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Rain Policy and Wet Inflatables |
RAIN POLICY
Your Rain Policy may vary greatly from your neighboring
inflatable business and it's important to know how
weather can affect your business before you take your
first reservation.
You might be thinking "What Is The Big Deal about Rain?"
but for safety reasons you're customers shouldn't be
using an inflatable while it's wet (Unless it's an
inflatable meant to be used while wet.) because wet
vinyl gets slippery and a rider who jumps and expects to
land a specific way but slips; now has the potential of
sliding or falling on another rider injuring himself or
another person.
Along with rain comes winds. Manufacturer guidelines
state that an inflatable unit needs to be deflated if
the winds exceed 15 - 25 mph. (For your own liability
coverage you need to check manufacturer guidelines for
your specific inflatable.) Wind and wind gusts are huge
hazards for inflatables. The wind can pick up an
inflatable and get blown 30 or more feet into the air or
blown across a football field, even with the weight of
several rider in it. Winds have the potential of blowing
over a water slide that has over 50 gallons of water in
the pool. The potential of high winds and wind gusts are
not be questioned!
So what do you do if the weather man says it's going to
rain? You should educate your customer and together make
a decision to deliver the inflatable or not. Advice the
customer that a wet unit cannot be used for safety
reasons, and they would need to have the rain shower
pass and towel dry off the unit before use. You would
need to determine the frequency, duration and quantity
of rain that is expected. A few light passing rain
showers and the customer may consider taking delivery of
the unit because they are sure to get enough use out of
it to make the rental worth it. Or the customer may
determine that there is too much rain forecasted, they
won't get enough use of the unit, and decide not to rent
the unit. In addition, the customer also needs to be
educated about winds, and the hazards of high winds or
wind gusts. Ultimately, you will need to make the
decision of delivery or not, and you should always base
your decision on safety!
DRYING WET INFLATABLES
You need to make sure that any wet unit is thoroughly
dried before it is put into storage. Even a unit only
wet from dew has the potential for mildew and odors. You
will need to setup the unit on the next
available/possible day. A wet unit can get mildew on it
in less than a week, so don't ever think "It's going out
next weekend I don't have to worry about drying it out".
A unit repeatedly exposed to moisture and dew has the
potential of mal-odors, which are very difficult to get
rid of.
You might think it's as simple as setting a unit up to
dry, and that may be possible if the unit isn't very wet
or dirty. However, if the unit also got muddy then you
might want to think about using a hose and rinsing the
unit off. You can also wash your inflatable similar to
washing a car: rinse the dirt off, wash with a large
sponge, cleaning agent, and a bucket and then rinse with
the hose.
Also, if you have an inflatable unit that has a slide
cover or steps on it such as combo units or giant dry
slides, you will need to pull up the slide cover to make
sure that the space (and all adhering velcro) between
the vinyl and slide cover are dry. If not, fold it over
and allow to dry.
Whether you just allow the unit to dry, hose it off, or
wash similar to a car. The next step is to dry your
unit. You'll need to use some towels to get the large
puddles of water trapped in seams or corners to expedite
the drying the process. If your unit has an access
zipper then go into the unit and dry up any puddles
which may have formed. (Always have someone watch over
the inflatable and zipper entrance while you go into the
unit for safety reasons.)
Some tips to help you dry your unit: You can tip your
unit a little by using your hand truck and lift it on
one side to help water accumulate/drain. Another way you
can remove water is by use of a leaf blower. Also, be
wary about trapped water, especially if your unit was
caught in heavy rain. Internal seam designs can prevent
water from draining from inflatable beams and pillars.
If you have gone into your unit through the access
zipper and you have soaked up the puddles with towels,
it is highly recommended that you double check before
your final deflation.
Ultimately wet inflatables take more work! That's one
reason why you receive more income for a water slide
then a bounce house. They are heavier, require tedious
post-rental work because you need to make sure they are
thoroughly dried, and often the dirt sticks to them
because they have gotten wet.
Whether your inflatable has gotten wet either from dew,
rain or thoughtless customers who have used a hose with
the inflatable unit. What ever the cause the resolution
have to be the same. Your unit must be thoroughly dried
before you put it into storage. Drying the unit may be
as fast as 3 or 4 hours on a hot sunny day, or it could
take 8 or more hours on a cool humid day. Either way,
always make sure the vinyl, stitching and netting are
thoroughly dry before permanent storage.
Is your rain policy different? Did I miss a step in the
drying process? Questions? Suggestions? Difficulties? Send Them To
Webmaster@Bounce-House-Business.com.
Written by Sharon Patten.
Member Name: ADB at the
Moonwalkforum.com.
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