
Air mattresses bed is one of the alternative to a regular family bed, it’s more flexible and easy to take & store. However if you find your air mattresses bed couldn’t keep inflated or loses too much air, that means it may have a hole. But the good news is, you can fix it by yourself and the process is not complicated.
To repair the air leak, generally we have three steps. First, we have to locate the hole; Second we need to find something to cover the leak; The last is the final test.
This article will have you a detailed guidance of How to fix the hole in Air Mattresses.
How to Find Air Mattress Leak
This is a very important steps. Some time there may more than one hole in different place. If you can locat all holes correctly, and it will very soon to fix the problem. Below we offer some tips on how to fix air mattress leaks.
Fill Up Your Air Mattress
If a hissing sound doesn’t accompany a leak in your air mattress, or if you need to know how big the hole is, one immediate solution might be adding more air. Here’s how.
Spotting an air mattress hole can sometimes be straightforward, but other times it can be a real challenge. When you cannot find the exact location of the air leak in the air mattress, it may be necessary to inflate the mattress. Then, you will be able to identify where air leaks from the mattress.
Find the Hole
Most of the time, holes or tears will develop under the mattress. Most of you know where your air mattress loses air. However, if you need to know where the air escapes out of the mattress, there are some ways to figure it out. We listed several tips for it.
Tips for Finding the Hole
Inspect Air Valves For Damage
Try holding your hand over an air valve and feeling for escaping air to determine if it is loose or damaged. Ensure there is no leak coming back out of the valve’s stem. After that, inspect the seams of the valve stem for holes or tears.
Turn The Mattress Upside Down
There is a high incidence of leaks and punctures on the bottom of air mattresses. Perhaps this could have been caused by some object on the ground poking through. Place the mattress against the wall and examine its bottom by standing it on its side.
Hear Hissing Sounds
Lean your mattress against a wall. Move your head slowly across the entire surface of your mattress with your ear approximately 2-3 inches away from it. Listen for hissing sounds coming from it.
Feel For Air Escaping By Hands
Hold your hand 2 inches away from your mattress’s surface to feel the air escape. Push your other hand into the mattress to exacerbate the leak’s pressure.
Try Spraying Soapy Water
Add water and a few drops of dish soap in a spray bottle. Mix them. Spray a light amount of soapy water onto your mattress, starting from the valve area and moving to the seams. Inspect your mattress’s bottom and top for any bubbles forming. They indicate air leaks.
Note: After you have located the leak, mark the mattress with a small circle so that you can apply the patch later.
How To Fix Air Mattress Holes
If you find the leaks correctly through the tips above, congratulation, you’ve already solved the problem in half. Now we just need to take action to cover the hole, and then your Air Mattress Bed will get back. Follow our steps below:
There are some tools you will need:
- Air mattress repair kit
- Scissors
- Measuring tape or scale
- Rolling pin or comparable tool
- Wooden board
- Air pump
After obtaining all the above items, fix the mattress hole by following these steps
Step 1: Deflate The Mattress
Deflate the mattress before securing the patch, as this will help the patch adhere to the mattress better. Once the air mattress has been deflated, wipe away any dirt, moisture, oil, or grease from the surface
Step 2: Get An Air Mattress Repair Kit
If you have the patch kit that came with your mattress, use it. You can also buy an Air mattress hole patching kit if you don’t have one. Choosing the right patch kit is a great idea as it can fix the hole effectively. Normally there will be a patch kit together when you buy a air mattress bed. But if you lose it and you can require it from after sales of the brand. Most of time you can get them in free.
Step 3: Trim The Patch To Fit
Your inflatable mattress patch may only need to cover part of the hole. It depends on the size of the hole. Consequently, measuring the hole’s size (using measuring tape or scale) by placing the patch over it before peeling off the backing is essential.
Therefore, you must ensure that the patch covers a large portion of the hole or tear and all the edges of it. When you have determined what size patch you need, cut one and keep the rest.
Step 4: Remove Patch Backing
The next thing you need to do is pick a corner of the patch and gently lift the edge once you’ve cut it to size. After that, slowly peel away the backing.
Step 5: Stick The Patch Over The Hole
Using your fingertips, lay the patch across the desired area, starting on one side of the hole. Cover the hole completely with the patch by pressing it down. As you apply the patch, ensure no air bubbles are present. A rolling pin or similar tool can help you press the patch into the mattress more firmly.
Note: It is important that the air mattress used under it is as flat as possible. Therefore, you should put something strong under it, such as a board made of wood.
Step 6: Inflate Your Mattress
Once you have repaired the hole in your air mattress with the patch, you are done. It is time to inflate the air mattress so you can sleep soundly. As you can see, it is relatively easy how to find leak in air bed.
