Nowadays, the question of how to inflate foil balloons is relevant, since they are widely used at matinees for children, various activities of adults and city festivities.
Foil balls are made from pieces of metallized lavsan film, with a paint pattern or a monochromatic coating, joining them by thermal welding. Since the lavsan film with metal deposition is very similar to foil, they are most often called "foil-coated", much less often - "mylar" or "lavsan". Foil balloons are of the following types:
- Decorating - are made in the form of various stars, a circle, a heart, a crescent from a monochromatic film of bright colors. Some manufacturers cover them with holographic paint, which gives sparkling and sparkling paint.
- With a picture - they are produced in the same forms as the decorative ones, but drawings or inscriptions are applied to them for all festive occasions.
- Symbols are monochromatic, as a rule, made in the form of numbers or Latin letters 80-90 centimeters high.
- Figures - made in the form of animals, heroes of cartoons and fairy tales, various objects. They can be simple or voluminous.
- Walking figures - inside them there are special weights that prevent them from flying up. At the slightest draft, the figure moves on the floor, turns, waves his arms, twists his head.
How and how to properly inflate a foil balloon?
Small balls are often filled with air, in which case the ball is usually attached to a tube with a clip. Bulky ones measuring 18 inches or more are filled with helium. All foil balloons at the base have an inlet (aka check) valve, through which it is inflated with both air and helium.
To solve the question of how to inflate a foil balloon with air, you can use a hand pump, which has several nozzles and is suitable for all types. If the pump is not at hand, you can inflate with your mouth through the cocktail tube. In this case, you must carefully insert the tube into the inlet towards the center of the ball, move it 5-10 centimeters inward and exhale inward. If necessary, straighten the foil ball or gently push the tube a little deeper. After inflation, you just need to pull out the tube, the check valve will immediately close and the air will not come out.
To fill the foil balloons with helium, you will need a portable helium balloon, a balloon attachment and an adapter for this type of balloon. The lower, wider part of the nozzle is screwed onto the cylinder, then the adapter is screwed into it. This adapter is the tube that needs to act in the same way as when inflating with air. It is advisable to blow the balloon through the tube with air before opening the balloon (just one exhalation to make sure that air is flowing). Then you need to press the neck of the ball to the adapter, open the valve on the cylinder and start filling the ball. At first, it is inflated quickly, but when it is almost full, helium is fed in small portions to avoid balloon burst. When the foil balloon is completely inflated, the tap is fully turned, the balloon is carefully removed from the adapter, tied with a braid or sealed with a sealer.
A well-filled balloon does not need to be tied, as the check valve keeps the filler inside. But so that the ball does not fly away, a braid is tied to its neck. If you tie the ribbon above the inlet, then the tightness of the valve may break and the ball will lose its elasticity, so you need to tie the ribbon below the inlet. Balls without a valve are sealed using a specialized device - a sealer, while two welded seams are formed on the neck of the filled ball, located above the inlet. Then a braid is tied to it.
The lifespan of foil balloons
Their life span ranges from several days to a month. Helium or air slowly exits through the check valve or through the seams that connect the parts of the balloon.
In addition, the environment affects life expectancy: cold, heat, rain. Therefore, it is advisable not to expose the balloons to large temperature changes, not to use them in the rain or in the wind, and to properly fill and tie them.
Second life of foil balloons
In order to save money when decorating a holiday, you can reuse used foil balloons, but for this you need to properly and carefully release all the air from them, and store them unfolded in a dry and cool place, laying paper between them.
