Hi all,
The valve on my LE bladder has got about 6 leaks all around the base coming from where I assume they heat seal the valves onto the bladders. Is there anyway to fix this or is it time for a new bladder? Thought about cutting open the bladder, heat sealing the valve again and then rapairing the bladder but am afraid the valve will never be right again. Any ideas? Will this work is is it time for a new bladder? I'm a bit pissed cause the kite is only about 5 months old and there is no reason for the bladder to be leaking this way. Any advice appreciated.

had a similar thing happen to my Naish ArX....

i just used the glue provided and stuck it back together....and it worked....just add more glue to the seam after you feel that the stem has glued back onto the bladder material...

maybe it is warranty,get back to your dealer and ask him about it,i mean a 5 months old kite shouldn't may have that kind of problems

I did it twice like this:

you need to CUT (no joke) in your bladder on the opposite side of the valve. The cut shouldn´t be bigger than your regular sticker covers (1,5-2cm) as you need to close it therewith after the operation. You´ve to cautiously insert the sticker through the opening by a tweezers. I´ve removed the cover layer only half before inserting it, then positioned and prefixed the sticker on the whole, and removed the second section thereafter. It really worked fine and it´s a long term solution. Imagine the airpressure pushes the sticker onto the bladder material as it´s inside - you never get a leaking valve proof from the outside as you´ve to deal with the border of the valve, not properly taking any glueing material.

aloha

Jürgen

I've used something called Aquaseal which is a polyureathane sealer for neoprene wetsuits. It has a accelerator to speed up the drying process. I apply it to the whole base of the valve and never have to deal with it again. This is allot easier than cutting another hole in the opposite side of the bladder and causing more harm than needed. I buy mine at the local scuba dealer. Also works good as patch glue for large repairs that are bigger than supplied patches.

not sure this will work in your situation,
but I have had good success
with re-sealing seam with an ironand wax paper,
so if you are going to cut,
do it at the end seam and re seal there

you will have more room to work with
for thermo-weld at valve

NO cut version-
using a larger piece of bladder over the entire area
and glue in place. Ugly, but effective
seat tight to edge of stem(smooth area)
with undersized valve hole on patch

This evening, I tried to fix a valve by cutting out a disc shape from a thin, latex glove, then cutting a hole in the middle to fit over the valve stem. The whole/hole thing fits over the valve. Using "Shoe Goo," I glued the valve base back to the bladder and then glued the patch over the valve base and the surrounding bladder. Since the bladder inflates against the material in the strut, it should hold as if it were on the inside of the bladder.

I let you know how it works - really soon, I hope.