Alternative Methods To Fix Air Mattress Hole
In order to help to more people to have more choices, we collected some other different ways. Sure there will be that can fit you most.
Build Your DIY Patch Kit
A DIY air bed patch can be made if you don’t own one. For making patches, choose any flexible plastic or rubber material, such as:
- Shower curtain
- Pool liners
- The rubber inner tube of a bike tire
Follow these steps to patch your airbed
- Step 1: Estimate the material size to cover the mattress hole and cut it. Ensure the patch covers the leak completely and extends at least an inch on either side.
- Step 2: Rub alcohol or nail polish remover on the mattress surface to remove lipids that may prevent the patch from sticking.
- Step 3: You will need to use a generous amount of glue to make sure that the seal is as tight as possible. A few adhesives must be applied to both surfaces, while others can be applied to either.
- Step 4: Once you have applied the glue to the surfaces, you now have to arrange the patch in the desired place. Try to grip it tightly with your hands or another large object and hold it firmly for a few minutes at a time.
- Step 5: Let the air mattress air dry for at least 12 hours.
- Step 6: You can now inflate the airbed and see the results.
Use Nail Polish
This method requires a few things to be prepared beforehand. For the polymerization reaction in the nail polish to start, it is necessary to expose the nail polish to a UV light source. The thing is, it is pretty effective and can work in any hole size, which is a great feature
For Small Holes
If you have small holes in your air mattress, here’s how you can patch them with gel polish
- Step 1: The hole’s surrounding area should be sanded, regardless of whether flocking is required.
- Step 2: Rub rubbing alcohol or nail polish remover on the area and let it dry.
- Step 3: A drop of nail polish should be applied over the hole.
- Step 4: Cure the nail polish with UV light for 10-15 seconds above the drop.
- Step 5: Continually repeat if necessary
For Large Holes
Following is how you can use this method to patch a mattress that has a large puncture:
- Step 1: Sand the area and degrease it.
- Step 2: Cut the clear shower curtain into the desired size to cover the hole. Materials that let UV light pass through are recommended since they are clear.
- Step 3: Using nail polish, cover the cut piece above the hole with a thick coat.
- Step 4: Light the UV light for 15-20 seconds, then set it over the patch.
- Step 5: Rub the patch to make sure it is secure.
Take Advantage Of Superglue
Following is how you can use this method to patch a mattress that has a large puncture:
In the case of minor scissors cuts or knife punctures on an airbed, superglue might help patch the hole and repair small tears. Restoring a mattress with superglue is a handy option when you don’t have a patch kit.
Using super glue, you can repair the hole in the airbed as follows:
- Step 1: You can apply the glue over the puncture without or with DIY patching.
- Step 2: Glue the puncture using a stitching motion.
- Step 3: Continue applying the sealant around the hole for at least 0.5″.
- Step 4: Next, test the leak in the mattress by inflating it.
Apply Hot Glue Gun
Alternatively, you can use a hot glue gun to patch your mattress if you don’t have a repair kit on hand. It works best with small holes. Although this seal only lasts about a week.
- Step 1: Turn on the glue gun and place the glue stick inside. Allow the glue gun to heat up.
- Step 2: With a glue gun, squeeze the trigger and dab a small blob of adhesive over the hole.
- Step 3: Check the seal by inflating your mattress once the glue has cooled down.
Note: Whenever you use hot glue on a mattress, you must be careful not to create another hole in the mattress by mistake
Use A Marine Goop Glue
One of the strongest adhesives on the market today is Marine Goop (also known as Amazing Goop). As a waterproof and UV-resistant sealant, you can use Marine Goop to patch a leaky air bed outdoors and make it waterproof again.
The steps involved in the method are as follows:
- Step 1: Sand the surface and degrease it.
- Step 2: You can apply a thin layer of Goop over the leak using an old toothbrush or art brush. Step 3: Cover about half an inch around the puncture to create an even seal.
- Step 4: Cure the sealant for at least 24 hours
Put Duct Tape Over A Hole
Lastly, use duct tape if you don’t have any adhesive nearby and need to patch an air mattress hole. However, it might work temporarily. Here are the steps:
- Step 1: Degrease the surface.
- Step 2: Cut a large piece of duct tape that covers the puncture and the area around it.
- Step 3: Apply it to the hole.
Conclusion
There you have it; it is very simple to figure out how to fix air mattress holes. As you can see, fixing air mattress holes is very easy when you follow the above steps. For those in a hurry, you can also use any temporary patching ideas mentioned earlier in the article