Do aluminum pontoons hold pressure? Cold climate to warm??

Yeasty McFlaps

Recruit
Joined
Jul 28, 2012
Messages
4
Hey all, something thats been bugging me since I bought our boat, a sun tracker tri toon 25 xp3, the pontoons are sealed, so what releases the pressure that builds up when you take the boat from a cold climate to a hot one? or cold water into hot sunshine? thats gotta be more than 5 psi... thanks for your responses
 

MH Hawker

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Joined
Jul 13, 2011
Messages
5,516
Re: Do aluminum pontoons hold pressure? Cold climate to warm??

It is my understanding that they do in fact hold a very small amount of pressure, and yes it dose change with weather conditions, the newer boats have vented chambers. The older toons were sealed to ensure that if one is punctured below the water line it will still float. I know for a fact they will :facepalm: A friend of mines son punched a huge hole in a tube in a brand new boat with less than 5 hours on it and my friend keep it on a slip and used it for a month while a new tube was being delivered. The newer one's are vented and I don't know much about them.
 

5150abf

Vice Admiral
Joined
Aug 12, 2007
Messages
5,808
Re: Do aluminum pontoons hold pressure? Cold climate to warm??

If they are actually sealed the pressure will vary quite alot and even go from pressure to a vacuum but it is only a few psi and can't hurt anything.

Really the only thing that can happen is the baffles will bang, scares the poop out of you if you aren't expecting it but it too is harmless.

The pressure in the tube builds and it will push the baffle from concave to convex and it makes a big bang, then does it again as the tube heats/cools down.

There are hundreds and hundreds of thousands of pontoons with sealed tubes and none of them have a problem from air sealed in the tube, the probelm comes when owners get involved and get them up to 10-105psi, then you can hear a really load bang.

If it really bugs you, pull your plugs and drill super small holes in them, that will let the tube "breath", the down side is if you get a puncture in the tube the hole in the cap will give the air somewhere to go and the tube will take on more water faster, I would let it go unless it bangs alot
 

Yeasty McFlaps

Recruit
Joined
Jul 28, 2012
Messages
4
Re: Do aluminum pontoons hold pressure? Cold climate to warm??

If they are actually sealed the pressure will vary quite alot and even go from pressure to a vacuum but it is only a few psi and can't hurt anything.

Really the only thing that can happen is the baffles will bang, scares the poop out of you if you aren't expecting it but it too is harmless.

The pressure in the tube builds and it will push the baffle from concave to convex and it makes a big bang, then does it again as the tube heats/cools down.

There are hundreds and hundreds of thousands of pontoons with sealed tubes and none of them have a problem from air sealed in the tube, the probelm comes when owners get involved and get them up to 10-105psi, then you can hear a really load bang.

If it really bugs you, pull your plugs and drill super small holes in them, that will let the tube "breath", the down side is if you get a puncture in the tube the hole in the cap will give the air somewhere to go and the tube will take on more water faster, I would let it go unless it bangs alot


thanks Guys, good to know
 
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