Oil sprayer streaming instead of spraying: how do I fix it.

Factual Questions
1

We have a refillable oil spray bottle that we use to oil pots and pans. We like it because it allows us to use the oil of our choice, and the propellant is compressed air, (instead of propane, like Pam :eep: ) which allows me to spray oil on the BBQ grill without blowing myself into the next province.

Now, despite my modes efforts at cleaning the nozzle, we get a lazer-like laminar beam of oil instead of a fine even mist. Even when we pump it up to what feels like high pressure, based on pump resistance.

Can a knowledgeable Doper enlighten me on the mechanics of spraying / atomizing, and what determines how the oil behaves when it comes out? nozzle shape, pressure, what else?

Or, can someone tell me how to fix the darn thing? I’d hate to have to buy a new one , since this one is otherwise OK.

Thanks.
(Mods, if you feel this is more of a culinary, rather than fluid mechanics, question, please feel free to move to Cafe society.)

2

Sometimes a small particle gets into the spray hole through the feed tube in the container. Your likely out of luck. You can try to clean out the hole, but don’t be suprised when it makes it worse.

This is what trupa is talking about, but not necessarily this brand

3

I’ve got one, and it streams as well. I actually find adding a bit more pressure usually helps, then as the pressure drops, it streams again. I just put up with it.

Si

4

Just WAGing and I may be stating something completely obvious and irrelevant in this case, but have you tried twisting the spray nozzle itself? I haven’t seen a sprayer like you are describing, but I have several sprayers (admittedly designed for cleaning chemicals, not oil) where if I twist the nozzle one way I get a stream but if I twist it the other way I get a spray (and there is usually an off position in the middle). Could it possibly be something like that?

5

Thanks much, folks, for taking the time to reply.

Harmonious Discord, you are entirely correct, that is exactly like the one I have. I can’t see any particle in the feed tube, but it doesn’t mean there isn’t one there.

tanstaafl, it’s always safe to assume that my grasp of the obvious is often shaky. On your advice, yesterday while barbecuing, I tried spraying while rotating the nozzle in 60 deg increments until I did a full 360, but I still get my oil laser beam.

Makes nice flames on the grill though! (wish we had a singed smiley!)

I think I will try soaking it in very hot water and lots of dishwashing soap, but I wish I understood more about what makes a spray into a stream and vice versa. Somehow, we managed to miss that in fluid mechanics in school.

6

You’re thinking of a windex-style spray bottle. The OP is talking about something else (follow the link from HD).

7

The last resort is a needle in the spray hole, while the bottle is depressurised. You can end up with a perfect spray, a ruined sprayer or something inbetween.

8

I would try just water first. If you soak it in soap, you might not get all the soap back out, and that would be gross.

Pam has propane it it?

9

Unfortunately when I try the link I get a timeout for some reason, so I haven’t seen exactly what he is using yet. I assumed it could be something different, which is why I prefaced my comment as a possibly completely irrelevant WAG.

At any rate, I’m out of ideas.

10

Here you go:
Amazon link.

11

Ah, OK. That is different than what I was visualizing.

I will note though that there are four customer reviews on the site, and three of them say:

Sounds like a relatively common problem.