with anti-corrosion paint or otherwise.If you own a self-propelled sprayer, you only have one step left to be completely ready for winter.To complete the winterization process of the sprayer, it is a good idea to remove the battery. We also recommend that the machine be with a full tank of fuel to avoid the formation of condensation in it. Tip 5: Order the spare parts you need in advanceWe at NIK recommend that you order the spare parts you need in advance in order to save time in the spring from re-checking the condition of the machine, so you will be prepared to start spraying immediately, without wasting time preparing the machine for work at the last minute. Also, now is a convenient time to test your available nozzles for wear and order new ones next season.Contact us if you have any questions or recommendations regarding the preparation of sprayers for the winter period.