Inflating Your Pool
Inflatable swimming pools give families a great way of beating the summer heat without all the commitment of an actual in-ground pool.
Of course, deployment of any inflatable pool will take some effort, especially if you don’t have the necessary tools to help in your house. The good thing is that you can actually improvise with the tools you have at home.
How do you inflate a pool without a pump? A vacuum cleaner with an exhaust function or a reverse switch should be the closest alternative to a pump or a leaf blower. If neither of these is available at home, you may also use a bicycle pump or a manual pump to get the desired inflation.
This article will discuss all tips and tricks you can try at home even if you do not have a pump available. You can also try other methods mentioned below on how to inflate your pool without any hassle properly.
Inflating A Children’s Pool Without Air Compressor
Inflatable pools are an inexpensive and low-maintenance way to bring hours of entertainment to the family, all while beating the summer heat. However, things aren’t all that easy getting up to the fun part, especially if you don’t have an air compressor.
Without having the right tools and knowledge, you may not be able to give yourself and your favorite people the time off from the summer heat you all deserve. Don’t worry, though, because here are some ways you can still make your pool party dreams a reality.
Manual Labor
Many inflatables on the market usually come with small hand pumps, which may spare your lungs but not your arms. If the inflatable pool didn’t come with a pump, check if others you bought before did.
Another hand pump to help you is the upright pump, giving you a little more oomph in your blows.
If an upper body workout isn’t your style, there are also bellow-style foot pumps that can inflate objects by pressing down on them. Generally, these manual air pumps come with a selection of nozzles to help them adapt to whatever you are inflating.
Household Inflation
Appliance manufacturers such as Balck and Decker and Dirt Devil have corded hand vacuums that have functions and attachments that allow you to inflate objects along with their dust and crumb-busting abilities.
It’s the perfect tool for handy homeowners who like to multitask. You can acquire similar results using any regular vacuum with a reverse switch or even by using a leaf blower along with some duct tape and a funnel.
Borrowing Air
Usually, serving stations can provide you with air. The only problem you’re going to have is connecting the nozzle of their pump to your inflatable.
Luckily, someone came up with a solution to this problem so you won’t have to. The Air Daddy Air Valve Adapter (that’s quite a mouthful) has some pretty nifty fittings that should let you connect your inflatable to an air pump from a gas station or any other air pump for that matter.
This adapter is 7 ½ inches long and weighs almost nothing, so transporting it would not be a problem.
Do keep in mind that transporting a deflated pool is a very different experience from transporting an inflated one, so consider the ride back if you do end up borrowing air from a station.
Inflating A Swimming Pool Using Vacuum Cleaner
Inflatable swimming pools of any shape and size can provide families a quick, easy, low-maintenance way to beat the summer heat. Of course, someone has to set up the pool before anyone can start splishing and splashing around, and usually, you’re going to need pumps for that.
What if you don’t have one? Then, using a vacuum is the next best thing. Here are the steps you need to take to make the fun happen.
- Locate a wide and open area for the inflatable swimming pool and place it there. You want it so that you’ll still have plenty of room even after you’re done blowing the inflatable up.
Bring your vacuum to the area and remove the front cover, and set the cover aside. Twist the vacuum bag of the nozzle and dispose of the bag. Put the cover back on. - Remove the flexible hose from the vacuum, then plug the vacuum into a power source.
- Determine whether or not the vacuum is blowing out air through the hose or not. If the vacuum is doing what is intended, turn it off.
- Make a funnel by placing the end of the hose against the bottom of a plastic water bottle. Mark an outline around the hose and cut around it using a utility knife or any blade that can help complete the job.
Dispose of the unused plastic properly. Tape the makeshift plastic water bottle funnel and the hose together. - Remove the cap from the inflatable pool’s nipple. Place your funnel against the nipple and turn the vacuum on. Make sure to press the nipple and the makeshift funnel together to minimize lost air.
Once the pool is completely inflated, pull the nipple and the funnel apart and turn off the vacuum. Place the cap back on the nipple of the inflatable pool. - Disconnect the vacuum from the power source. Replace the vacuum bag with a new one and put back the front cover. Uninstall the makeshift water bottle funnel from the vacuum hose. Return the hose to its original position.
Blowing Up An Inflatable Pool With No Pump At All
Generally, you are going to need a pump to blow up an inflatable pool. If you don’t have a pump at home to blow it up, you can also use an air compressor, a shop-vac, a blow dryer along with an empty water bottle, a large bag, or even by blowing air into the inlet yourself.
