12v inflator pump for dinghy - any good

[VicS]

I bought one recently. its connector is clip on type to tyre valve there are a few small size adaptors with it but my dinghy has a much larger fitting that you push in and turn to secure, my problem is that I cant find an adaptor/ any tips pls.

You dont say what make your dinghy is but look at Polymarine https://www.polymarineshop.com/valves/

 

[Applescruffs]

Sounds like you’ve got a ‘high pressure-low volume’ pump only suitable for tyres and footballs etc . Hence the small nozzles .

You need the opposite ,ie: ‘ low pressure-high volume’ type of pump suitable for air beds etc.

Cheers

 

[jac]

I bought a fairly cheap £30 ish model. Own internal battery, charges from a cigarette lighter or from mains. Will inflate our Zodiac 3.1 Airdeck about 5 times on one charge but not fully. It always needs maybe 2-3 minutes with the bravo hand pump to get it properly hard. We could hve have spent about 6 times as much for an electric one that would take to the correct pressure but couldn't justify the cost.

Definitely worth it

 

[BelleSerene]

I bought a fairly cheap £30 ish model. Own internal battery, charges from a cigarette lighter or from mains. Will inflate our Zodiac 3.1 Airdeck about 5 times on one charge but not fully. It always needs maybe 2-3 minutes with the bravo hand pump to get it properly hard. We could hve have spent about 6 times as much for an electric one that would take to the correct pressure but couldn't justify the cost.

Definitely worth it

I just bought this for inflating a couple of paddle boards. For £40 it plugs into cigar socket and inflates up to 15 PSI. (Don’t use anything like that pressure on your dinghy or you’ll burst it!). Just dial up the pressure you want and leave it.

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/0-15-psi-12v-electric-pump-id_8387582.html

I’m going to see if I can glue together an adapter from the dinghy Rule pump to one of its nozzles, so I can use it to inflate our Zodiac tender.

 

[robertj]

If you are going to buy a power pump then its worth getting a decent one otherwise you may as well not bother. I've had one of the LVM cylone pumps for years, it does the job but a high pressure dinghy with airdeck floor will always need topping up by hand or foot pump with that pump and it always seemed a lot of work even with the pump.

Last season I bought one of these Bravo dual stage compressor pumps http://www.youngsboatyard.co.uk/product/1459/Bravo-Superturbo-BST-12HP-Electric-Pump, it has a cyclone for the volume and then automatically switches to a piston compressor pump for high pressure.

It's amazing, just plug the airline into the dinghy, dial in the pressure required and press the start button. The dinghy inflates to working pressure in no time and then the pump stops.

We can blow my 2.8m zodiac airdeck up and have it in the water in less than 5 minutes. Now we have moved the the West Country and use the dinghy much more it's proving invaluable, otherwsise I would seriously be considering fitting davits.

The pump does need a decent battery connection but you can get high power cigar lighter connectors that are suitable.

Where can you get the high power ones as I keep blowing fuses on mine?

 

[pathfinderstu]

You dont say what make your dinghy is but look at Polymarine https://www.polymarineshop.com/valves/

Thanks for that will give them a call. I guess if those boys havnt got one no one will....:encouragement:

 

[pathfinderstu]

Sounds like you’ve got a ‘high pressure-low volume’ pump only suitable for tyres and footballs etc . Hence the small nozzles .

You need the opposite ,ie: ‘ low pressure-high volume’ type of pump suitable for air beds etc.

Cheers

Hmmm you may well be right but it does indicate on the packet that its suitable for inflatable boats as well as tyres etc.//

 

[jac]

I just bought this for inflating a couple of paddle boards. For £40 it plugs into cigar socket and inflates up to 15 PSI. (Don’t use anything like that pressure on your dinghy or you’ll burst it!). Just dial up the pressure you want and leave it.

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/0-15-psi-12v-electric-pump-id_8387582.html

I’m going to see if I can glue together an adapter from the dinghy Rule pump to one of its nozzles, so I can use it to inflate our Zodiac tender.

That looks ok.

My only concern with something like that was the length of cable from the battery to a suitable socket and then from the socket to the actual pump. IIRC I needed about 6 metres to just get the pump on deck and with the draw that the pumps had I needed a fairly chunky size wire to avoid too much voltage drop, hence going with the rechargeable.

 

[BelleSerene]

That looks ok.

My only concern with something like that was the length of cable from the battery to a suitable socket and then from the socket to the actual pump. IIRC I needed about 6 metres to just get the pump on deck and with the draw that the pumps had I needed a fairly chunky size wire to avoid too much voltage drop, hence going with the rechargeable.

Yes, I understand. Your rechargeable idea may be best. I had already put a 12V socket in the cockpit, wired with decent fat cable and a circuit breaker of its own from the domestic battery, for use with the Rule dinghy pump:

 

[jac]

Yes, I understand. Your rechargeable idea may be best. I had already put a 12V socket in the cockpit, wired with decent fat cable and a circuit breaker of its own from the domestic battery, for use with the Rule dinghy pump:

View attachment 71721

I think that's the gold standard installation. Ours was tricky as it was centre cockpit boat so a long run needed to get to the aft deck where any inflation was likely and difficult to hide the cable for some obvious installation locations so went for the easy option!