cleaning out expanding foam nozzles

anervoustwitch

i have several obvious gaps in my house that id like to fill with expanding foam. i dont expect that ill use anywhere near the whole can on the first go. instructions say to clean up unused material with acetone, but not much beyond that.

how do you clean out the nozzle so that the foam doesnt dry inside it?

Clutchcargo

For Great Stuff, you need to use the entire can at once. Hilti brand has a reusable nozzle.

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jerryh3

I think most cans now have a tip where you can bend the straw back and seal it. I don't know how long it will keep, but it won't dry out right away.

johnnyboy

I set the can aside and give it a fresh squirt into a garbage can every 30 mins or so to keep it from setting up, that still doesn't give you more than one night with it though....

Unrelated but, the GREAT STUFF straws are REALLY easy to break... broke one yesterday just trying to pull it off the celophane packaging on the can, and then another one by tightening it too much... ugh i always have extra cans floating around and can never find a straw.

Maintenance 6

If I plan to save a can, I always blow the nozzle tube out with compressed air immediately and clean the can tip out with a cotton swab dipped in acetone. That seems to work for me.

Mthrboard

If the foam has set up, you can use a length of 12 gauge wire to push the foam out of the straw. First you need to separate the straw from the trigger. It has a barbed end, and the straw should pull right off. The foam doesn't stick to the straw, so it should slide out in one piece. Clean the trigger the same way, re-assemble, then you can use the rest of the can.

Chemist1961

Or buy dap latex foam if it suits the application Much easier cleanup and better for reuse

Mr Chips

Easiest way is to remove the straw, turn the can upside down, point into an old cardboard box, and pull trigger for a couple seconds. Straw can be cleaned with acetone, or compressed air, or you can toss it and just use a piece of poly tubing next time. Hilti, Todal, Foam-o and others do make cans that take a reusable gun. the nice thing is you can use half a can, tighten up a screw on the gun and simply leave it for a day/week/month, then open up the screw and pick-up right where you left off. The downside is the guns ain't cheap, and once the foam does cure in them, they are pretty much imposible to salvage