If a pump, be it electric, hand, or foot type, is not available at home, then the next best thing to use to blow up your inflatable pool would be to use an air compressor, a shop-vac, or a leaf blower. If any of those are not available at your household still, you can also use a large bag or your lungs.
Blowing Up An Inflatable Pool Using Air Compressor
If you want to blow up your inflatable pool using an air compressor, you will have to guarantee that you have the correct nozzle attachment that connects the compressor to the inlet of the inflatable pool.
Although most compressors come with some arrangements upon purchase, it never hurts to double-check for one that lets you open the air inlet valve of the inflatable enough for air to pump inside.
It is impractical to purchase an air compressor to blow up an inflatable pool, however. If you don’t already have an air compressor, a cheaper and more accessible alternative would be an electric pump. If you have a compressor, you need the correct attachments to blow up your pool.
Here are steps to guide you on how to blow up your inflatable pool using an air compressor:
- Locate the air inlet valve on the inflatable pool and open it
- Connect the hose of the air compressor to the air inlet valve using the correct attachment
- Make sure the air inlet seal is not blocking the attachment. Keep in mind that some air inlet valves have a piece of plastic that prevents air from escaping the inflatable that can block incoming air.
- Switch on the air compressor and start blowing up the inflatable pool
- Once the pool is filled with air, turn off the air compressor and disconnect the hose from the air inlet valve.
- Be careful not to over-inflate the pool. Check for this by feeling if the inflatable feels tight and firm.
- Cap the air inlet valve of the inflatable pool to lock the air in.
Inflate A Pool With A Shop-Vac
If you want to blow up your inflatable pool using a shop vac, you have to turn your shop vac on and press the shop vac hose against the air inlet valve of the pool. You can also try creating a makeshift nozzle or funnel, but this is optional.
As long as you make sure that minimal air escapes the hose and you maximize the air going into the valve to inflate the pool, you should be able to blow up your inflatable without too much trouble.
You can try to create a makeshift seal with the funnel to help you maximize the air blowing up your pool.
Using A Hair Dryer And Water Bottle To Blow Up An Inflatable
This is actually more of a fun trick to try around your home rather than a chore. Make a funnel using a plastic water bottle and attach it to the end of your hairdryer.
Duct tape should do the job reasonably efficiently. The main idea here is to have the air from your hairdryer flow into the air inlet valve of your inflatable pool through the makeshift plastic water bottle funnel.
Once you have your hairdryer fitter with your makeshift plastic water bottle funnel, press the nozzle up against the air inlet valve and begin to pump air into your inflatable pool.
You’d be surprised at how easy but effective this method can be. Keep in mind to set your hairdryer to cool mode, as heat can damage the integrity of your inflatable pool.
Using A Leaf Blower To Blow Up An Inflatable Pool
This leaf blower method is not much different from the shop vac method. All you should do is hold the leaf blower up against the air inlet valve and let the air from the leaf blower pump into the inflatable pool.
Inflating A Pool Using A Bicycle Pump, Hand Pump, Or Foot Pump
The main benefit of using a manual pump to blow up your inflatable pool is that you will not require electricity and thus, will be able to deploy your pool anywhere you want as long as you have a bicycle hand or foot pump.
Lots of manual pumps come with attachments that are mostly compatible with a lot of inflatables. It takes your mind off of sourcing for another attachment or valve that is compatible with your pool and lets you focus on the task of actually just blowing the thing up.
It is the same if you have a bicycle pump. Most of these pumps come with nozzles that are already compatible with most inflatable pools and toys making them very flexible and multifunctional.
Blow Up An Inflatable With A Large Bag
This method might sound a little ridiculous, but it does work: you can blow up your inflatable pool just by using a large bag. Keep in mind: find the largest bag available. The larger, the better, and you can follow the steps below to achieve this:
- Access the air inlet valve of the inflatable pool and open it
- Fill the large bag with air
- Use your hand as a nozzle and make the opening of the bag just wide enough to attach to the inflatable pool’s air inlet valve
- Press the opening you made into the inlet valve
- Push the air out of the large bag and into the inflatable pool
- Rinse and repeat until the inflatable pool is filled with air and close the air inlet valve
Conclusion
Inflatable pools are a fun way to enjoy some time with your family, all while keeping cool in an otherwise scorching season.
Before you have your fun, however, it is necessary to prepare all the essentials needed before you get to splishing and splashing with your favorite people.
Knowing the basics and tips and tricks to this is never harmful and may come in handy for any excellent homeowner. Make sure to remember these pointers well, especially in the summertime when pool parties can be all the rage.
