To fix a bounce house not fully inflating, make sure to check the following
- Power
- Blower Connection
- Blower Fuse
- Hole in Inflatable
- Generator has Fuel
- Check manual or contact support (rental place)
A bounce house not fully inflating is a common problem for parents and kids. It can be discouraging when you plan the perfect birthday party only to have your bounce house not work properly.
Inflatable Not Fully Inflating is a common problem. Fortunately, there are several ways to fix this issue.
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Here is a list of our recommendations for the Best Indoor Bounce Houses and Best Commercial Bounce Houses.
How to Fix a Bounce House Not Fully Inflating
The best way to solve this problem is by following these steps:
No Power
– First, you can check that the fan is plugged in and turned on. If it’s not working at all, then the power cord may have been pulled out during installation or disconnection.
You should also make sure to use a UL Listed transformer with 600W of continuous power output for safety reasons. Also, make sure the outlet is powered you can test this by plugging something small in.
Blower Connection
– Secondly, make sure the air blower is turned on. The blower motor is not quite so you should hear it blowing air so if you don’t check the power switch it is usually towards the bottom of the tube.
If you do hear it but don’t see any inflation it must be connected correctly to the post of the unit. If it is connected make sure enough air can flow through and there is nothing on the tube of vinyl that goes to the bounce house.
The blower also needs air, so make sure the fan area is clear so the air can flow through and fully inflate. The bounce house should also be flat, and make sure nothing is on it, and nothing is blocking the air from distributing throughout the unit.
Blower Fuse Blown
– Thirdly, check the air blower fuse. It should be located between the cord and the blower in a box that is usually sealed with screws.
You will then see a plug or old-style fuses that you can easily buy at any hardware store. If the fuse is blown, the entire blower won’t push any air at all, even if it is plugged in.
Hole in Bounce House
– Fourthly, Please make sure there’s not a puncture in your inflatable. Listen for air escaping. If you do find holes in the inflatables, this will cause them not to fully inflate.
To repair the seams find a firm patch and put it where the surface of the hole is, make sure the blowers are off for this. Then find the leak and patch it.
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Generator Not On
– Fifth, you should also check the generator if you are using one, again they are loud so you should hear it. If you do not it may be out of gas or power if all connections are secure.
Make sure the stakes or sandbags are holding it down before turning everything on.
Check Manual | Contact Support
– Sixth, check your manual for troubleshooting tips specific to your bounce house. If you rented the bounce house it’s best to contact the company directly to have them take over the process and fix the inflatable.
Now that we’ve gone through these troubleshooting tips, your kids will be bouncing in no time! If you are still having issues, the steps are explained more below.
Can you Over Inflate a Bounce House?
When inflating a bounce house you can not overinflate them. They are designed to have breathable material to allow air to pass through them to prevent this. Also, the blowers are designed to not overinflate.
Overall, bounce houses are very durable and often have an inflated lifetime of up to a year or more before they need to be replaced due to damage.
The most common reason for replacing your bouncy house is if it deflates from weather conditions such as rainstorms or being left outside during the winter.
It is always best to put them in the bag they came in and then find storage till it is time to be used again. If a bounce house doesn’t inflate at all, it is usually the first time they are used after you buy it or comes out of storage.
Assuming it is the first time it is being used, the majority of these have a warranty, so make sure to check or return it.
How Long does it Take to Inflate Bounce Houses?
As long as the bounce house is fully functional nowadays they only take 1-4 minutes unless it is a very large commercial one then it may take a bit longer.
Even though it is fast to inflate make sure to inflate before the party so you don’t run into any issues, and if you do please check the steps above.
When finished it takes about 2 1/2 times to deflate, so something that took 2 minutes to blow up will take 5 minutes to get it all ready for your storage bag.
Here are our favorite bounce houses for indoor and outdoor use.
How do I Keep My Inflatable Inflated?
The majority of inflatables that come with a blower need to stay on as the air continues to circulate through and keep the bounce house inflated. The blower also has safety features built-in so you don’t need to worry about overinflating.
There are some smaller inflatables that you can seal, but most of the seams are not that way. There are some inflatables that have an air valve system which is a much better way to keep the bounce house inflated.
How Many Kids can use a Bounce House at One Time?
Bounce Houses do have limits but it is usually by the weight limit and not the number of people who can be in it. They are great for a party or just relaxing carefree with the family.
You do need to make sure that the weight limit is appropriate for the age of your children. If there are multiple children just add their weight limit together and make sure it doesn’t go over the capacity, doing so can damage the unit.
The weight limit on a bounce house is usually between 300-500 pounds, but it varies depending on the size and type of inflatable. If you have too much weight, try to have the kids take turns, or maybe one sits out at a time.
