Information guide for your semi-rigid pneumatic boat
In appropriately inflating your pneumatic floats is decisive for the performance, there security, and the lifetime of your semi-rigid boat.
Indeed, un well inflated pneumatic boat will be slightly faster than a less inflated model, and will also consume less fuel, hence the interest of doing it!
How to proceed? What indications to follow? What method to use? Orca Retail answers all your questions concerning the Inflating your tires!
What inflation pressure for semi-rigid boat?
In order to know what is the optimal pressure to inflate your floats, the best is still Keep it from the manufacturer's indications! Indeed, the manufacturers of semi-rigid boats will not fail to indicate this information to the purchase or in their user manuals.
As a rule, A fairly low pressure of 0.2 bar is recommended once in the water. But depending on the fabric used (PVC or Hypalon), the ideal pressure will not be the same. Indeed, the PVC (often used for small annexes) will bear less overpressure than hypalon (used for larger models), which is more resistant to temperature differences.
In case of doubt, do not hesitate to contact the after-sales services of manufacturers:
- Zodiac : By phone at 118 707 (€ 0.80/min) or from their website Zodiac-nautic.fr
- Zar Formenti : After-sales service form.
- Highfield : By phone at 02 98 36 68 47 Or contact form.
What impact at the outside temperature on inflation?
Temperature and exposure to the sun is your first enemy with regard to the life of your semi-rigid and its sausages. The more hot it is, the more the internal pressure increases.
There is a difference of around 3 milibars per degree. If you influence you sausage around 0.20 bars (200 millibars), this means that during days or you willingly have temperature differences of 15 ° C, you will feel a clear difference!
Thus, depending on the season, your region or the time of day, the optimal will not be the same.
It is for example recommended that during a particularly hot day where your pneumatic boat remains exposed for a long time in the sun, you were using a slight pressure relaxation (even if it means re -inflating a little later when the heat falls).
During the hot months ofsummer, it is therefore always necessary under-inflate Floats to create a small depressurization, compared to other periods of the year.
This is also why it is important to Cover and protect your boat semi-rigid when stored outdoors.
What impact at water temperature on inflation?
If the outside temperature impacts the pressure of your sausages, the same goes for that of water! HASU contact for water, the pressure will drop with the temperature difference. This is why you can slightly over -inflate compared to your goal.
How to check the inflation of pneumatic sausages?
If you have no tools at your disposal, to check the pressure of the sausage and be sure not to be mistaken, you must make sure that it must be slightly flexible when putting the foot on it (and mark small folds in the fabric). It is also said that a sausage must be "hard with a thumb and flexible knee".
For more precision, the ideal is to acquire a manometer, available for ten euros. By placing the pressure gauge on the valve, you will get an immediate reading of the float pressure.
What do we risk overcoming?
Usually, semi-rigid boats are equipped with overpressure valves, which generally avoids serious problems.
But if it is not your case, or just if you want to be careful at this point, know that under pressure, The collages and seams of your sausages may let go. This will irreparably damage your boat, not to mention simply risk of explosion. Also, too swollen sausages lacking flexibility will absorb shocks less well (example: when you return to the dock), and will be more easily damaged.
So keep your eye on the pressure used when you inflate your semi-rigid floats, and take a minimum into account the environmental factors.
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