Drying the inside of flotation?

So, the short version* of the question is: I got water inside my bow float bag - how do I get it out and dry it to avoid a mold farm?

The bag has an inflation valve at the end of a tube and a dump valve that has to be squeezed or have something jammed in to keep it open. I'm trying to figure out how to hold that valve open and keep the bags shape enough to get what airflow I can. Maybe someone else has a clever solution I'm not thinking of?

*The back story is that it's a very aged bag that came with a used boat. It was holding air OK. I usually leave them partially deflated in the garage to allow for volume change while heating/cooling (garage isn't climate controlled), but in the past couple months I came out to the garage and found it totally deflated. Yesterday I inflated it and it held air well, so I took it to the pool and dunked it to try to find the leak. Well....it seems like the dump valve is what was leaking, but as I watched the air bubbles coming out, I realized water must be getting it. Duh. In hindsight I should have inflated it, and sponged on a little very soapy water to try to blow bubbles like the mechanic does looking for a leak in a tire and avoiding this issue. But... too late.

I imagine it will be difficult to get any appreciable air flow to dry it out.

I'd probably start with blowing compressed air into the opening (on a dry day to ensure the compressor air is fairly dry) to hopefully remove a good bit of it. Then I'd let it sit somewhere really hot, if possible.

If patching bags is easy maybe you could just cut a slit and patch it after drying?

Alan

How about using the outflow from a vacuum cleaner?

Good thoughts, thanks Alan and Ralph!

I wouldn't worry much about having some wetness or even mold in an enclosed air bag that I'll never touch or even see the inside of. If I did worry, I might try to prevent mold inside by pouring in a quart of white vinegar or a bleach solution and sloshing it around inside the bag. Then try to dry it out some.

Also a good idea, Glenn. My concern with the mold inside would be accidentally inhaling some while inflating it, as there's no backflow valve on the inflator tube. This could be easily avoided by being conscientious while inflating, but sometimes I'm in a rush....
I'd also wonder if mold would slowly degrade the material, but these are already so old and UV degraded, it's hardly worth worrying about that.

Tsuga8 said:

Also a good idea, Glenn. My concern with the mold inside would be accidentally inhaling some while inflating it, as there's no backflow valve on the inflator tube. This could be easily avoided by being conscientious while inflating, but sometimes I'm in a rush....

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My answer for that is to not inflate by mouth.

Steve in Idaho said:

My answer for that is to not inflate by mouth.

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Agree. I've never inflated air bags by mouth. That would take forever, except maybe for a small top-off with a few breaths. I've used the same inexpensive foot bellows pump for more than 40 years, such as:

I have had good luck with rinsing sealed systems (tubing and fluid bags) with isopropyl alcohol. The residual alcohol left will evaporate if you can keep the valve open. I have not used this in your exact application, but it should work.

Bob

Alcohol - also a great idea Bob, thanks!

As for pumps...makes sense. I'm a little torn on the whole thing - it would be logical to just replace the bag since I'm not totally convinced it would hold air during a bad pin. But at the same time I don't actually get on anything above Class I these days, so I'm reluctant to shell out for a new bag, let alone a pump. But, that doesn't change the pump being a good and logical suggestion.

Tsuga8 said:

it seems like the dump valve is what was leaking

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Tsuga8 said:

it would be logical to just replace the bag since I'm not totally convinced it would hold air during a bad pin.

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The bag won't be reliable if it is leaking. I don't think you necessarily have to buy a new bag. You may be able to fix the leaking dump valve. If the problem is the seal around the valve to the (vinyl or nylon?) bag, you may be able to patch that up by globbing on some Aquaseal or even a tent seam sealer.

I've never done it on a bag, but for air mattresses and water bladders I've jammed the valve open and gave it a couple of minutes of 10psi air from my compressor (it has a water separator) to blow out any moisture or contaminants. I do that with my sleeping pads too (most have double valves). depending on the valve style, you can disassemble it and wash it out, most times if the valve itself is leaking, it's usually just a buildup of crud or worn gasket...

Good tips, thanks scoutergriz. I don't actually have an air compressor, but I should look at the ability to disassemble, clean, and repair the valves. I think the dump valve itself is actually what's leaking, but more tinkering is needed.