If you do this, make sure to use a timer so everyone gets a turn and feels as if it is fair. During their break, they can play on other inflatables or get food.
With the weight limit, I would be careful having an older child with a very little child as they can bounce the little one in the air if there is a big difference and possibly collide.
Safety is always the number one priority. Make sure to always supervise children while they’re in a bounce house. You want them to have fun without getting injured!
How to Inflate Bounce House
It can be really confusing to inflate a bounce house for the first time, so we’ve compiled some helpful information on the best ways to inflate your bounce house.
Bounce houses are typically inflated with an electric or gas-powered blower.
Prepare For Setup
The preparation will be a bit different depending on if you have an indoor bounce house or an outdoor bounce house, so we’ll cover both. If this is for outside, make sure it is not going to rain, if it is prepare for the rain.
It can be really confusing to inflate a bounce house for the first time, so we’ve compiled some helpful information on the best ways to inflate your bounce house. Bounce houses are typically inflated with an electric or gas-powered air blower.
Let’s get started and prepare an area for the inflatable before you open it up. Use a flat surface and be sure to put some padding underneath so that the bouncer does not get dirty as well as preventing any damage from occurring on your flooring if you are indoors.
Make sure no obstacles are in the way, like furniture or hard rocks. If someone falls out, you want it to be safe all around.
Put on a pair of gloves if needed and start unfolding or opening up the bounce house carefully so that you don’t tear it open accidentally when untangling it from its bag.
Start at one corner then work your way down to the other side of the bounce house, then work your way from one end to the other.
Unzip all of the zippers, then you will want to anchor down or stake in a few places if you have an outside bounce house, or make sure the sandbags or water bags are in place if it is an indoor bounce house.
Even though it’s an indoor bounce house, you still want to anchor it down to the ground or floor.
If you have a large bouncer, it’s best if two people work together in tandem on setup so that they can get one side of the bounce house up and then do the other side.
If you only have one person doing this task, be sure to anchor any anchoring points (e.g., stakes, sandbags) by themselves before they commence with the inflation process in order to avoid any accidents
Find a good place for the generator (make sure you get the right size generator) if it is needed or an outlet if close to the home or an indoor bounce house.
Make sure the outlet is not going to be in an inconvenient place where kids will be running into it or feel like they’re in the way.
Make Connections
Let’s connect the blower with the tube into the valve located on the bounce house. Do this for all of the blowers, then plug in the power cord or ready the generator.
Make sure the generator is filled with fuel or fully charged, depending on which type it is.
Plug in the blower and find a good location to place it. Remember not to plug anything else into that outlet, or you may have power issues as well as powering up other things on your property when they are not needed.
Make sure there is no way for any kids nearby to get their hands stuck between the blowers or cords, so be sure to keep them out of the way.
The best location for your blower will be a place where it is not going to get in anyone’s way and still has good access to power.
You could also use an extension cord if you need more length from the outlet or generator as long as there are no running kids nearby that may trip. If you have extra carpet or blankets, put them on top of the loose extension cords to prevent this.
Inflate Bounce House
Now that everything is set up, we are ready to inflate the bounce house. First, let’s turn on the first blower. It should be on the inflated side.
The blower is going to create air pressure which will force the netting and sides of the bounce house up a little bit each time it blows so just make sure you are not standing in front of that area when doing this.
Also, make sure not to be standing or have anything heavy on the bounce house itself.
Next, we want to turn on the rest of the blowers at the same time. This is going to inflate the bounce house quickly and will hold it inflated for a much longer period of time than just one blower would have done on its own over time.
If you want to make sure that everything is working properly, watch the air pressure gauge as it starts inflating. It should start at around 50 psi and move up to around 75-80 psi, but this can vary.
Make sure to listen to see if you hear any air leaking out. If you have a hole, you will want to patch it, this is explained above.
Bounce Away!
Once the bounce house is fully inflated, it should be safe to use for the little kids to jump around and, if big enough, have a party. You will leave the blowers on as long as you are using them unless it is a smaller one that seals closed.
Kids can have so much fun with the bounce house now that it is inflated, just make sure to keep an eye on them so that they don’t get too rough or fall and hurt themselves.
The best thing about inflatable bounce houses is how easy they are to set up for a party of kids. You won’t ever have any trouble with the weather if you go with the indoor route.
The majority of bounce houses only take a few minutes to blow up, but the preparation part can take a good amount of time.
Expect the whole process to take more than an hour before you can let the kids in and start playing with a large outdoor inflatable with a generator. The inside ones can be done much faster if space is already prepared.
Conclusion
Now you should be all set with your inflatable. There are so many benefits for kids, so it’s definitely worth having some fun on a bounce castle.
If these steps don’t work and it’s time for a new bounce house, here is some information to get you started on how much a bounce house costs.
Please be careful and use at your own risk
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