How to Fix a Leak in a Basketball? Repairing Tips
Occasional leaking is a must in basketball whether you like it or not. Even the best-cared balls start leaking in one way or the other. And usually, it is hard to find out where the leak is and how to fix it. Many valuable balls that can be fixed in just a few minutes are disposed of only because the players do not know how to fix them.
You must know how your ball leaks, what factors cause this leakage, and how to fix it. Don’t know? Well, no need to worry, here in the present article we are going to tell you the best-known techniques on How to find and fix a leak in Basketball
Why Would a Basketball Keep Losing Air?
There are, mainly, three factors that cause leaks in basketball. Namely Valve Leaks, Seam Leaks, and small holes. They all can be fixed in just a few minutes. Here we will discuss some super ways to fix these leaks so that your favorite ball might stay longer with you.
Valve Leaks
It is one of the most common leaks that occur in basketball. It happens when some dirt is jammed in the valve, the needle is put wrong, or aging. Most people ignore taking care while pumping a basketball and take the wrong needle accidentally resulting in valve damage.
Small Holes
Most of the basketballs are made of leather and come with an internal bladder, hence such balls are unlikely to be damaged. On the other hand, most of the other balls frequently get holes and need to be fixed instantly.
Basketballs differ in material, quality, and construction as they are developed by different manufacturers. These holes are caused by numerous activities ranging from overinflating to rolling or bouncing the ball over something sharp or needlelike
Seam Leaks
Solid piece material basketballs such as rubber and composite basketballs make seam leaks implausible. But such leaks are common in the balls having bladder due to changes in material over time or stretch.
Rubber basketballs and composite basketballs do not have seams as they are one solid piece of material containing the air, making seam leaks unlikely. However, select composite basketballs and all leather balls seam leaks can cause damage to the bladder, causing leaks. These seams begin to open causing the soft bladder to be damaged either by the seam itself or by sand stuck inside.
How to Fix Each Type of Leak
After having known the leak types you need to know how to fix these leaks. Moreover, the way you fix them depends on the ball type and the way the ball is damaged. There are certain things that cannot be fixed such as the damages having large holes almost of the width of your finger.
Repairing a valve leak
It is easy to fix a valve leak if the ball is able to retain the air but in case the ball is unable to hold any air soon after the needle is removed it is useless to repair it. There are three super quick methods to fix valve leaks
- Wet needle: this repair mostly works. Arrange a little soap water, dip it in the needle, and start removing and inserting the needle multiple times. This will remove the debris or dirt jammed inside. And now you are in a position to close the leak
- Inset Toothpick: if you are left with no choice go for this temporary fix. Insert an available needle to plug the ball and in case the valve is completely worn out and is unable to retain the air try inserting a toothpick. Now the air will not flow out.
- Replace Valve: this is only suitable in the case of leather balls. You can replace the valve with a new valve without having a need to remove the bladder or break the seam
Repairing a Hole
To fix a small hole causing the ball to lose air slowly, you must identify whether the ball has an internal bladder. Most rubber basketballs do not have bladders inside; composite balls may or may not have an internal bladder, while all leather balls have a bladder. There are three wonderfully speedy methods to fix Hole leaks
- Patching Kit: the kit comprises a needle capable of holding a particular kind of liquid and is inserted in the hole. After getting inserted, the needle releases the liquid which instantly fills the hole and hardens resulting in the retention of air in the ball. This method is only suitable for rubber balls
- Hot Knife: this method is not suitable for rubber balls or leather balls due to the heat involved. But this is the super quick method in case you have a vinyl basketball. Outing a hot knife on the hole will quickly seal the hole
- Replace Bladder: when the ball is too much used and the bladder is not in a condition to be reused, it should be replaced with a new one
Fixing the Seam
Don’t waste your time fixing a seam in case you have a rubber or composite ball as it will require much money, time, and energy. To fix such damage you will need more than a thread or needle. You will need sealant. Well, the seams in the modern and updated look balls are normally hidden and it is even hard to find them. Therefore we recommend you to get the ball repaired by a professional.
Conclusion: How to Fix a Leak in a Basketball
From the above-given information, it can be easily assessed that basketball may get damaged in several ways but the ways to fix and repair those damages are super quick and easy. These repairing not only save your money and get your ball back to its original health but make sure that they remain with you for a longer time. But you have to be careful in the identification of the damage and the method you choose for repairing that damage. No matter what you do but never try to fix a ball that has large cuts and hole (extending to a few inches)