Air mattresses are a little vulnerable to problems and damages. However, we can say that there are a lot of brands of air beds out in the market that are quite durable. But don’t expect this mattress to last as long as your high-density foam mattress.

Because it is prone to problems, you have to be prepared all the time. Here are some tips on how to solve common air mattress problems:

1. Poor air retention

There is nothing you can do about it if the main cause of the problem is the construction. Some air mattresses have poor construction or poor manufacturing methods. This is why they do not hold air well. If your mattress came with a warranty, you should use the warranty and have it replaced or fixed. There could be damaged parts in the air chambers inside the bed.

If the loss of air is caused by a leaky area of the mattress, you should try fixing that damaged part. Most air beds have a repair kit included. Use that to patch the leaks. You can also try cutting a piece of vinyl fabric and use that to patch the hole. Just use a fabric glue to seal the hole.

2. The mattress slides

If the bottom of the mattress keeps on sliding on the floor, you can try placing a small rug underneath. This will prevent the mattress from sliding off. If the top of the mattress is a little slippery, try using bed covers that are made from cotton. They stay in place and they do not slide off.

3. The mattress is too low

If the thickness is not enough for you, you can try using a platform for your mattress. Have a simple platform custom-made for your bed. This will also provide better support for the air mattress.

4. The mattress smells bad

Most air beds have chemicals incorporated in them. That being said, they tend to smell like plastic when they are new. You should air it out for a few days. This will help get rid of the smell. You can also try sprinkling baking soda on the mattress. Baking soda works well in removing unwanted mattress odor. Let it sit there for an hour before vacuuming or wiping it off.

Also try washing the bed covers with scented liquid detergent. Use fabric conditioner if you must to remove the plastic smell of the bed.

If you are thinking about buying your first tig welding machine, you will soon be faced with another decision; whether to buy an air cooled tig torch or water cooled tig torch. First lets clear up a few misconceptions about exactly what an air cooled tig torch is. It is not cooled by forced air but rather it is called an “air cooled tig torch” only to distinguish it from a water cooled tig torch. The air cooled tig torch is also called a “dry rig” because it uses no water for coolant. Heat just dissipates off the torch into the air. A dry rig tig torch is always larger than a water cooled tig torch that has the same amperage rating. The torch cable on an dry rig torch is also much larger. A water cooled torch has a much smaller power cable. It can be small because it is inside a plastic tube through which coolant is pumped. As long as there is coolant flowing over the power cable, it stays cool and will handle a lot of amperage. If the coolant stops, the torch cable will heat up and usually burn right through the tubing.

To help you make the decision here are some pros and cons of water cooled vs dry rig tig torches.

Air dry rig torch pros

o simple with low maintenance

o no cooler recirculation unit required

o cheaper than water cooled

o more portable

Air dry rig torch cons

o Larger than water cooled torches with the same amperage rating

o Get hotter in your hand

o Not available in high amperage ratings

Water cooled torch pros

o smaller torch

o high amperage torches available

o stay cool

Water cooled torch cons

o cooler /recirculation unit required and they are expensive

o more expensive than air cooled torches

o more complicated to hook up

o some maintenance is required on the coolant system

A major factor in your decision should be how much you weld. If you are a hobbyist and only weld occasionally and only for a few minutes at a time, an air cooled torch will be just fine for you.

If you weld frequently, or for a living, you not only don’t want your torch getting too hot to handle, but you want the smallest torch you can get that will handle the amperages you need. Size does matter.

After listening to years of customer complaints about their inability to cope with poor Gold Wing performance symptoms and the ruthless exploitation by many repair shops back in the Eighties, we were compelled to study the problem. In 1990, a solution was presented in writing that was handed out to my customers without any obligation on the part of the reader to buy anything. We received hundreds of thank yous from customers and those who never purchased parts from us but took time to write. Those who made the replacement based on our solution and tuned up their engines, eliminated a whole series of problems, including the burning out of head gaskets and, over the years, we received many declarations of greatly improved gas mileage and overall performance.

AIR CUT-OFF VALVE

The Air Cut-Off Valve is an extremely important part of the fuel / air intake system that is frequently missed even by competent mechanics, most of whom are not even aware of its existence or how it functions. Over time, air cutoff valves will harden up, perforate and/or disintegrate leaving your motorcycle in a permanently lean, low RPM range (0-2200).

Most early model Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha motorcycles use air cut-off valves. Every Honda CB650, CB750, CB900 and GL1000 has one, located in the air intake tube between the air cleaner box and the manifold. The GL1100 has four, located in the top air intake passage of each carburetor, and every GL1200 has one located in the plenum box below the air cleaner box similar to the GL1000.

These valves are “air blockers”, along with the carburetor o-rings, serving to restrict air flow, increasing the fuel-air mixture ratio when the carb slides are in the lower RPM range, up to closed so that the machine will start and idle smoothly with virtually no choking and accelerate rapidly, with no stumble or hesitation.

