Battery Pump Probs

A message from the twister archive

Archive of balloon entertainer discussions

Subject: Re: battery pump probs
Date: Thu, 06 Jun 2002 11:13:38 -0400
From: Larry Moss 

--On 6/6/02 9:14 AM -0400 Shansu Ellwood wrote:

> I need some advice from those of you who have used battery pumps.  Until
> now, I have been using just the basic double-action pump from T. Myers.
> Well, my husband built me a pump from a battery-powered tire inflator- and
> it works!  Problem is, I seem to have more "deflate" problems using
> balloons blown up this way.  Is it because battery pumps blow the balloon
> HARDER than you do with a hand pump?  So they need to be burped more?

I don't burp balloons much at all unless the sculpture really requires it.
That's true whether I blow by mouth or with a pump.  So, burping (or lack
of) isn't the cause of the problem.  Without seeing exactly what's
happening, I can only guess.   I have two possible things for you to look
at.

Temperature.  How hot does the pump get.  Ideally you want you pump to fill
balloons with air that's the same temperature as the air around you.  If
the pump gets extremely hot, you'll run into problems.

Impurities in the air.  If you're blowing small particles of anything into
the balloon, they could be cutting the inside of the balloon.  chances are,
if this is it, the compressor will stop working soon anyway and the problem
will be obvious.  But it's worth looking.  If it's sucking dirt from
outside and blowing that into the balloon, you might have problems.

> Also- how does the Balloon Buoy stand up to Cheezo's, and to the Majaloon?
> I was originally looking for an inexpensive, good pump- Cheezo's looks
> interesting but I already WEAR an apron.  Is it "built in" or removable?

Cheezo has a huge line of pumps.  Which one are you interested in?  Also,
call him and tell him what you need.  He's been known to suggest things or
modify pumps to suit someone' needs.  The Majiloon double compressor pump
was the fastest one out there for twisters for a while.  But Cheezo now has
one to match it.  He has a lot on his site, but really, call and see what
he can suggest.  then if you have specific questions about one of them, ask
here again.  There's someone that's got it.

> Anyone ever used the Balloon Master or any other pump I didn't mention,
> and what do you think of it?

Of the standing pumps that I've used, the Balloon Master is my favorite as
far as feel and looks.  Again, I have to turn to Cheezo for his huge line
of pumps.  I use a convert-a-pump pro because it packs small.  It doesn't
look at good as the balloon master or others I've used.  I just like the
fact that I can toss it in a bag or a suitcase, and travel is real easy.

It seems odd to talk about pumps and not mention T Myers.  For light,
cheap, and just to get started on a standing pump to figure out what you
need, there's always the PumpO.  And the Pump 1 is a tank.  It will last
you a lifetime.  Unfortunately, it weighs as much as a tank.  And just for
the novelty of it, I keep a Pogo Pump around.  I used to really love that
thing.  Still a nice pump, but it's been ignored for a while.

Larry Moss
BalloonHQ.com