HVLP (High Volume Low Pressure) spray guns and sprayers are becoming increasingly popular with painting and decorating professionals for four key reasons: better health and safety, transfer efficiency, precision control, and cost effectiveness.
We’ll explore the advantages of HVLP spray guns in more detail but first what is an HVLP spray gun and sprayer?
HVLP (High Volume Low Pressure) says it all.
HVLP guns take up large volumes of air to direct and move the paint but atomise the paint at a low pressure.
This means the paint leaves the gun nozzle and hits the target surface at a much more gentle and controlled speed.
HVLP – Precise Control & Cost Effective
The result is an extraordinary degree of paint transfer efficiency — up to 80 or 90% with minimal overspray.
In other words you get great paint coverage with minimal waste. Thanks to the low pressures used with an HVLP gun (around 10psi) you can obtain highly professional results with an exceptional degree of precision and control.
Such an efficient transfer of paint with little wastage means an HVLP gun is a real investment especially when you’re working with expensive paints and coatings.
Remember that an airless sprayer averages around 50% paint transfer efficiency so an HVLP gun can potentially be 30 or 40% more cost effective.
The low level of overspray also makes clean up faster and easier. And an HVLP gun requires less prep work too — a real time saving on some of those intricate jobs.
HVLP – Better Health & Safety
This minimal level of overspray also makes an HVLP gun safer to use.
Yes, you should still wear safety equipment but the reduced fumes especially in enclosed spaces are better for everyone as well as the environment.
The lower pressures used in HVLP guns greatly reduce the risk of the severe skin injuries that are possible with airless sprayers too.
HVLP guns are also usually quieter thanks to their lower operating pressures. This can be a real boon especially when you’re working in tight spaces. And their more compact size makes them highly portable and less tiring to use for extended periods.
One of the few downsides with HVLP guns is that they don’t work so well with some high viscosity materials such as latex without thinning the coating first.
The more precise spray pattern also means that HVLP guns are slower than the higher pressure airless guns when spraying large areas.
Types of HVLP Spray Guns
There are two types of HVLP guns decorators use:
- Suction
- Gravity
Each of these variants has their advantages and disadvantages. Which one will be the best one for your needs depends on a range of factors including your level of experience and preferred style of spray painting.
HVLP Turbine Sprayers
HVLP turbine sprayers use a turbine rather than a compressor or piston to drive paint up into the gun or gun cup.
A higher number of fans (or stages) indicates a better turbine efficiency. Advanced professional models typically feature 3, 4 or 5 stages.
Good turbine design offers features such as heat and noise reducing technology as well as turbulence control to avoid blowing dust around the room.
You can reduce and control the pressure at the gun nozzle or by using a gravity cup. Turbine systems offer the same advantages as other HVLP sprayer systems including:
- Fine control and minimal overspray
- Safer, environmentally friendly spraying
- Easy portability
- Minimal prep and clean up time
You can couple a turbine sprayer with a gravity gun or a suction gun.
HVLP Suction Guns
HVLP suction guns rely on the more traditional gun design with a paint cup below the gun. Air pressure sucks the paint up into the gun.
Generally, suction guns require a lot more air pressure than a gravity gun to feed the paint into the gun so they may not be the most energy efficient.
You can still control the spray pressure at the nozzle.
And when combined with a high quality turbine sprayer you can get enjoy excellent precision and control for high quality results. Excellent manoeuvrability and portability make suction guns a very popular choice.
3 STAGE TURBINE - SUCTION
QTech3 Silver Pro HVLP 3-Stage Turbine Sprayer & Suction Gun
The QTech3 is a 3-stage turbine sprayer and another great product from the world-leading QTech family.
The 3-stage turbine is an efficient and powerful performer offering excellent durability, heat dissipation, and noise reduction design features.
We’ve made the most of the compact portability, efficient and powerful performance of the QTech3 turbine sprayer by packaging it with the SilverPro HVLP suction gun.
SilverPro HVLP suction gun specifications:
- Nozzle: 1.8mm
- Cup: 1 Litre capacity
- Warranty: 2 years
- Maximum working pressure (MWP): 0.45 bar / 6.5 psi
- Weight: 13.80kg
- Power supply: 240V
Wrench and cleaning kit included.
The QTech3 SilverPro HVLP suction gun package is ideal for spraying intricate areas such as interior trim and balustrades using a range of coatings including:
- Gloss and wood primers
- Cellulose coatings
- Solvent based top coats
- Wood preservatives and other similar coatings.
5 STAGE TURBINE - SUCTION
QTECH5 HVLP 5-Stage Turbine Sprayer & Suction Gun
The QTECH5 is a 5-stage turbine sprayer that offers exceptional performance to satisfy the demands of the most exacting professional decorator.
