Why should you never increase pressure to compensate for wrong nozzle size?

Why should you never increase pressure to compensate for wrong nozzle size?

• A. Causes insufficient coverage
• B. Causes excessive wear and increases drift
• C. Reduces nozzle life
• D. Improves uniformity

Answer: (B)

Raising system pressure to “fix” a wrong nozzle size changes the spray in ways that undermine both performance and equipment life. The nozzle size sets the droplet size for a given pressure, so if the nozzle is not matched to the pressure, increasing the pressure to compensate will produce finer droplets and a higher exit velocity. Finer droplets are more prone to drift, meaning more off-target movement and less precise coverage. At the same time, the higher velocity and flow accelerate wear on the nozzle orifice and internal components, shortening nozzle life. Because the goal is to achieve the intended coverage with the correct droplet size, cranking up the pressure to compensate for a mis sized nozzle leads to both excessive wear and increased drift, making it the correct reason.

Raising system pressure to “fix” a wrong nozzle size changes the spray in ways that undermine both performance and equipment life. The nozzle size sets the droplet size for a given pressure, so if the nozzle is not matched to the pressure, increasing the pressure to compensate will produce finer droplets and a higher exit velocity. Finer droplets are more prone to drift, meaning more off-target movement and less precise coverage. At the same time, the higher velocity and flow accelerate wear on the nozzle orifice and internal components, shortening nozzle life. Because the goal is to achieve the intended coverage with the correct droplet size, cranking up the pressure to compensate for a mis sized nozzle leads to both excessive wear and increased drift, making it the correct reason.