Anyone Looked for Air Mattress Leaks from Inside Out Using Water?

[BSquared18]

Hi,

We have a Coleman dual-chamber air mattress that is the most comfortable we have ever had for tenting, but, unfortunately, one of the chambers has developed a very slow leak. If we fill the mattress about 10 pm, I have to add more air at about 2 am, a real pain.

I've tried all the traditional methods for finding the leak: painting with soapy water; immersing it in a tank (although the tank being somewhat small, that method was pretty cumbersome); and spraying the bed with a water hose. Apparently, the leak is so small that it is very difficult to detect by conventional methods.

Online, I've seen the method suggested of putting a cup of water in the mattress, filling the mattress with air, and shaking it until you see the water coming out through the hole. The same post suggested then adding a liter of Methyl Hydrate, shaking it around, and pouring it out, to eliminate mold, etc.

However, I've read that Methyl Hydrate can be hard on rubber, so I'm wondering if that is the best fungicide to use.

Has anyone had any success using the water-in-the-mattress method to find a leak? Any other suggestions?

I figure that if I don't use the water-in-the-mattress method and no one comes up with another option, the mattress will have to be tossed and replaced.

Thanks,
Bill

[campclose]

I have not and I don't really see how it will work. You tried filling it up and then spraying the whole thing with soapy water? You saw nothing? It might be too small of a pin size hole to find.

[rayne]

If you've done all the traditional methods to find the leak and can't find one, maybe it's in the valve. Concentrate on that before you go putting liquids inside the thing. That would be my very, very, last resort.

[Lamebeaver]

If it's a really small leak, it might not even be porous enough to pass water.

I'd dramatically over-inflate it and check again. Worst case, just buy another mattress, they don't cost that much. How much is your time worth?

[Mudder]

Hmm, I wonder if it's the actual air port that's doing the leaking. I had a pesky pin size hole in a budget raft one time, and I could not find it for the life of me. I decided to over-inflate it a tad bit and put it in the bright sunshine and take a dish-soapy wet wash cloth to it (lemon scent keeps bugs away) and inspect every inch while slowly using the wet soapy rag. Found it. Sometimes the leaking separates the bubbles, hence using a rag so you can constantly re-soap every thing with one swipe.

[Backroad Joe]

May not be the answer you were looking for but in a lifetime of camping I've found air mattresses to be the worst choice. I have tried everything. Eight years ago I bought a Therma-A-Rest pad and would never consider anything else.