How to Repair a Hole in an Inflatable Pool Float

It's Summer time and that means that most of us are spending more time in the pool or at the lake. Nothing can ruin a fun day in the water like a hole in your inflatable float. While you can buy a patch kit to repair the float, making a trip to the store when you are having fun by the pool is usually very inconvenient. Here is a quick easy way to repair your float with items you already have around the house.

Things You'll Need

• Inflatable Float
• Duct Tape or the patch that came with the float.
• Super Glue
• Gloves

Instructions

1. If you don't know exactly where the leak is, then the first thing you need to do is locate it. To do this, submerse the float in water and look for bubbles that indicate leaks. The pool, lake, or bathtub are excellent ways to test this. If you don't have access to these, you can also use a mixture of water and soap (hand soap, shampoo, dishwashing liquid). Simply add the soap to the water (any ratio works), shake the mixture slightly and spray on the float one section at a time. Soap bubbles will appear at the location of the leak.

2. Take a marker or pen and draw a circle around the leak. If you don't you will forget where it is and end up repeating step 1.

3. If you are lucky enough to have saved the extra "patch piece" that comes with most floats, locate it now. If you threw it away like most people, you can use duct tape instead. Cut the patch, or a piece of duct tape, to completely cover the area of the leak. Allow for approximately 1/4" overlay around the edges of the leak.

4. Since you will need to apply a bit of pressure to apply the patch, blow up the float as much as possible. Put a small amount of tape over the hole to temporarily stop it from leaking. This step is simply to stop the leak long enough to apply the permanent patch.

5. Wearing gloves, apply super glue completely covering one side of the patch or piece of duct tape. Don't try to just put it around the edges as it will most certainly leak.

6. Turn the tape over, glue side down, and place over the hole. Press down firmly, paying special attention to the edges. There is no need to remove the temporary tape that you applied in Step 4. You can apply the permanent patch directly over it.

7. Allow to dry according to the recommendations on the glue package. The glue is usually dry in about an hour. But it may take up to 12 hours to completely cure and become waterproof.

Tips & Warnings

• It's best to test the patch again using the methods in Step 1 before using the float.

• This patch will last the rest of the summer and sometimes into the next year. If you store your float outside or in a shed where temperatures get very high, then the patch may not last as long.

• Regular super glue works best. Some types of industrial glue will melt the plastic on the float.

Resources

• eHow Home and Garden Topic Guide