In this article
This guide condenses Section 7.0 of Clemco Manual 22501 — troubleshooting for 2–20 cuft Classic blast machines with TLR-100/300 pneumatic remote controls. It identifies the likely cause; always refer to the manual's service sections before opening anything up.
1. Safety First
When troubleshooting: turn off the compressed air and lockout/tagout the air supply. When a check requires air, always enlist a second person to operate the control handle while you hold the nozzle securely, pointed in a safe direction. Never strap the control handle lever down in the operating position.
2. Abrasive-Flow Problems
Clemco Manual 22501 — Classic Blast Machine with TLR-100/300 Remote Controls (Rev I)| Symptom | Check, in order |
|---|---|
| Nothing exits nozzle (machine pressurized) | Nozzle obstructed — depressurize, wait for the pop-up to drop, remove and check the nozzle. Then confirm the metering valve and choke valve are both open. |
| Air only, no abrasive | Metering valve closed or needs adjustment; machine empty; abrasive damp (clear per the choke-valve procedure); obstruction in the metering valve. |
| Heavy abrasive flow | Choke valve not fully open (handle must be in line with the piping); metering valve open too far. |
| Abrasive surging | Moderate surge at startup is normal. If it continues: reduce the metering setting; check the abrasive trap and exhaust muffler for blockage — slow depressurization loads the blast hose with abrasive and causes surging at startup. |
| Intermittent flow | Moisture in the machine or air supply — drain the compressor receiver and the machine's air filter; persistent moisture may need an aftercooler or air dryer. Abrasive may be too fine or worn from recycling — replace it. |
Table 1 — Abrasive-flow symptoms and causes, from Sections 7.1–7.5 of the manual.
3. Machine Does Not Pressurize
Work through these in order:
- Compressor ON and all air-supply valves to the machine open.
- Safety petcock on the inlet valve closed.
- Rubber button on the control handle in good condition and sealing the opening when the lever is pressed.
- With the lever up, air should escape from the opening under the lever. No air escaping means the 1/16″ orifice on the inlet valve is blocked, or the line from the orifice to the handle is blocked.
- Press the lever and listen for leaks at the handle, control lines, and fittings — once the handle is pressed there should be no air leaking anywhere in the controls or machine.
- Open the petcock and press the lever: the same volume of air should exhaust from the petcock as before the lever was pressed. If not — check for a sealed-off handle opening, control-handle leaks, a blocked line to the inlet valve's upper fitting, or a split diaphragm (diaphragm outlet valve machines). If air volume is fine, the inlet valve itself needs service.
- Close the petcock, press the lever, and check the vent hole in the inlet valve's cylinder body — air escaping the vent means a worn piston or piston O-ring.
- Still nothing? Compressor may be too small for the nozzle, the air-supply hose or fittings undersized, the optional air filter element dirty, or the pop-up valve stuck / internal piping worn or misaligned.
4. Machine Does Not Depressurize (or Too Slowly)
- Abrasive trap screen blocked or trap full — inspect the screen and empty the trap (this should happen at least twice daily).
- Exhaust muffler blocked — inspect and service; replace the element body.
- If the machine does depressurize but control air remains in the lines: check the handle's pneumatic adaptor gasket for swelling, the exhaust opening in the handle for obstruction, the control hose for blockage, and the lower inlet-valve fitting — it must be the 1/16″-orifice fitting, not a full-flow fitting.
- If the machine does not depressurize: the inlet valve isn't fully closing or the outlet valve isn't fully opening — service the valves. On diaphragm outlet valves, a diaphragm that has taken a set toward the machine can be reversed.
5. Outlet Valve Leaks While Blasting
The outlet valve requires service — piston valves per Section 6.4 of the manual, diaphragm valves per Section 6.5. Common findings inside: worn piston cup, abraded piston rod, worn valve plug and washer, or a spring past its length spec (piston outlet valve spring is approximately 1-5/8″).
6. ACS Problems
- No abrasive in blast mode: confirm the machine contains abrasive, the metering valve isn't closed, and the ACS toggle points ON (away from the nozzle); then check the single-line hose and fittings from handle to metering valve for leaks or blockage; finally, the metering valve may need service.
- Abrasive doesn't stop in blowdown mode: the brass filter on the ACS switch is clogged, or the metering valve requires service.
Fix leaks, don't watch them. Nearly every remote-control fault traces to a leak, a blocked orifice, or a dirty trap/muffler. All three are cheap to fix — and all three get worse fast.