QTech is designed and manufactured in North America to meet the highest standards.
The 5-stage turbine provides powerful and effective performance along with outstanding durability, heat dissipation, and noise reduction.
We couple the exquisite QTech HVLP suction gun with the QTech 5-stage turbine for an amazingly flexible and powerful unit.
Specifications:
- Nozzle: 1.5mm
- Suction cup: 1 Litre capacity
- Maximum working pressure (MWP): 0.665 bar / 9.5 psi
- Weight: 14.80kg
- Power supply: 240V
- Warranty: 2 years
The QT-5 suction gun pack comes with a wrench, wet film gauge, and a 19-piece cleaning and maintenance kit.
A 7.5 metre hose plus a 2 metre whip hose provides exceptional reach and reduces the need for moving the unit while spraying.
The QT-5 and QTech HVLP suction gun package is ideal for spraying:
- Gloss and wood primers
- Cellulose coatings
- Solvent based top coats
- Wood preservatives and other similar coatings
HVLP Gravity Guns
Gravity feed guns hit the scene in the 1980’s and have become a highly popular choice for many professionals painters and experienced home DIYers.
HVLP Gravity guns rely on the weight of gravity to feed the paint into the gun. The paint sits in a cup that attaches to the top of the gun. Gravity ensures that the gun will use all of the paint in the cup.
The minimal air pressure required to atomise the paint makes gravity guns a great choice for those precision jobs where you want maximum control and minimal overspray.
Gravity guns are perfect for smaller jobs but may not cope so well with heavy viscous materials unless you thin them.
Gravity guns are a popular choice for professionals who use 2-Pack paints with a mix of acrylic and resin hardener.
The design of the paint cup reduces the likelihood of touching and spoiling already painted areas with the cup as can happen with the conventional cup underneath design.
Disassembly, reassembly and maintenance are simple and straightforward tasks.
5 STAGE TURBINE - GRAVITY
QTECH5 HVLP 5-Stage Turbine Sprayer & Gravity Gun
We’ve coupled the beautiful QTech gravity gun with the powerful QTech5 turbine sprayer for a truly powerful package that’s just perfect for the professional.
Specifications:
- Nozzle size: 1.5mm
- Gravity cup capacity: 600ml
- Maximum working pressure (MWP): 0.665 bar / 9.5 psi
- Weight: 14.80kg
- Power supply: 240V
- Warranty: 2 years
The QT-5 Turbine and gravity gun comes with a wrench, wet film gauge, and a 19-piece cleaning and maintenance kit.
It also includes a 7.5 metre hose plus a 2 metre whip hose to give you that extra reach and reduce the need for moving the unit while spraying.
The QT-5 and QTech gravity gun is ideal for spraying:
- Gloss and wood primers
- Cellulose coatings
- Solvent based top coats
- Water based top coats
- Wood preservatives and other similar coatings.
- 2-Pack paints
Nozzle Sizes
The size 4 (1.5mm) nozzle is standard with the QTech gravity gun and the suction gun comes with either the 1.5mm or 1.8mm nozzle but five additional size setups are also available.
The 1.0mm, 1.3mm or 1.5mm nozzles are ideal for any type of fine-finishing application.
For applications where you need a higher fluid output, such as for fast drying lacquers, you should choose one of the larger sizes such as 1.8mm.
Remote Pressure Pot for QTech HVLP turbine sprayers
This Remote Pressure Pot provides increased capacity and convenience for your QTech 3 or 5 Stage Turbine.
The generous 2.25L capacity offers twice the capacity of a standard gun and three times that of a gravity fed gun so you don’t have to refill when spraying larger areas.
With the remote pressure pot no longer attached to your gun you’ll really appreciate the reduced weight.
Less weight to carry and manipulate means it’s less tiring for your arm and wrist.
Without an attached pot the spray gun will fit into smaller places too and is able to spray at any angle, even upside down.
The Remote Pressure Pot assembly kit includes:
- 2.25L pressure pot plus adapter
- 1,800mm material fluid hose
- Quick-connect coupler
- Pressure tube
- Check valve and nipple caps
Choose Your Gun
Whether you choose to go with a suction or gravity fed gun HVLP guns offer truly precision, control, and efficient paint transfer.
It’s those qualities that make an HVLP gun coupled with a high-performing turbine sprayer that make this range the ideal tool for professional painters and decorators as well as keen DIYers.
You can purchase the guns separately or as a package with the turbine sprayer. HVLP, it’s the ultimate solution for intricate furniture, trim, balustrade or detailed painting or staining.
