If you’ve used tyre foam to repair a puncture, you might be wondering whether you can still add air afterward. This guide explains how foam sealant kits work, when topping up air is safe, and what to do if your tyre continues to lose pressure after a repair.
Tyre foam is just one option in a series of potential solutions facing drivers who suffer a puncture when out and about on the road.
A suitable option for those who don’t have the space to carry a spare tyre, tyre foam forms part of a puncture repair kit, which allows drivers to get back on the road and travel a limited distance at a capped speed until they reach a local garage.
The design of modern tyre foam is such that the product is relatively intuitive to use. But one question that always sticks is whether or not drivers need to add air to the tyre once it has been repaired.
How Does a Foam Repair Kit Work?
The design of a puncture repair kit covers the need to:
- Plug the hole left by the puncture, and
- Refill the tyre to its optimum pressure
Once you have pulled over to a safe location, drivers need to fit the nozzle of the product to their tyre valve and then activate the sealant release mechanism and air compressor.
As the sealant is pumped into the tyre, it’s important to keep rotating the tyre so that the sealant spreads to and settles in all the right areas.
At the same time, air is pumped into the tyre to ensure it reaches the right pressure and is safe to drive.
Can You Add More Air Once Back on the Road?
A tyre that has been patched up with tyre foam is not designed to be driven long distances.
In fact, the cap on driving on a DIY repaired tyre tends to be around 50km at a speed of no more than 50mph. If you find that the tyre loses air pressure within that 50km or your journey to your local mechanic, then the chances are that the foam has not worked, and the damage is more severe.
In this case, you will need to call for roadside assistance to get your vehicle to the garage for a tyre repair or replacement service.
