I have a leading edge bladder with a dodgy inflation valve and am wondering if I should bother trying to replace it or just buy a new bladder.

The valve itself is intact and stuck on fine and there is no leak.

There is however a small ball inside the inflation valve which is meant to stop the air escaping (basically it's a ball valve).
The joining hole between the bladder itself and the valve is too big to keep the ball inside the valve, so it keeps falling inside the bladder to rattle around.

When I crash the kite hard the pressure pops open the inflate valve and since the ball isn't there, the kite deflates.

So my question is; being that the valve is still stuck on well to the bladder, is it an easy task to remove it so I can replace it with a u-stick valve?

If so, how would I remove the existing valve?

Put the valve in hot water for a few minutes and then just peel the valve off. A U stick replacement will do the job.

Just a bit of hot water eh?

That makes sense, hearing about how leaving kites in hot cars can make them peel off.

I guess I just have to be careful not to have it too hot so it affects (shrinks?) the bladder.

Cheers

mickm's advice doesnt always work these days.
Some brands are now welding the valves on.
Try the boiling water 1st. If that doesnt work you need to cut out the protruding section of the valve leaving only the section which is flat on the bladder.
A scalpel or stitch remover is best tool for the job.
Replacement stick-ons can then be applied as per normal.

The popping open is an easy fix too.
Using the nozzle of your pump - you may have to slice a bit off the end so that it only just fits inside the male stop cap. Dunk the cap in hot water then insert the nozzle so that it stretches the cap. Push in and hold for a few seconds then dunk it in cold water - nozzle still inserted - till its cool. Cap will have expanded & will be a much tighter fit.

TO EVERYONE - good practice is to make a habit of unplugging your inflate valve cap every time you deflate your kite. The only way caps become loose is by being left squashed in when the kite is off the water & can get hot.
Almost everyone pulls the deflate then leaves the inflate closed till next time they pump - nothing to be gained when a hassle can be avoided.

Definitely not cause for a new bladder this time round.

Thanks for the extra dvice Puppet, will get it done one fothose two methods.

I kinda think that it's worth just getting a new bladder if only for peace of mind.

I'll see how the repair goes first I guess.

cheers

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puppetonastring said...

The only way caps become loose is by being left squashed in when the kite is off the water & can get hot.

Also more likely the outer part of the valve has expanded rather than the internal cap.
A very small cable tie around here at the right tension will help make it tighter and feel better
Alternatively a bit of heat shrink would probly also do the trick

I see what you guys are saying about caps geting loose.
The cap on the bladder isn't actually loose, rather cause the ball wasn't there to stop any reverse flow of air, when the kite crashed hard, the pressure was enough to pop the cap AND the securing velcro strap over it.

It's all semantics though, I still need to replace the valve.

The U-stick replacement I used didn't have a ball stopper but a plastic flap which is half attached making it very effective at closing to stop air escaping but also only provided a smaller passage for air to be pumped in. This meant I needed to pump a lot harder to inflate, which helped increase my arm strength but was at the same time a pain in the butt. In hindsight I would've taken a small blade and cut where the flap joined the valve a little more so it flapped more freely allowing less pressure to be needed to inflate but not reducing it's ability to still close when the air flow was reversed. It really was a pain in the butt however I was too lazy to go to the trouble or expense of re-replacing the valve I just replaced. Hope this makes sense and may save you the same hassle.

G stick valves work best. U stick are too expensive and are not as reliable. U stick flap valve is a pain in the ass.

There is a new valve that will be available soon that comes with the stopper ball.

Used ever replacement vale on the market. G stick are the best.

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Hobie1463 said...
G stick valves work best. U stick are too expensive and are not as reliable. U stick flap valve is a pain in the ass.

There is a new valve that will be available soon that comes with the stopper ball.

Used ever replacement vale on the market. G stick are the best.

Hmmm - sort of depends on the kite brand.
There are a couple where U-Stiks dont stick too well. Others where the G-Stiks arent so good. Generally speaking both are excellent.

And to the post about cutting the flap - NOOOO!
Seriously risk it not closing at all - like almost certain.
Agree 100% that the ball stop is best option. They too arent 100% reliable - but very close to and noticably easier to pump.

Bottom line here is that if your kite doesnt overheat (hot car or too long on a super hot beach) chances of requiring a valve replacement is close to zero. At least for the first couple of years.

The little ball isnt to stop the inflate valve coming out when you crash its so you dont loose air during inflation , So if its just coming out thats the problem have a look at your mechanical locks on your inflate valve i.e.[ velcro ,inflate clip,or bungy ]
have fun
George

There should be a 'use by date' on all brands of self adhesive replacement valves. The shelf life of the adhesive depends somewhat on how the shops store them. I hold spares myself to take on O/S travels and have found the sticky stuff to be totally useless in as little as 12 months.

Ive had that problem when im in fijij packed repair kit for trip gone to use it and its no longer sticky , In my case the kit wasn't stored to well had sand and water mixed with it. Now a days use a little kit bag and zip lock lunch bags and i keep it in my luggage [room ]not out in the sun on the deck.
Ive used valves that are years old and they work fine as long as they are looked after
George