Air Mattresses - Chemistry Gurus

I camped this past weekend at BeaveRun. Night temps got below 40 I believe. Friday night my air mattress went flat over a couple hour period. I inflated it again and the same thing happened.

So on Sat I went and bought a knew one. It did the same thing Sat night, although it lasted a little longer. It didn't get quite as cold that night either.

So does this just have something to do with the air temps? The first mattress I used several times last year with no problems. You would think on the box or instructions it would mention that in cold weather they would deflate if it was an issue.

Are the air molecules kinda acting like tire pressure where they expand and contact with tempurature change? So if I put my mattress out in the sun, would it fill back up?

I think I got a D in chemistry

Thanks

 

I have to stop every few miles to put air in my tires in the winter up here.

 

Use Nitrogen.

The molecules are larger and less prone to seeping out of rubber, not so sure about vinyl though.

Although, you could just have a hole in the mattress.

 

Well, if you're right, that would only solve 22% of his seepage problem at best. Don't know about your planet, but the one I'm on nitrogen's already in our air.

 

Alright smarty.

Pure Nitrogen, out of a bottle, like many different types of racers use.

 

Google "Boyles Law" for part of your answer, maybe.

I think you have 2 mattresses with holes though...

 

(Pressure)*(Volume)=(Temperture)

As the temperature goes down, so does the pressure. But it won't make your mattress flat, unless you're sleeping at liquid nitrogen temps. I've never seen it that cold at Beaver.

You have holes in your mattresses.

 

Don't sleep with a screwdriver in your pocket.

-steve

 

Sleep on your back and not your stomach. You won't poke pinholes in the mattress.

 

Just saw this thread, Why cant I stop laughing. Great response Frank.

 

When we used an air matress, it did the same thing. Put some carpet below it and it seemed to help some. It also kept the cold from coming through it so it didn't feel like a waterbed without a heater.


The best fix we found for it was to get a bunk futon. It sleeps much better, and never gets as cold.

 

Spit on the plug when you put it in !!! It does help out alot !!

 

Quit having wild sex on the air mattress!

 

This isn't the "SuzyQ is a stalker" thread.

 

I'd bet that most of your leakage, assuming no holes in a new mattress, has to do with the plug not sealing. In cold weather, the rubber plug is less compliant, making it harder to seal in the rubber hole it goes into.

It's definitely not from changing temperature. You have a leak.

 

Yea but that is the best way to warm things up :up:

 

I know......I just happen to 'sleep' on an air mattress at the track as well. It's usually the wheel welds in the bed of the truck that mess me up!

 

I can see if the first one got a hole, but we left that one on the floor and put the new one on top of it. Plus even if it was only a pin hole, with two people on it I can't see it lasting for 2 or 3 hours.

 

The plug leaking sounds like a good idea. This week I was planning on airing them up inside my house, putting some weight on them and see what happens.