Testing inflatable lifejacket, strange result

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SvenH

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I test my lifejackets each year, inflating them to check if they hold air for 24 hours.

One did not but I found that I could tighten the nut that holds the canister to the vest could be tightened a bit.
It then held well for over 48 hours and then started losing air.

For some reason I wanted to test again. Floppy within hours!

The only thing I can think of that could cause this behaviour is that the vent in the mouthpiece is obstructed.
Has anyone experienced this and found a solution?
 
Don't bother looking for a solution. It will always be in the back of your mind that it might fail when you really need it,
so replace it.
 
Some things should be repaired, some shouldn't. Seeing as the only time you will actually need a life jacket is when you'll really, really need it, why mess around? Bin it, buy another.

Your life may depend on it.
 
Sven

why not try immersing the LJ into a deep bath of (warm :) ) water? Then any leak source(s) should show up. Whilst an LJ is mission critical, there's no reason why a competent repair should not be trusted.
 
rosssavage said:
Your life may depend on it.
Click to expand...

There seems to be a tendancy for people to trust solutions they bought off the shelf.
I in fact did this with this very vest.

When I checked it after the first season I found out I had been trusting a vest with a loose co2 cartridge....

Over the years I have come to trust my own jugement above everything else.
I sail a wooden boat that I maintain myself. I put my trust in my own abilities everytime I go out sailing.

So yes, I will throw out this vest if I do not trust it.
But I also want to know why it behaves as it does, as the test results point to something other then a puncture.
If I can find out why it leaks and trust my ability to fix it, I will keep using it.
 
This problem - I have heard - seems to stem from the practice of test inflation by orally blowing them up and introducing moisture and bacteria which, over the months or years, results in a mould detrimental to seams, seals and any little nook and crevice where a fungus can survive. Better to use a pump.
 
allanc said:
This problem - I have heard - seems to stem from the practice of test inflation by orally blowing them up and introducing moisture and bacteria which, over the months or years, results in a mould detrimental to seams, seals and any little nook and crevice where a fungus can survive. Better to use a pump.
Click to expand...

Crewsaver have repeatedly published statements that this is not a problem for their lifejackets, nor for anybody else's that they are aware of. PBO nowadays tends to make the same point every time they write about lifejacket testing. It used to be a problem for old war-surplus Mae Wests made of natural rubber, and the idea has far outlived its relevance.

In fact I do inflate my jackets with an old dinghy pump - it's less effort and I don't like the idea of growing mould inside as a matter of general cleanliness. But it won't actually harm the structure of the jacket. Crewsaver's instructions specify "by mouth" to avoid people causing damage with inappropriate pumps and too much pressure.

Pete
 
Pete/prv, thank you for that clarification. I also agree with the point about replacement if there is a failure in test and with the desire to find the cause of failure. If manufacturing is faulty or if material has failed then feedback to the supplier is valuable.
 
I removed the cartridge mechanism and found that the tightness of the nut/bolt is irrelevant to the vests capacity to hold the contents, there is a one way valve that contains the co2 inside the vest.

Thanks for pointing out the non-problem of blowing "by mouth". This is actually the first time I use a pump.
I have inflated again and this time it has at least stayed full for the last few hours.

Fingers crossed...
 
simonfraser said:
use a solid buyance aid, will keep you afloat, provided you're still concious.
Click to expand...

I tend to agree with you in that I keep buoyancy vests on my boat and tend to use them more than inflatables. This partly because we seldom wear a jacket and the vest can keep you warm around the torso. Plus insulate you from bumps.I like the fact that they are reliable despite abuse and age. The one I wear is home made. However our regulatory requirments are moving towards the inflatable LJ as being mandatory to at least carry. So provided you can easily find the infaltion cord (I am not so confident) or have auto inflation then most people seem to rely on infatables (even more so in UK) good luck olewill
 
William_H said:
I tend to agree with you in that I keep buoyancy vests on my boat and tend to use them more than inflatables. This partly because we seldom wear a jacket and the vest can keep you warm around the torso. Plus insulate you from bumps.I like the fact that they are reliable despite abuse and age. The one I wear is home made. However our regulatory requirments are moving towards the inflatable LJ as being mandatory to at least carry. So provided you can easily find the infaltion cord (I am not so confident) or have auto inflation then most people seem to rely on infatables (even more so in UK) good luck olewill
Click to expand...

I'd love to see someone walking around with a 250Newton solid buoyancy aid - Monsieur Michelin would have had nothing on it ;-)
 
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