When typical starting requires heavy and prolonged choking to keep the bike running, when stalling and hesitation occurs even while “warmed up” and when backfiring pops while the throttle is shut off while cruising, most people will start fooling with the air screws to try to overcome the problem, only making it worse along with reducing their gas mileage.

Running with dysfunctional air cut-off valves can cause severe engine damage or failure. When the valves are dysfunctional, the engine pulls nearly total air into the low RPM range through the carbs and on to the combustion chamber. The fuel-air ratio is extremely poor with pre-ignition long before the normal 38 to 40 degree firing point, generating an enormous amount of heat, with no power, which is trapped a longer period of time in the cylinder before the exhaust valve opens.

This heat goes mostly up through the cylinder head, gradually incinerating the head gaskets and allowing engine coolant (antifreeze) to seep into the engine. You can easily spot when you are in trouble by a puff of bluish-white or white smoke on first starting the engine. Don’t leave it alone. Change the head gaskets immediately or you could take out your bottom end bearings, ruining the engine.

For those of you installing new exhaust systems, you will discolor your head pipes, either blue (lean state) or gold (rich state) if the signs are ignored. You an destain your pipes using Blueway or Blue-Off but be careful not to rub the chrome, just dab gently. These destaining compounds are usually found at a Harley dealer or Harley-oriented aftermarket shop.

Honda genuine pipes, like many Yamaha pipes, have a double wall for a portion of the head pipe which masks discoloration – but also masks a bad state of tune. Even if your pipes are original and still in good shape, don’t think you’re safe if your motorcycle has any or all of the dysfunctional air cut-off valve running and performing characteristics.

If your 1975 to 1987 Gold Wing is not getting 50 to 58 miles per gallon (20-23 kilometers per liter), you have one of the most obvious signs of trouble. It is likely your air screws have been backed out to try to overcome the effects of the poor running, stumbling, starting, stalling and quitting.

INSTALLATION GUIDELINES

Refer to your Clymer, Haynes or Honda Workshop manual for location and installation procedures.

Replace your air cut-off valve/s then resynchronize all four carburetors to the #3 carburetor vacuum level using a mercury carb sync tool (carb stick) or vacuum gauge synchronizer tool. The number 3 carb is the constant fixed flow carburetor set at the factory.

DO NOT attempt to set by ear or just by guessing as the results can be anywhere from pathetic to disastrous.

DO NOT deviate from the book settings of your Honda, Clymer or Haynes manual. Wiser people than all of us designed this very effective and efficient intake and carburetion system.

To further insure against any additional vacuum loss, replace your inexpensive carburetor manifold o-rings. Vacuum loss can occur there and mimic the effect of a bad air cut-off valve. Paste a new set in with vaseline and make sure they are sealed with an ether check.

© Saber Cycle®

The 2 gallon air compressor has become the most popular size for most general home use applications since they are almost always small, fairly light-weight, and easily portable though they still generate enough pressure to make them useful. In the world of air compressors, bigger typically means more powerful, so these small 2 gallon air compressors are about the smallest compressors available that are still able to do more than blow up inflatable tires and toys or operate an airbrush. Depending on how you intend to use it, this compressor may very well be the best option available to you.

A 2 gallon air compressor is defined as such because it has a 2 gallon tank, which may be either one single tank or a pair of one gallon tanks connected to each other. The net result is the same whether there are one or two tanks, so this should not be a major concern. The tank(s) play two primary roles both of which are very helpful and are why almost all serious use air compressors have tanks. The first is that they build up a reservoir of compressed air in the tanks and once the tank’s limits are reached the compressor stops building up more. This prevents the compressor – or the tool or device receiving the compressed air – from exploding and also allows the motor to rest periodically, letting it run longer. Second, the tanks allow the stream of air coming from the output to remain steady, despite any fluctuations in the motor’s performance.

Although a lot of variety exists, the 2 gallon air compressor is almost always small and easily mobile. In fact many 2 gallon air compressors sold are sold specifically along with a “kit” which provides all the accessories needed for a particular process. For example, you can buy a nail gun kit or a paint sprayer kit that comes with a nail gun, paint sprayer, and other accessories as well as a 2 gallon air compressor altogether as a single item. Even if bought as a separate unit, most of the time the 2 gallon compressor is meant to operate at least one pneumatic tool, so most will generate at least 90 psi (pounds per square inch of pressure) and at least three to seven cfm (cubic feet per minute of air flow).

Most 2 gallon air compressors are designed to be plugged in and use an electric motor powered through a standard household electrical outlet. There are portable versions available, that operate on gas or on a battery pack, but these are not really practical and not common. Although there are oil-lubricated 2 gallon compressors available, this again is largely impractical for such small compressors and not very common either.

The 2 gallon air compressor is generally designed to be useful and operate at least one serious tool. As such, many people see them as an excellent compromise between the tiny 12 volt compressors that are too weak to power anything and the larger 6 gallon compressors that are probably too powerful for most people’s household applications. Although again there is plenty of variety, one can usually expect to spend about $150 to $250 for a new 2 gallon compressor, though obviously used and refurbished units will cost less.