– Completely fill air chamber that needs the valve replacement.
– Using a valve tool, loosen the valve by turning counter clockwise (Do not completely remove the valve or the boot that holds the valve to the tube will drop inside the air chamber and will be extremely hard to retrieve) and place back over the valve patch.
– Deflate the tube. Press against the material to hold the boot on the inside of the air chamber. Unscrew the valve the rest of the way and remove. Screw the new valve into place and achieve a “hand tight” fit.
– Re-inflate the tube and use the valve tool to tighten the valve fully. How-to patch a leak
While product is inflated, LOCATE THE LEAK or tear area.
If puncture is not easy to see, USE THE SOAPY WATER TEST. Mix up a soapy solution of 3 parts water to 1 part soap and apply liberally to the area of the product that may be leaking. The leak will create small bubbles.
CUT A PATCH TO FIT THE AREA. Cut the patch at least 1” larger on all sides than appears required for repair. Cut rounded edges on patches to ensure optimal repair quality. Pointed edges tend to lift and are difficult to glue fully.
CLEAN THE AREA with a cloth that contains rubbing alcohol.
MARK THE AREA FOR REPAIR with a marker, crayon or wax pencil and then deflate the product.
BRUSH PVC GLUE WITHIN THE MARKED AREA ON INFLATABLE. Spread a consistent amount of glue over the patch area. Let dry completely.
REPEAT STEP 6 on the back of the patch. Let dry completely. Wet Glue patches will not stick to another wet glued area.
ASSEMBLE THE HEAT GUN OR HAIR DRYER AND SQUEEGEE.
Once the glue on the patch and the area requiring repair on the inflatable are dried, the color will change to a matte finish
WARM THE GLUED AREAS WITH A HEAT GUN TO ACTIVATE THE GLUE. The glued area should be warm to the touch, but not hot.
PRESS THE PATCH EVENLY ONTO THE DAMAGED AREA. Make sure you are working on a smooth, hard surface underneath the inflatable.
USE THE SQUEEGEE TO WORK OUT ALL AIR BUBBLES. Start from the center of the patch and smooth your way to the edges in all directions.
THE PATCH IS FINISHED. Wait 24 hours before inflating the product.
After 24 hours, inflate the product to INSPECT THE REPAIR. Brush the soapy solution over the repaired area to check for leaks. If bubbles appear near the repair, repeat the repair process with a larger patch.
CHECK FOR VALVE LEAKS. Rarely, an inflatable product has been rolled so tightly that it can cause the backing nut of the Inflation Valve or Pressure Relief Valve to become loose. In this case, place the soapy solution on the edges of the valve to check for leaks. Small bubbles indicate valve-tightening is required. Use valve-tightening tool included in the Accessory Kit to re-tighten valve.
TIGHTEN THE VALVE. Once inflatable is deflated, place valve-tightening tool (included with the inflatable) on top of valve stem and turn left to loosen. Use other hand to hold the nut in place while adjusting. Replace valve and re-tighten to right with tool.