How to Repair an Inflatable Sofa
Having an inflatable sofa in a guest room or child's bedroom can be very convenient, but a single leak or hole can render that piece of furniture unusable. If your inflatable sofa springs a leak, you need to find the problem as quickly as possible and repair it.
Finding a small leak or pinhole in an inflatable sofa can be difficult, unless you learn a simple technique to make it easier.
Things You Will Need
- Bowl
- Dish detergent or body wash
- Sofa pump
- Sponge
- Patch kit
Tip
A sofa can deflate or seem to lose air for reasons other than a leak, such as temperature change from warm to cool, or stretched new material.
Warning
Soapy water can discolor a flocked sofa. Rather than using soapy water to find a leak, listen or feel for an air rush or draft coming from an air-filled or inflated sofa. Gently scrub off the flocking using a wire brush or nylon-bristle brush, such as a dish or nail brush, to ready the surface for a patch.
-
Mix a solution of body wash or dish detergent and water. Make sure the solution is thick and that there are plenty of bubbles.
-
Pump up the sofa to inflate it fully, using the sofa's pump. Air pressure makes it easier to spot a leak.
-
Dip a sponge in the soapy mixture and begin wiping the solution on the sofa. Work slowly -- this will make it easier to spot small leaks. The soapy solution will bubble and foam at places where air is leaking out.
-
Rinse the soapy water from the sofa. Allow the material to dry. Deflate the sofa.
-
Apply patch-kit glue to the patch that came with the sofa when you find the leak. Place the patch over the puncture, glue side, down. Press the patch into place to form a proper seal, using your fingers.
-
Set a heavy, flat object, such as a 5 pound weight plate from a weightlifting bar on the patch.
-
Remove the weight, and inflate the sofa 6 hours or more after applying the patch. Watch for any additional loss of air. Use the soapy water mixture again to find and patch any additional leaks.
The Drip Cap
- Having an inflatable sofa in a guest room or child's bedroom can be very convenient, but a single leak or hole can render that piece of furniture unusable.
- Finding a small leak or pinhole in an inflatable sofa can be difficult, unless you learn a simple technique to make it easier.
- Allow the material to dry.
- Use the soapy water mixture again to find and patch any additional leaks.
References
Writer Bio
Based in Pennsylvania, Bonnie Conrad has been working as a professional freelance writer since 2003. Her work can be seen on Credit Factor, Constant Content and a number of other websites. Conrad also works full-time as a computer technician and loves to write about a number of technician topics. She studied computer technology and business administration at Harrisburg Area Community College.
Photo Credits
- sofa image by Ewe Degiampietro from Fotolia.com
- sofa image by Ewe Degiampietro from Fotolia.com
More Articles
