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Hi there. I've got what I consider a problem, My tube has a slow leak somewhere in the bladder. I've tried low air pressure and soaking it in bathtub,regular air pressure in my hot tub and regular pressure in my bathtub with soap suds to locate the leak but no luck. I submerged the valve for 15/20 minutes to locate bubbles also went over all seams with a fine tooth comb and no luck. after 24 hours the tube is almost flat so the leak is not that small. Any help would be appreciated.
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Hi and welcome to the BFT message boards. A special howdy do from the float tubing board as well.
Most leaks will generally be from a seam on the bladder. A lower percentage will be from the stem itself. Certain stems are prone to leaks and some of them can be changed out. Please follow these simple intructions to the "Letter". It should help you and others that may have a similar problem.
1. First thing to do is remove the bladder completely from the tube.
2. Prepare a soapy water solution in a spray bottle by mixing at least 2ounces of dish soap with water and fill the bottle.
3. Inflate the tube to a moderately firm pressure. Be sure not to over inflate.
4. Spray the seams carefully from end to end watching even for the smallest of bubbles. Also spray some of the solution directly on the valve.
5. Spray some of the solutions over 1 entire side of the tube, inspect for bubbles, turn the bladder over and repeat for that side.
The amount of soap and water makes a difference on very small pin hole leaks. A moderate leak will not require as much soap.
Please let us know how you do. From there, we can guide you on intructions for patching, steer you in the right directions to find a replacement bladder or find out if the type of valve you have may have replacement parts available.
What is the make and model of your tube?? What kind of valve does it have?
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[cool][#0000ff]Hey Mr. Smooth, welcome aboard.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Most of us can sympathize with your frustration. I think we have all had those pesky leaks that leave us feeling "deflated". All I can say is don't give up until you find the leak. Here are a few more suggestions.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]1. Try to find a swimming pool...your own or a neighbor's. Bathtubs are difficult to get the whole air chamber in and to get complete submersion. Full air chambers are difficult to hold completely under water, but you can at least submerge sections at a time. And, having some bright daylight is better than trying to work inside under lower light conditions.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]2. Recruit some help. An extra set of good eyes, and some extra weight to push the air chamber under water, can help you get the job done easier.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]3. A new trick I heard about, but haven't had the chance to try, is to use a wispy marabou feather. Make sure it is very long fluffy fibre...and dry. Move it slowly just above the surface of the fully inflated air chamber. Also make sure you are in an inside environment, with no fans or air conditioning going. You should also hold the feather at arm's length and breathe sideways to avoid any air flow at all around the feather. It will only take a light stream of escaping air to flutter the fibers on the marabou.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]It is rare that you can't find a leak that is as great as the one you describe. To save some time, you can focus first on the areas where the leak is most likely.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]1. The valve. Many valves are subject to the parts sticking slightly, or at least losing some air under pressure. Some can be fixed. Others require replacement.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]2. Under the tackle pockets. Some of us "accidently" leave hooks or lure in our pockets, without securing them in lure boxes. Other culprits can be exposed knife blades or other pointy objects. Sharp points are not good for air chambers. (make a note)[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]3. The front top surface. If you fish for "spiny rayed" fishes, like sunfish, bass, walleyes, perch and the like, it is common to bounce them off the top front of your craft when bringing them in. There is an unwritten tubing law that says any fish that drops off your hook before you can grab it will fall onto an exposed surface of your tube FINS FIRST. I have had to repair a lot of pinhole leaks caused by bluegills or other nuisances.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]4. The ends...front or back. A lot of us set our craft down on parking lots or on the shoreline...end first. There are lots of small stickery things on the ground, from puncture vine seeds, to bits of glass, to fish hooks, etc. When I lived in Arizona, there were loose cactus spines everywhere, so we really had to be careful where and how we set our craft down.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]5. The under surface of the craft. Same as #4. The added puncture factor is that when we are launching and beaching our craft, we often drag it over mud and gravel. Again, lots of potential unseen pointy things.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]6. Seams. A well made craft, with strong modern materials, can still experience seam failure...minor or major. Sometimes it is a manufacturing defect. Other times it is "user error"...overinflating your craft or leaving it in a hot environment after inflating it to the max. Something's gotta give. The seams usually go first. A good, well-designed cover and a good fit of the air chamber within will help prevent bursting and large splits in the chamber walls. But, if there is even the tiniest weak point along the seams, overinflation will find it.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]None of us will be able to sleep at night now, until we know whether or not you have found and repaired the leak. Let us know where you found it and how you found it.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Hopefully you already know how to repair a leak, in the material on your air chamber. If not, there are some past posts on the subject in the Best of the Best section. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]PS...most of us swear by AquaSeal for repairing leaks in vinyl, urethane and butyl air chambers.[/#0000ff]
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I used a spray bottle with soap, no luck. Supmerged the tube with moderate air pressure in it,no luck. I twisted valve bent it to see if I could get any bubbles, no luck.
The tube is about 3yrs old now. I cant remember what model it is, it is a Stearns donut style, with mostly teal color and orange back rest. The valve is a screw closed style. The bladder is not round but more square shaped,being wider at the rear and narrows towards the front
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[cool][#0000ff]Well, you know there is a leak SOMEWHERE. If you can't find it under "moderate" pressure,you might need to fill it to the max. That has been the only way I could find a couple of tough ones in the past.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If the tube fully deflates within 12 hours, I would think that there would be enough air escaping to detect with the usual methods.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Good Luck[/#0000ff]
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