Hand pump is sticking? why?

I must be weird I like the purple and pink pump. I dont use it very often. I wont live with out my filbert pump. It is sooo lite and I dont brake it and that is saying a lot! If the pump is sticking you can always unscrew it and you can put a lubricant on the plastic seal. Once a year I have to do that with my pumps and I have never head a problem with them.

MY NEW PurPle and Pink 2-WAY pump FILLS in one direction AND SUCKS THE AIR BACK OUT IN THE OTHER!! HELP!!!!!!

Try unscrewing the lid and see if anything is blocking the filter. If that isnt it I would talk to where you bought it.

THANKS that workedbut I dont know why!

You inspired me to buy some balloons and so far I made a bunch
of ok flowers, a swan a butterfly and a bee.

Fun!

Learn the basic shapes you twist & then watch some youtube tutorials. Start easy, cat, do, flower, etc.

I had the same problem with the pink/purple pump I bought. It actually got to the point where I couldn't pump it at all. I called the company that I ordered it from, and they sent me a free replacement, without shipping charges. My second one seems to work just fine. Of course I did just order a Filbert...

Have you tried a battery powered "Majiloon"? If this is your profession, it is well worth the investment. Customer service from DJ is excellent, should you ever need it. I am so happy with mine, I invested in a back-up, which my son has comandeered after trying it once...

Save yourself the wear and tear on your joints!

Okay... Here is the deal with the pump. There is a little ball inside the shaft that gets stuck. If you tell Qualatex they offer to send you a replacement pump... which they never send. Anyway, the fix (temporary) is to place your hand on the bottom to block the air... make sure it is "open" I guess... fully extended. And firmly pump once. It should jar the ball back into place.

The purple pump is made to inflate on both the push in and pull out as opposed to other pumps which are one way action pumps. If you try to make it work, expecting it to pump only when pushing in - yep then that puppy is going to frustrate you to no end! The reason the hand over the bottom works is your sorta making the pump cough (if the ball is stuck it will dislodge) and in a sense resetting it. Not the best why to explain it but - the pump is a dual action and the red pump is single action.

Sweet Loretta
Certified Balloon Artist

Open it up and clean out the talc deposits--then wipe the black ring with a thin coat of vaseline & you should be good for a long time.

I now love my Filbert pumps. I have two for festival work so my assistants can help me move my line more quickly. I also have a few "spaghetti blaster" pumps for 160's and about 6 red pumps and 4 purple ones. Anniel is right. That black ring needs to be cleaned and a little lubricated. Also twist the pump a little to adjust from time to time. Just like anything, with use parts can slip or become dirty. I used to always use the purple because of the dual-action but kids LOVE to help me inflate with myFilbert. I use the red ones when I teach because students can measure how many pumps of air more accurately.

Okay, what's a filbert pump? How much are they, and where can I get one, lol!

Trinkie, you can find them at www.filbertpump.com and right now they're $115 with shipping. I like that you can customize the colors. He only accepts paypal I think. I didn't like the service at first (they lost my order and it took too long). Any light weight floor pump can save you time and wear and tear on your arms, wrist, and shoulder.

Also checkout Andrew MacDonald's Mini MacPump www.macpump.org. It's only slightly smaller but cheaper in price and well made. All pumps are black and white. He also sells awesome dvds.

I always let children help me inflate balloons with it. I make a silly routine out of it. As long as you are right there with them, the children shouldn't do any damage to your pump. I use a luggage strap so I can sling it over my shoulder.

Thank you flopsie. I'm off to take a look.

I should now amend my previous comments. I went to Ballooniversity in Philly today and fell in LOVE with a few of the electric inflation devices. Wow! I don't do much decor but after a few of those classes, I was making my shopping list. I hate the noise but for some of my bigger jobs it will be a big time saver.