I have a really great Avon inflatable which has really annoying slow leaks in the two main chambers (port and starboard). The bow and inflatable keel hold air fine. I'm thinking about trying the leak sealant that West Marine sells for about $40 ... just curious if anyone has any experience with this product? Does it really work? Any tips for using it? Thanks in advance for any comments. Gary
- Status
- Not open for further replies.
are you sure it's the fabric
Gary: Are you sure it is the fabric leaking? The inflatables usually leak thru the valves. I would try switching the valves around first. If this does not work then you should see if there are any signs of leaking on the outside of the fabric. These are very easy to repair with a patch kit. Just clean the spot throughly and follow directions on the repair kit. I would only use this sealant as the last resort.
Gary: Are you sure it is the fabric leaking? The inflatables usually leak thru the valves. I would try switching the valves around first. If this does not work then you should see if there are any signs of leaking on the outside of the fabric. These are very easy to repair with a patch kit. Just clean the spot throughly and follow directions on the repair kit. I would only use this sealant as the last resort.
D
david
Find the leak first
use a spray bottle and some soapy water, spray on the valves and on the fabric, where you see bubbles is the leak. If it is the fabric you'll need patches and good luck. If the valves check the o-seals, make sure the valves are perfectly clean, put a light coat of STP or vaseline on the seals, if the seals are damaged replace them.
use a spray bottle and some soapy water, spray on the valves and on the fabric, where you see bubbles is the leak. If it is the fabric you'll need patches and good luck. If the valves check the o-seals, make sure the valves are perfectly clean, put a light coat of STP or vaseline on the seals, if the seals are damaged replace them.
T
Tim Schaaf
Don't!
For what it is worth, I recently posed the same question to a friend who used to own one of the largest inflatable dealership/ repair centers in Southern California. You should see his work, it is beautiful! Anyway, he said absolutely NOT to use the stuff you are referring to, for a bunch of reasons. I didn't, so I can't give you a personal report.
For what it is worth, I recently posed the same question to a friend who used to own one of the largest inflatable dealership/ repair centers in Southern California. You should see his work, it is beautiful! Anyway, he said absolutely NOT to use the stuff you are referring to, for a bunch of reasons. I didn't, so I can't give you a personal report.
J
John K Kudera
Just bought some too
HI, I asked the repairmen at the Atlantic City boat show last month, he said he uses it too, Bottle says it will NOT seal seam leaks, and I did the spray bottle trick, and found some very small pinhole leaks,near the valve assembly that cannot be patched, I also installed all 4 new valves. This stuff will be my last resort, before I put the dink in the garbage! If it works, or not, I will post the results.
HI, I asked the repairmen at the Atlantic City boat show last month, he said he uses it too, Bottle says it will NOT seal seam leaks, and I did the spray bottle trick, and found some very small pinhole leaks,near the valve assembly that cannot be patched, I also installed all 4 new valves. This stuff will be my last resort, before I put the dink in the garbage! If it works, or not, I will post the results.
John K.
John: You may think that your dink is not repairable, but you can take it to a shop and they can fix them. If this is a hypalon unit, think about having it repaired. They can open the seam and patch the inside and then repair the seam like new. If you have a PVC unit, I am not sure it is worth the cost or trouble.
John: You may think that your dink is not repairable, but you can take it to a shop and they can fix them. If this is a hypalon unit, think about having it repaired. They can open the seam and patch the inside and then repair the seam like new. If you have a PVC unit, I am not sure it is worth the cost or trouble.
T
Tony Zambella
Fix a Flat
I have not tried this so ask around before you atemot this. I was told that Fix a flat repairs inflatables verry well. How i holds up ? I cannot say. This is just another piece of info out there. Maybe the others will tell us why/why,not?????
I have not tried this so ask around before you atemot this. I was told that Fix a flat repairs inflatables verry well. How i holds up ? I cannot say. This is just another piece of info out there. Maybe the others will tell us why/why,not?????
E
Ernie Tetrault
I had good results
I tried the stuff you're talking about and it worked great! Of course I tried the conventional way first, but couldn't find any leaks. I put a little less than half the bottle in each tube and "painted" it on the seams. No more water on the floor, and no more air loss. I'm curious why the expert in a previuous post said NOT to use it?
I tried the stuff you're talking about and it worked great! Of course I tried the conventional way first, but couldn't find any leaks. I put a little less than half the bottle in each tube and "painted" it on the seams. No more water on the floor, and no more air loss. I'm curious why the expert in a previuous post said NOT to use it?
- Status
- Not open for further replies.