Just wondering if this could happen

BLC

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Jul 17, 2009
Messages
83
Just curious about something that I never really thought about before. I have read several places never to put more that 3 psi inside a pontoon when pressure testing it. I know the reasoning behind it but If the pontoons are leak free and the plugs are in the threaded bungs at the top of each chamber, is possible for the pressure to build up in the pontoon on a sunny day enough to cause a leak in the pontoon, and also a possibility to collapse the pontoons when the temperatures drop to -40 degrees in the winter time. Is this a possibility or are the pressures and vacumm that might happen not enough to cause any damage.
 

5150abf

Vice Admiral
Joined
Aug 12, 2007
Messages
5,808
Re: Just wondering if this could happen

The pressures aren't even close to do any damage to tube, worst case the pressure builds or drops and the tube "bangs" which is just the baffle moving from the pressure.

I build boat in Indiana and our winters get pretty nasty, we have boats all the time that go from inside to the yard where it can get into the single digits or lower and have never had a problem.

And the 3 psi is a super safe pressure and really all you need to find leaks but I routinely pressure check tubes at 12-15 psi BUT, this is in a factory and that is part of my quality check, if it can't take that I don't want it on the water, and if I explode a tube I just run another one but for the average guy in his drive 2-3 psi is all you need.
 

WaterDR

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
May 8, 2012
Messages
730
Re: Just wondering if this could happen

Agreed!

Folks, going back to HS or JR HS science for a minute, remember the equation PV/T? This means that if the volume of a container stays fixed, the pressure will increase or decrease proportionally to the rise or decrease in pressure. Using this relationship, you can actually perfectly predict the pressure based on Temp changes.
 

BLC

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Jul 17, 2009
Messages
83
Re: Just wondering if this could happen

Thanks guys. I didn't think it was a problem but I thought I would ask the question because our temperature ranges go from +30C in the summer to -40C in the winter. 5150, which pontoon mfg do you work for.
 

5150abf

Vice Admiral
Joined
Aug 12, 2007
Messages
5,808
Re: Just wondering if this could happen

I run the tube shop at Bennington and have built pontoons since 1987.
 
Top