CO2 Inflators

alanryan86

I hope someone can shed some light on a theory I have.
Last time I rode my bike was about a month ago. I got a puncture on my way home. I changed the tube and removed the sharp item from the tube. I then used a 16g CO2 cartridge to inflate the tyre. When I went to my bike yesterday the tyre was flat, not completely, but not rideable. I removed the tube and no leaks showed in water. I have reinfected it and all is good. So what I'm asking is, do CO2 inflated tyres loose pressure quicker than standard inflated tyres?

simonj

No don't think so, could have been valve not shut/tightened up enough.

JackPozzi

alanryan86 wrote:

I hope someone can shed some light on a theory I have.
Last time I rode my bike was about a month ago. I got a puncture on my way home. I changed the tube and removed the sharp item from the tube. I then used a 16g CO2 cartridge to inflate the tyre. When I went to my bike yesterday the tyre was flat, not completely, but not rideable. I removed the tube and no leaks showed in water. I have reinfected it and all is good. So what I'm asking is, do CO2 inflated tyres loose pressure quicker than standard inflated tyres?

Yes they do, always good practice when you get home after using CO2 to empty the tube and pump up using normal air.

Monty Dog

If you have latex tubes, to be expected - less so with butyl tubes

DiscoBoy

This is known. For whatever reason, inner tubes are more permeable to CO2 than to nitrogen/oxygen. Always let the CO2 out and pump them up again once you get home.

JackPozzi

Monty Dog wrote:

If you have latex tubes, to be expected - less so with butyl tubes

Latex, I'd top up everyday, they lose significant pressure regardless of what you inflate them with!

jibberjim

simonj wrote:

No don't think so, could have been valve not shut/tightened up enough.

Yes they do, much quicker, co2 passes through butyl or latex tyres much faster than others - and everything passes through latex pretty quickly.

You can get other gases...
http://stayfill.com/

sungod

compared to the bulk constituents of air, carbon dioxide is highly soluble in butyl (and latex), the molecules permeate the material of the tube wall (causing it to swell slightly) and eventually escape

so co2 filled tubes lose pressure faster than air-filled ones

drlodge

No need to let the CO2 out of tyres that you've used a canister on, just pump them up the next time you go out for a ride as the CO2 will have leached out.

Re latex tubes; Nearly went out on Sunday morning without re-pumping up my tubs form the night before, pressure had dropped from around 120psi to 80-90 psi just overnight!