Finding leaks on inflatable boats.

[paulajayne]

Have spent a lot of time over the years with soapy water and a brush trying find leaks I tried some snow foam I have in stock (used for detail my cars).

Worked great as you can hit the whole boat in one go. Big leaks show up easily and small ones a little later as the foam settles down.

https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/gb/groceries/demon-snow-foam---ventura-gun-2l?dclid=CL6Kl7-j0NsCFTE10wodiDUOaQ&langId=44&gclid=CjwKCAjwgYPZBRBoEiwA2XeupXOKCsqGE3JHiWyTOVXg_VVSYHMvUbdzGTcF4eykWykml0KZlXH4MxoCp9MQAvD_BwE&storeId=10151&krypto=ca3uG4Hg4ngnW1VAcqzJr2HY8Jy0jGe22cGiwJtSqBK%2BIEimgpXKLTea2%2FNr2zESROrgx9EPn%2Fd2dvh3vFnXtKLu2USjOFFkCvJ82PASGbI6fWDbFSUgwpOvqYwKnjBenY9AbOL0Vrq6yniGd3exLAbQd0TG9qP5sHYhdlVhomthksa3EPLVYEABSgqySkU2gvdF99AdSdb0tRjbjN0rToCz4Fu2dztrtfLPkMZ3H8n%2BfcY7%2Fixzk4NEdJXxzG5datGLREiIBFy1QIj7l3YEQw%3D%3D&ddkey=https%3Agb%2Fgroceries%2Fdemon-snow-foam---ventura-gun-2l


Worth a few pounds to save hours.

Once leaks have been glued wait a day or so, inflated back up to normal pressure and foam again to confirm fix.

 

[Ruffles]

I found I could locate leaks by hearing on our old inflatable. Even leaks that would take a day to noticeably deplete the dinghy. You need to be indoors.

Didn't do me much good as it became clear that it was the glue that was failing. No complaints - it was probably 20 years old!

 

[PetiteFleur]

Sounds like a good idea - I'm trying to find leaks in an old inflatable and tried the soapy water but to no avail. It pumps up ok but goes down a little overnight, now almost half flat after 2 days. I think I'll try it.

 

[MikeBz]

The HP floor of our Bombard inflatable loses pressure slowly - too slowly to find the leak, but fast enough to be annoying. It's soft after a week or so, unusably so after a fortnight. I took it to a repair place but they said if it only needed air every week that was pretty good for a HP floor and weren't able to help... I wonder if snow foam would help in this case? I've tried soapy water but it hasn't helped at all.

 

[sgparkin]

The HP floor of our Bombard inflatable loses pressure slowly - too slowly to find the leak, but fast enough to be annoying. It's soft after a week or so, unusably so after a fortnight. I took it to a repair place but they said if it only needed air every week that was pretty good for a HP floor and weren't able to help... I wonder if snow foam would help in this case? I've tried soapy water but it hasn't helped at all.

My HP floor stays hard for weeks. Deflating after a week isn't normal. Having tried several methods for slow - usually pinhole - leaks I now use clingfilm. Wet the area to be tested and then cover with clingfilm - smooth out as best you can. You can do this in patches or do the whole area with a few lengths. Any small leaks will show up as a "blister" in the clingfilm - easily checked by flattening it out and watching it reappear. With this method I've found some that you can't hear/feel or detect with soapy water.
For a HP floor though you can just leave it in place - partially fill the dinghy with water and trace the bubbles - inverting the floor if necessary. Sometimes it's<script src="https://adservice.google.co.uk/adsid/integrator.sync.js?domain=www.ybw.com" ></script><script >processGoogleTokenSync({"newToken":"FBS"},5);</script> leaking from the valve.
If you've got multiple small leaks, or can't find any (and you're sure the valve isn't leaky) then you can try Sealflex - https://www.polymarineshop.com/product/sealflex-500ml