Pretty much any size balloon can be inflated with a pump because of the multiple nozzles supplied with these machines. In most cases, latex balloons and foil balloons work the best when filling with normal oxygen.
It would help if you kept in mind that these are not helium balloons you are filling, so they will not float.
In today’s article, we discuss why balloons filled with helium float and talk about how to inflate balloons with air. We also highlight a method or two you can use to provide the impression that your balloons are floating.
How Does a Balloon Float?
Describing how a balloon floats in layman’s terms is the simplest way to get the message across. When a lighter gas is dispersed in a heavier gas, the lighter one will float over it.
Balloons will float when filled with helium or gas that is lighter in density than the air around it.
Helium and hydrogen gas is lighter than air and is the most common gas known for being lighter in density. We would consider using hydrogen gas to make a balloon float since this article talks about floating balloons without helium.
How to Float a Balloon Without Helium Gas?
We may use hydrogen gas because helium is not the only medium we can fill balloons with. It would help to use hydrogen gas to make a floating balloon because its density is 1/2 the mass of helium-filled balloons.
If you want to avoid using hydrogen, you can also use air to fill the balloon. Here we will explain a different basic rule so keep reading to learn more.
Outside and inside air are both charged in the same way, equally charged molecules will repel each other and attach to surfaces with no charge. In most cases, the balloon will float on the ceiling of your room during a party.
Filling the air inside the balloon using your mouth and letting it float over the surface of the water is another way to make a balloon float. Have you ever thrown an air-filled ball inside of a swimming pool while visiting it?
The ball filled with air inside will automatically come to the water’s surface because the air is a lighter gas than the water density of course. If you are looking for another way to make a floating balloon without helium, this is one of the primary ways to do so.
How to Make a Floating Balloon Without Helium
You need to create hydrogen gas to fill your balloon with this medium. Bringing aluminum and sodium hydroxide together is one of the ways you can produce hydrogen gas.
Moreover, you get sodium hydroxide at a nearby grocery store and it’s typically readily available in most homes.
Kitchen foils are a great source of aluminum and perfect to use when creating hydrogen gas to make your balloon float.
Below we have listed the steps to create hydron gas to fill your jumbo balloons.
- Fill the mixture of aluminum and sodium hydroxide into a bottle
- Add water to the bottle
- Once the mixture is reacting inside of the bottle, attach the balloon to the top of it
- This gas will inflate the balloon because the mixture inside the container will automatically generate hydrogen gas
- You can take the balloons filled with hydrogen and tie them with a thread once completely full
- Now you can see helium balloons are not the only ones that have a float time
Is an Electric Balloon Pump Reusable?
You can inflate balloons quickly by using an electric balloon pump. Purchasing an electric pump is an excellent idea because you can use it to inflate balloons continuously for a party, event, or special occasion.
Below we have listed some of the best electric balloon pumps, so check them out if you are in the market for one.
- Party Zealot balloon air pump
- Mesha balloon air pump
- Kosbon balloon air pump
- NuLink electrical portable dual nozzle balloon air pump
- Tota handheld two-way dual-action balloon air pump
- Yofit portable double nozzle air pump
- IDAODAN portable double nozzle balloon air pump
How Can I Make Balloon Decorations at Home?
Here we mentioned six super easy balloon decoration ideas an event and birthday party; remember, you can create a beautiful balloon masterpiece with a bit of inspiration.
- Create a balloon garland or multiple balloon garlands
- Balloon arch: Strewn inflated balloons along each other to form balloon arches
- Fill balloons with candies or sweets
- Make a wall of balloons
- Air-filled balloons with glow sticks inside the balloon
- Balloons tied to return gifts
If you need some more ideas on creating an ideal balloon setup for your event or party, a quick Google search can reveal some fantastic results.
How Long Do Balloon Garlands Last?
A balloon garland will last at least a week if you make a garland with air-filled balloons. In order to focus on things that you need to perform at the event, it is recommended to have your inflated air balloons ready a few days before the party.
How Far in Advance Can You Inflate Helium Balloons?
Inflating balloons a maximum of five days in advance is recommended by most professionals, even though some of them blow up their air-filled balloons three weeks before an event. Ensure you have a large clean plastic bag that wraps tightly over the balloons when ready to store them.
How Long Will a Balloon Arch Last with Helium Balloons?
In most cases, a helium arch can last between six to 12 hours when placed indoors. An arch filled with helium can last between two to five days when the balloons’ storing conditions are correct and then appropriately treated.
Do Air Filled Balloons Deflate in Colder Temperature
Cold air does make helium molecules move closers together and lose energy, but it does not cause latex balloons to deflate. If you are not using latex balloons, the balloon’s shell shrinks and sinks to the ground because the helium inside the balloon decreases in volume.
Helium or Air? What One Is Better?
The main question here is, to float or not to float.
Simply check the product’s page or instructions provided for details to determine if the balloons you have can be filled with air. Mini latex and foil balloons must only be filled with oxygen due to their size, and some balloons setups like balloon garlands are not manufactured to be used with helium.
Here we list a few tips to consider when inflating your balloons and using them as party decorations.
Filling a Balloon Tips
Use an air compressor or balloon pump when planning to inflate balloons with air.
If you want to blow up confetti balloons, do not use your mouth to do it. Your breath creates condensation, which can end up making the confetti stick together. Either inflate with helium or use a balloon pump for this task.
What About Foil Balloons?
Mini latex or foil balloons can only be inflated with air because they are too small to take enough helium for floating.
If you want your confetti to stick inside the balloon, it should not be filled with helium. This is because helium does not create static, so we suggest popping in some air first.
Roll and rub the inflated balloon with your hand if you want the confetti to stick inside of it. You may need to repeat this process throughout your event or party if you want the style to remain consistent. Remember that we cannot guarantee that the confetti will stick when using helium-filled balloons because we cannot alter science.
When filled with helium, it’s crucial to remember that the confetti in balloons will affect the float time.
If you are blowing up mini foil latex balloons, here is some advice to achieve the best results. First, find a friend to help you with this process, and then start blowing your balloon up with a pump.
Without a balloon pump, you can perform this process and use a straw and your mouth instead, but you may not get the same inflation results.
When the balloon is filled with air, get your friend to pinch and tie the end for it to stay inflated. Any escaping gases can either burst the balloon or deflate it.
We recommend inflating the balloon on the day of your event if you are using the above method. Whether it’s a foil balloon or another option, air will slowly leak from the knot you have tied; the balloon will stay inflated for one day to two months, depending on your skills.
Conclusion
Creating a balloon arch and making your balloons float for your birthday party or event is a great way to make your venue more aesthetically pleasing. Remember that the outside air needs to be denser than the gas inside your balloons.
You can blow up your balloons with your breath, although we highly recommend using an air compressor or pump. Once the balloons are blown up, you can create an arch or any other shape your heart desires.
We hope this article has been insightful and has provided you with enough information to further blow your balloons up without helium.
