Nobody likes throwing cash away, but I’ve seen a lot of spray foam installers fail to get the remaining chemical out of the drums, which is basically the same thing. Letting the last few gallons in the drum go to waste is no different than underbidding projects or using too much material on a job. That said, here is a way to make this a lot easier.
Combining drums can be a frustrating task. It seems so simple, but can turn into a mess if you aren’t careful or don’t have the right tools. I’ve struggled with funnels, cussed out filters and buckets, even spilled gallons of material on the floor, but out of the pain came a great solution. Check out this month’s Tech Tip video for an inexpensive and simple trick to pour up drums efficiently.
First off, always make sure that the material you’re pouring out is the same material as the one you’re pouring into. You can find that info on the label, along with the date of manufacture. Remember, the B side has a shelf life of 6 months and A side is 12 months. Storage conditions are imperative for you to control. Keep the material between 70-80 degrees and air tight.
Secondly… Do it right away. I cannot stress this enough. The longer the chemical sits the more likely you will have problems with it. My best advice is to spray some out of a fresh set of spray foam, and when you have made some room at the top, go back and combine the used drums into the new set. If you don’t, and you wind up storing it somewhere, be sure to look into the drums beforehand or filter the material if you’re suspicious. I’ve seen too many clogged filters because one of the ISO drums had sat too long and crystallized, or the B drum bung was open the whole time it sat idle, allowing dust and debris to make its way inside.
Whatever you decide, be safe, wear gloves, glasses, and cover your skin. And have paper towels and rags handy. Being a spray foam insulation contractor has enough challenges and risks. Nobody wants to make pouring up drums a bigger event than it needs to be. So before you dispose of those drums, make sure they are empty. Pour them up using this safe and handy tip. Watch our video here.
If you have any questions about this tip or the maintenance/operation of your equipment, reach out to your local IDI salesman or service tech, we want to help you grow your business!
If you found this helpful, please like and share it. If you have questions you would like answered, we would love the feedback or any suggestions for tech tips you would like to see in the future. See y’all down the road!