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  1. #1

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    Repairing a sleeping pad valve (slightly off-topic)

    Since I can't convince my wife & son to sleep in hammocks, they use self-inflating sleeping pads. I've got two that are ~8 years old and have worked well until the past year. They are both leaking where the valve is glued onto the mattress. So, not the valve itself, but where the outer "skin" of the pad attaches to the valve. Since they have no leaks elsewhere, I'd like to repair them, but not sure what type of glue or adhesive would provide a durable, airtight seal. As a first attempt, I tried clear silicone caulk, but it didn't adhere well. I was thinking maybe PVC glue or rubber cement? Anyone else ever repaired/reglued a valve like this?

    SleepingPadValve_2020-02-17_13-03-33.png

  2. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by CVKealey View Post
    Since I can't convince my wife & son to sleep in hammocks, they use self-inflating sleeping pads. I've got two that are ~8 years old and have worked well until the past year. They are both leaking where the valve is glued onto the mattress. So, not the valve itself, but where the outer "skin" of the pad attaches to the valve. Since they have no leaks elsewhere, I'd like to repair them, but not sure what type of glue or adhesive would provide a durable, airtight seal. As a first attempt, I tried clear silicone caulk, but it didn't adhere well. I was thinking maybe PVC glue or rubber cement? Anyone else ever repaired/reglued a valve like this?

    SleepingPadValve_2020-02-17_13-03-33.png
    I had one similar to yours that lalso developed a leak at the base of the valve. I fixed the leak pretty well with a rubber bicycle tube repair patch abd some E-6000 glue (very thick, strong & flexible rubber cement. Maybe you could use the cement that comes with the patch kit, but I think E-6000 works better in this use. Walmart sells it in the crafts dept, comes in silver colored tubes. Buy the smallest tubes you can, since in my experience it doesn't keep well after opening.). Anyway, I first put a solid smear of E-6000 all around the base of the valve and let it cure a few minutes, then put the patch on with a cut-out in the middle a little smaller than the valve, so the rubber patch had to be stretched a little to fit. Pressed it together & held in place with bulldog clips (office supply, what I had at hand). Then left it alone overnight. After everything was dry and felt secure I repeated with another layer of glue, just to be sure. It held up without leaking for a couple more years of frequent use. I gave it away after I was 100% hammocks and had to downsize a lot of stuff to move, so I can't say how much longer it held air after that. The hardest part was fitting the patch right up against the base of the valve, but the thick rubber cement helps to fill in any small gaps. If it's just a pinhole leak you probably can omit the patch. 100% silicone seal might work instead of E-6000; I used what I had on hand. haven't tried silicone to repair small air leaks that have to withstand pressure.
    Hope you can fix yours!

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