How Often Do You Have to Add Air?

[ToZlo]

Hi Everyone,


This is my first post to this great website!

I recently purchased a refurbished Zodiac 340 LR inflatable. It seems to hold air for approx. 3 days before I have to firm it up again. The owners manual indicates this normal. I wanted to leave the dinghy at the cottage with a 15 hp 4 stroke motor attached...but find I cannot keep the motor mounted.... due to air loss. Is this normal for most of you or is my dealer giving the run around? I realize weather plays a factor, however I blew it up in my basement to monitor it. Currently it has been 1 week....the dinc still has some air and is about 50 %. Any feedback would be helpful

Thanks

ToZlo

 

[TOHATSU GURU]

Re: How Often Do You Have to Add Air?

It's sort of normal. Air containment varies pretty wildly due to material type and valve type. Then you have to factor in air temperature and water temperature. Each individual manufacturer has the right to say what is within their design tolerance and I think all give an X loss over either 12 or 48 hours as being acceptable.

 

[sasto]

Re: How Often Do You Have to Add Air?

Our dingys have varried in time of deflation from 1 month to 3 days. Ours depended on size of cavities and number. We had one simular to yours with a hard floor....on a lift. She went flat but the motor stayed attached...I'm not recommending anything.

 

[Sea Rider]

Re: How Often Do You Have to Add Air?

For your peace of mind and almost daily extra pumping work, perform an air leak test, inflate all chambers well, apply soappy water on tubes, if all well, remove valve caps and apply same, check for bubbles. If you are not using a pressure gauge to inflate sib to it's working pressure (3.0/3.5 psi) as a refference, you won't know how much psi the sib is loosing just by touch.

Have had 2 Zodiac sibs, and personally find flap air valves to be dark age compared to state of art modern ones, much better and reliable. If loosing air through valves, change all valve interior flaps diaphragms. Get yourself a pressure gauge, Zodiac are bit expensive, but a must have issue if wanting boating perfection.

Happy Boating

 

[Luvinflatableboats]

Re: How Often Do You Have to Add Air?

Hi,

I would not be happy with this. Mine held its air for the whole season. I only added more air when the weather got colder and I could feel that this was causing an issue. If you have an intiution that the thing is leaking then it probably is. I would check it out with the soapy water solution. I had a slow front seam leak in my Zodiac and it would only show up after I left the solution on the seam for about 10 minutes. I got a thick foam happening. I marked where it started and ended. Latexing helped for a bit then it started again. Eventually the dealer offered to redo or overlap the seams however I decided to upgrade.

Good luck


Darryl

 

[nobrainsd]

Re: How Often Do You Have to Add Air?

The older zodiac valves are not designed to seal completely without the screw in cap installed. I've replaced my valve seals and the new seals did improve the valves performance, but I can often still hear a slight leak with my ear next to the valve body. If I install the cap I can't hear anything. I did have to replace the o ring in one cap body to get a good complete seal. The valve won't totally seal without it being in good condition. It is also good to be sure that the plastic walls of the valve, where this cap o ring presses up against, are smooth. Gouges or scratches will defeat the o ring seal. If you have older style tube valves don't overlook this valve cap body o ring.

 

[modernrocketry]

Re: How Often Do You Have to Add Air?

My experience with a 1996 Novurania -- older style valves.
I have found that once you start losing pressure, the lose becomes exponential.

For Example, your boat is sitting in the water on a hot day, the tubes are nice and firm. It cools down overnight and remains cool the following day. The tubes will be not as firm as the hot day.
This removes some back-pressure from the valve causing it to loosen its seat a bit. Thus a bit more air escapes.
And so on and so on.

I have not proven this scientifically, but based on my observations having my inflatable in the water for days on end, with varying weather.

Other factors could be the valves need adjustment ? Not certain if Zodiacs can be adjusted, but the Novuranias have a flat head screw that will adjust the seating of the valve or lock it wide open.

 

[Sea Rider]

Re: How Often Do You Have to Add Air?

Your observation is quite true, that's why instead of guessing the pressure inflated to, you should inflate your sib with a pressure gauge. As an example my 380 sib is inflated all year round to 3.5 psi, except summer, which is deflated to 3.0 psi, once at sea the sun inflates the extra 0.5 psi. This formula works perfect for us having cold water and max 26?C heat, probably not applicable for your environment. You could even make a temp /psi formula for different boating environments, but must need a gauge for that.

Zodiac flap valves cannot be adjusted, looks same as transom's drain water valves, the ones you have are Halkey Roberts type valves with central spring, much reliable that old zodiac's.

Happy Boating