Properly Blowing Up Helium Balloons And Safety
You can't have a party without balloons! Helium balloons put people in the festive mood, and they create a beautiful decor. If you need balloon arrangements for corporate events, you will want to know exactly how to fill the balloons properly.
Filling up Helium Balloons
Most disposable canisters can fill between 30 - 50 9" balloons. Tell your sales representative at the party store exactly how many balloons you need to fill up so you get the correct sized tank. To fill up a helium balloon, machines will use a gas flow rate of five cubic feet per minute. You will simply open the valve of the tank, put the balloon on the nozzle and wait for the balloon to fill. Make sure to close the cylinder valve once done. If you open the cylinder valve and hear a hissing noise, that generally means that the nozzle is not securely fitted or that the O-ring is cracked.
How long to the balloons last?
Latex 9" balloons will last for 8 - 12 hours. Metallic 9" helium balloons will last for 2 - 5 days. There are also kits to help your balloons last up to 25x longer!
Disposing of helium tanks
Helium tanks can be reused over and over again, so it's unlikely that you will have to dispose of a helium tank. However, if you do have to dispose of a helium tank, you cannot leave it on the curb with regular garbage and recycling pickup. Instead, take the tank to your local recycling center so that they can help you dispose of it properly. Before taking it to the recycling center, empty any excess helium that might be in the tank and remove the valve.
Is inhaling helium dangerous?
Inhaling helium from a pressurized tank can be very dangerous and even cause death. The pressure of gas inside the lungs can kill the person inhaling the gas by rupturing the air sacs (alveoli) in the lungs. Essentially, the person chokes on their own blood.
Inhaling helium from a balloon isn't quite as dangerous. The person may get lightheaded from loss of oxygen and fall from dizziness in rare instances, but that's the biggest danger.
More Helium Balloon Safety
It's important to keep the tank upright at all times, and the tank should stay in well-ventilated areas away from excessive heat and all fire hazards. Helium expands in warmer weather, so be sure to fill up balloons indoors during the winter.
For more information, contact a business such as Tampa Bay Balloons.
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