I have one of those air beds that you inflate when company comes to visit. Mine has developed a slow leak. How can I locate the leak so that I can patch it?
Let's assume that there's no way for me to submerge it in a bathtub or swimming pool.
Thanks in advance,
Sponge it down with soapy water......
Suzie-Q wrote:
maybe use soapy water, a sponge, and wet towel
sponge soapy water on one area at a time, use a tiny amount of soap, look for bubbles, wipe off with wet towel to remove soap, repeat till leak found
or maybe a stethoscope held to the mattress in a systematic pattern till you find the leak
never tried either so good luck
This is Turtle.
Well do as I do on some cases for looking for a leak on copper tubing. Get you a spray bottle from the kitchen left over from the windex or 409 stuff and put you some Mr. Bubbles you know the stuff for kids blowing bubbles in the air and air it up real good and take it outside and spray it all over in a pattern to cover every area and you will find it with Mr. Bubbles. If it is a small leak you will have to go slow to check it all over but you can find it this away.
TURTLE
if you pump it up pretty full then wet the back of your hand lightly run the back of your hand about 1-2" away from all the seams and see if you can feel the air coming out. if that does not work you are stuck with soaping down the whole mattress. Start with seams and points where the mattress flexes. There are usually little smiles ) in the corners and they tend to be where leaks form. You could have a puncture instead of a failure and that could be anywhere. If you have kids just pump it up and offer them 2 bucks to find the leak. Make sure it is not the cap before you start doing too much work!
Wayne
-> if you pump it up pretty full then wet the back of your hand lightly run the
-> back of your hand about 1-2" away from all the seams and see if you can feel
-> the air coming out. if that does not work you are stuck with soaping down
-> the whole mattress. Start with seams and points where the mattress flexes.
-> There are usually little smiles ) in the corners and they tend to be where
-> leaks form. You could have a puncture instead of a failure and that could
-> be anywhere. If you have kids just pump it up and offer them 2 bucks to find
-> the leak.
-> Make sure it is not the cap before you start doing too much work!
Thanks, Wayne. I think I'll try your idea first, before I get all soaped up.
If the filler cap is the usual "bottle cap" style and when removed leaves an opening an inch or so in diameter, I recommend that once you locate the leak you try patching it from the inside working through that opening. It's a lot clumsier than slapping a patch on the outside, but an inside patch will stay in place forever and not get rubbed off or blown off like an outside patch often will.
Once you manage to get the leaky spot centered under the filler hole, just cut a circular patch, smear it with vinyl cement and QUICKLY push it through the filler hole and smooth it into place.
I speak from experience, we use inflatable air mats like this one in our clinic:
From time to time the clinicians miss noticing that a kid is wearing a belt buckle and the mat gains another hole. When I used to patch them from the outside the patches came off quickly. On the inside, never.
Placing inside patches is a little like removing tonsils while working through the patient's rectum, but it's sure worth it.
Happy New Year,
Jeff
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