Pump Problem

Steven A in California is having problems blowing up his tires with his floor pump, well with all his pumps. We give him some suggestions that may help.

Question:
Hi Guys, I have a problem with my floor pump, in fact it happens to all pumps. After a short awhile it’s like you’ve left the valve closed, because the pressure in the tire kicks the handle all the way up, not allowing you to push it down. The little valve on my presta tubes seems to get stuck or something. How can I keep the pump working like new?

Steven.

Hi Steven.

The first thing you must remember to do before you inflate your tires; is that after you unwind the little safety toggle thing on the valve is to press it in and let a little air out as this clears any grit or dirt that may have got caught I the valve. This also makes sure that there is no damage to the pin part of the valve and that the valve works OK.

Take the centre plunger out of the floor pump and check that the rubber flange that pushes the air down through the pump is not damaged or dry. Put a little grease around the flange and inside the pumps tube, this helps the seal on the plunger to push the air through.

Always make sure you have the pump’s adapter or the connector is held at the correct angle and not twisting the valve or letting air out. Make sure the valve rubber in the end of the pump is not worn.

Your problem is fairly common as blow backs can occur with most pumps, you have to be careful when blowing up your tires, never get behind a hand pump or above a floor pump as it can have a lot of pressure behind it.