Auto Inflate LifeJacket Fail

[Offgridone]

Time to replace the inflator, but I wouldn't worry too much if one turns out to be a bit more over. I once serviced a friend's LJs. All the inflators were 5 or 6 years out of date, but went off with a satisfying pop when dumped in a bowl of water. The date's pretty conservative, to cover the maker, and assumes less than optimal storage conditions.

The cylinders last indefinitely. Do a visual check - any rust or other damage and they're out, and weigh them. Mine have a minimum gross weight stamped on them (different for each cylinder) and, as long as they're over this, they're fine, but you need scales that are accurate to a gram. I use Milady's digital cooking scale.

As for the rest, a good visual once over - any damage worse than a dirty mark on the bladder or fraying of the straps and they're out. Blow 'em up, preferably with a pump, but I understand modern jackets won't come to any harm if you use your mouth, as I've done with mine for years, and there shouldn't be any sign of deflation after 24 hours. Put 'em back together, screwing the bottle in firmly. Getting everything to lie tidily can be a fiddle, but can be done with persistence rather than force, then they're good for another year.

Thanks For your help on this thread, I've ordered a new life jacket today and a two service kits for my seago''s.

 

[Offgridone]

On a sea survival course we were asked to bring our normal lifejackets and if we wanted to, to test them when jumping into the pool. Two out of the six auto inflated. Four were loose and two had gone off at some point without inflating the jacket and subsequently been tightened up anyway.

That's bloody frightening indeed.

Like everyone else we all put trust in life jackets even if someone is a good swimmer or not.

Even in muddy waters I have read of many deaths of boaters, to be honest most were carbon monoxide poisoning.

 

[Stemar]

Are you sure a kitchen scale is accurate enough?

Only needs to be accurate enough to tell if the gas is in there or not or +/- 33g or 38g. The gas can't be part there. So accurate to 5 or even 10g would be fine.

That's my reasoning as well. I suppose that there's a theoretical risk that you could have a very slow leak that's just started, but you'd have to be incredibly unlucky and it would need some sort of physical damage that should be visible.

The thread reminded me to give my LJs a once-over, so they're now sitting on the dining room table, inflated, and Milady's scale, from Aldi or Lidl, seems pretty good, weighing the bottles consistently a gram or so over the minimum gross weight and pretty close to the minimum less the gas for an empty one.

 

[Jaguar 25]

My preference is to use a buoyancy aid. I know that they won't turn you onto your back but they will always float. But then I am a lake sailor.

 

[prv]

Milady's scale, from Aldi or Lidl, seems pretty good, weighing the bottles consistently a gram or so over the minimum gross weight

Mine does the same, on every bottle and every time. I think the transducers - no doubt cranked out by the million by one Chinese factory and used in all everyday scales - are quite sufficiently accurate for this purpose.

Pete

 

[Dazzajohm]

Years ago I was trained by crewsaver to service life jackets for the job I was doing at the time and I used to spot test the auto inflates. A very high proportion failed to activate when immersed in water.

When it came to replace the canisters we always used a bit of locktite to stop them coming loose.

 

[prv]

I used to spot test the auto inflates. A very high proportion failed to activate when immersed in water.

What type - Hammar or UML - and what was done about it when you reported this alarming discovery?

Obviously I haven’t tested anything like as many as you, just the expireds from one boat with six jackets, but in ten years of doing so I’ve never had one fail to go off.

Pete

 

[Foolish Muse]

This is all just another reason why I shun auto lifejackets completely. My old style, foam filled lifejacket, will work absolutely, even though it has been sitting on my boat for 14 years with nary a glance. Sure it's not pretty, probably covered in mold, but if I ever put it on, I just know that it will keep me afloat. I truly believe that auto lifejackets are a high-tech method of poorly solving a low tech problem that had been solved years ago.

 

[Bav32]

+1 for a drop of locktite on the threads. Done this for years at the annual service.
Never had one go loose , but they can be hard to unscrew ( for weighing etc) but i think that's worth the extra effort.

 

[alan_d]

I truly believe that auto lifejackets are a high-tech method of poorly solving a low tech problem that had been solved years ago.

I think you have identified the potential superiority of inflatable lifejackets over solid ones in your comment "... if I ever put it on". Solid flotation aids of sufficient buoyancy to be useful are too cumbersome to be worn routinely. Also, your faith in the efficacy of foam-filled jackets may be misplaced - see the MAIB report on the loss of the fishing vessel Louisa in 2016 https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/597867e5e5274a402b000004/MAIBInvReport17_2017.pdf

 

[[70521]]

After a lot of research I bought a new hammar LJ this summer. It is even more comfortable than the jackets that I have had on the boat for the last five years. One of the things that sold it for me was the cylinder was inside the bladder and designed not to unscrew.

While the boat is not coded I take safety seriously and get Crewsaver to service all the jackets each year.

 

[Ruffles]

...
This doesn't apply to UML and similar types where the inflator body remains attached to the bladder and the auto cartridge and cylinder unscrew from it. Those can be done in either order.

That's a very good point! If the seal on the Hammar inflator fails then you wont even be able to inflate the jacket manually. I believe the UML inflators have a non-return valve so you can unscrew the bottle.

 

[prv]

That's a very good point! If the seal on the Hammar inflator fails then you wont even be able to inflate the jacket manually.

I've only ever experienced a slow leak from here, which could be topped up with a couple of breaths every few hours, so in practice you'd be fine for as long as you were conscious enough to do that. Then you'd have a few more hours before enough air had escaped to seriously compromise buoyancy. In UK waters through most of the year, I'm not sure you'd still be alive by the time the last of the air trickled out.

Still, I obviously don't want to be putting jackets with even a slow leak back in the locker, hence doing the inflation test last after disturbing the inflator.

Pete

 

[Dull Spark]

Following a most useful (and educational) discussion with Richard at RT Supplies, https://rt-supplies.co.uk/
I ordered and have just received new actuators and cylinders for my life jackets. Richard was patient and helpful in guiding me through a fairly complex set of options. Great service! And of course, no relation to me.

Again, I would encourage others with indicators on their LJs to check them regularly. Mine was, in effect, just excess weight around my shoulders!