Parts of a Sprayer – Pump and Backpack, Labeled

All 14 parts on the diagram

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Hand-pump sprayer 10

Tank It holds the liquid, with air above it. Pumping packs more air in and builds pressure.
Nozzle The tip that breaks the liquid into a spray. Many can be turned from a mist to a stream.
Wand The stiff tube that carries liquid to the nozzle. It gives reach. Also called a lance.
Hose A flexible tube from the tank to the trigger handle. It lets the wand move freely.
Trigger The lever on the handle. Squeezing it opens the shut-off valve and the spray starts.
Pump handle The handle on top of the pump rod. Pumping it up and down pressurizes the tank.
Pump cylinder The tube the piston slides in. It reaches down inside the tank from the neck.
Piston The disk on the end of the pump rod. Each downstroke pushes air into the tank.
Pressure relief valve A valve that lets air out of the tank. It opens if pressure rises too far.
Suction tube The tube liquid rises through. It reaches from the outlet to the bottom of the tank. Also called a dip tube.

Backpack sprayer 4

Lid The wide screw cap over the filling opening. Some manuals call it the tank cap.
Strainer A mesh basket in the filling opening. It catches grit before it can block the nozzle. Also called the tank filter.
Shoulder straps Two padded straps for carrying the tank. It rides on the back like a backpack.
Pump lever A long lever at the side of the tank. Rocking it up and down works the pump inside.

How this list was compiled: Part names checked on 2026-10-01; a name is kept only when two independent sources use it. (1) A maker's safety and operating instructions for tank sprayers, https://archive.org/details/manualzilla-id-6412932 (Tank, pump handle, pump cylinder, piston and plunger, pressure relief valve, pickup tube, hose, discharge valve, spray wand, nozzle tip.) (2) A second maker's manuals for a home and garden sprayer and a backpack sprayer, https://archive.org/details/manualzilla-id-7037844 and https://archive.org/details/manualzilla-id-7037373 (Tank, funnel top, pump handle, pressure release, suction tube, hose, trigger and trigger lock, wand, nozzle, filter, lid, shoulder strap.) (3) A third maker's manual for a backpack sprayer, https://archive.org/details/manualsbase-id-581924 (Its parts location figure: tank, pump, lid (cap), shoulder strap, hose, wand, nozzle; also pump lever, pump handle, pump cylinder, piston, shut-off valve, built-in strainer.) (4) A fourth maker's user manual for 16 and 20 liter backpack sprayers, https://archive.org/details/manualzilla-id-5909762 (Tank, tank lid, tank filter, pump lever, pump cylinder, piston, pressure chamber, pressure relief valve, suction tube, hose, lance, nozzle, straps.) (5) Bureau of Indian Standards, IS 1970:1995, Crop protection equipment: hand-operated compression knapsack sprayer, https://archive.org/details/gov.in.is.1970.1995 (Its definitions and figure: tank, filler ring and strainer, pump cylinder, piston rod, handle, pressure relief valve, dip tube, delivery hose, cut-off device, spray lance, nozzle, straps.) (6) Wikipedia, English edition, Sprayer, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sprayer (A sprayer's tank, pump and nozzles.) No maker is named. Licence: own work

The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-10-01 from plain geometry; own work, no maker's model copied. Licence: own work

How it works

These are the parts of a garden sprayer worked by hand. The first view is a hand-pump compression sprayer with its tank cut open. The second is a backpack sprayer, which is pumped with a lever as you walk.

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A hand-pump sprayer

The pump handle pushes a piston down the pump cylinder, which forces air into the closed tank. That air pressure pushes the liquid up the suction tube and along the hose. Squeezing the trigger lets it through the wand to the nozzle, which breaks it into a spray. The pressure relief valve lets air out of the tank.

A backpack sprayer

The tank rides on the back by its shoulder straps. Liquid is poured in through a strainer that sits in the filling opening, and the lid screws on over it. One hand works the pump lever at the side while the other holds the wand.

Wand and lance are two names for the same tube. The manuals read for this page use one or the other.

Questions and answers

What are the parts of a sprayer called?

A tank, a pump with a handle, cylinder and piston, a pressure relief valve, a suction tube inside the tank, a hose, a trigger that works the shut-off valve, a wand and a nozzle. A backpack sprayer adds a pump lever and shoulder straps.

What is the long tube on a sprayer called?

The wand, or lance. It is the stiff tube between the trigger handle and the nozzle, and it lets you aim the spray away from yourself and down at the ground.

What does the pressure relief valve on a sprayer do?

It lets air out of the tank. It opens by itself if the pressure rises too far, and on many sprayers its knob can be pulled to let the air out by hand.

How does a backpack sprayer differ from a hand-pump sprayer?

A hand-pump sprayer is pumped up first and then carried and sprayed. A backpack sprayer is worn on the back and pumped with a side lever while you spray, so the pressure stays up.