subject: Does Room Temp Effect Balloon Size- Balloon San Diego [print this page] How are balloons effected by temperature?
Has it ever happened to you that you had your balloons set up in the morning for an outdoor event, and around noon all the balloons started popping? Or perhaps your balloons were inflated before the venue turned on the air conditioning, and by the time your party started, all the mylars looked like they had lost half of their volume?
Why is this? Most people take their balloons for granted as a decor medium, and rarely think about the science behind their decorations. Floating balloons are filled with a gas call helium. Helium is an inert gas that is lighter than air, (which is why it makes the balloons float). Though helium is not flammable or explosive, it is a gas and therefor react quickly to changes in temperature.
If the temperature is higher than it was at inflation, the gas will expand, which can cause the balloon to pop. If the temperature is lower than it was at the time of inflation, the gas will contract and the balloon will look as though it's not full. There's still enough helium to provide the necessary lift to the balloon, so that it will float, but it may look as though it's only half- full.
So, now that you know this, what can you do to prevent temperature related balloon disasters? Well, there are a couple of things that can be done:
1. If you expect that the event will be in an air-conditioned room, try to inflate the balloons under the same conditions.
2. If you think that the event will be hotter than the room where you're inflating the balloons, or if you're worried that it will get hotter throughout the day, (a condition that we often have to worry about with balloons in San Diego), then slightly under-inflate your balloons to account for the gas expansion as the temperature rises.
Paying attention to the atmospheric conditions of the room in which you are doing your inflation, and anticipating the temperature of the event will greatly reduce temperature related balloon malfunctions.
