Rinsing the spray system on a drone after an  application

Important Note: Rinse the spray system the same day you spray. Product that dries or coagulates inside the tank and lines is far harder to remove, and in some cases can no longer be flushed out through the pump at all.

Residue does not have to be visible to cause a problem. What stays behind is not sitting in the bottom of the tank — it is in the pump, the spray bus, the lines, and the nozzles, where concentrated product holds until the next load pushes it out. Depending on what you sprayed and what you spray next, that shows up as crop damage from a chemistry the next field cannot tolerate, as two incompatible products gelling together and plugging the system, or as a tank mix that no longer performs the way it should. Rinsing is not cleanup at the end of the day. It is the step that protects both the next field you fly and the drone itself.

Use a triple rinse. Fill the tank with clean water, run the system, and spray the rinse water out through the nozzles — not out the drain. Running it through the nozzles is the entire point: it carries clean water through the pump, the lines, and the nozzle bodies, which is where the residue actually lives. A rinse that only empties the tank leaves every downstream component exactly as contaminated as it was. Repeat the fill-and-spray cycle three times. 

Water alone is enough for many products, but for anything that films, foams, or resists a plain water rinse, add a cleaning agent to the rinse water. Dawn dish soap works, and so does Erase tank cleaner.  When you use a cleaner, run at least one clear-water rinse after it so no soap or cleaner residue carries into the next load.

Do not run the pump dry. Stop spraying while there is still water moving through the system. Running the pump with nothing in it will damage it, and it is the most common way a routine rinse turns into a repair.

If the chemical has already coagulated — thickened, gelled, or settled into a sludge in the bottom of the tank — do not try to flush it through the system. Pushing coagulated product through the pump can damage it. Instead, remove the plug on the bottom of the tank and spray the tank out with a hose, letting the material wash out through the opening rather than through the plumbing. Once the tank is clear of solids, reinstall the plug and run the normal triple rinse to clean the lines and nozzles. 

Collect and dispose of rinsate according to the product label and your state's requirements. The rinse water still contains whatever you sprayed.

Stay Informed: Subscribe to the Agri Spray Drones Newsletter

How to Subscribe

Subscribing is easy and takes less than a minute:

1. Visit Our Website
   Go to www.agrispraydrones.com
2. Scroll to the Bottom of the Homepage
   Look for the “Subscribe to Our Newsletter” section.
3. Enter Your Email Address
   Type in the email address where you'd like to receive updates.
4. Click “Subscribe”
   Once you submit, you’ll be added to our mailing list and will start receiving valuable updates straight to your inbox.

Don’t Miss Out

Join thousands of ag professionals who trust Agri Spray Drones for the latest in drone spraying and precision ag.
Subscribe today — and let us help you take your operation to the next level.