I was looking for the same answer. I have a loose bladder Tachikara SV-5WH that had a slow leak. After not finding much help online, I started looking around my garage. I didn't have anything to lose, as the ball would only stay inflated for about 10 minutes or so, so it was unusable. I found my motorcycle chain lube and gave it a try. It is made to stick to motorcycle chains, and is safe for O-rings, so I figured it would be OK for the bladder. I inserted the thin straw spray nozzle (like you get with WD-40 cans) into the valve on the ball and sprayed a fair amount of chain lube inside the ball. I then filled it with air and spun it different directions to coat the inside. After that - no leaks at all.
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Sometimes it’s just from a season’s worth of storage, and sometimes it’s from a little extra hard play, but one day, you pick up your volleyball only to find that it’s flat. If you have your own pump, even a bicycle pump, you can get set up to continue your favorite backyard game in no time flat. