Richard found some interesting information for us about the vent plugs. Pass this on. Hey Bob and fellow SUPers. I talked with an engineer at the Gore company (Gore-Tex) who make the pressure vents that most of us have in our boards. According to him there is no field test you can do to determine if your pressure vent is plugged or still functioning. Prior to failure, the only way to determine if your vent is working is to send it back to Gore for testing. Removing the vent and trying to blow air thru it by holding it up to your lips will give the impression the vent is plugged, though it is likely not. If you could force air thru the vent that easily it would leak water as well. Soooo, what to do to avoid undetected pressure vent failure? Preventative maintenance I guess. They (Gore) recommend basically what Bob has been recommending, rinse the vent with clean fresh water every time you go out although removing the vent from the board is not necessary each time. Taking the vent out of the board OCCASIONALLY and soaking it in clean water (no soap) is also a good idea but make sure it is dry prior to reinstallation. Also, be sure to check the little round rubber seal before reinserting the vent into the board to insure water tightness (got all that)? Oh, and to protect the threads, only finger tighten your vent when inserting it back into the board while using a finger held 5/8 inch socket (thus sayeth Bob). By the way, these pressure vents were originally designed to protect electronics in a much dryer and cleaner environment and more recently the paddleboard companies have been using them in paddleboards as well. They do require frequent cleaning to keep up with the added demands we (paddle boarders) put them through and are not maintenance free if that is your impression (and it was sort of MY impression). Finally, Gore does not consider these vents to be life of your board products. Even with frequent cleaning they recommend replacing the vent every year or two to protect your board. Richard Unlike ·
Posted on: Fri, 24 Jan 2014 20:23:31 +0000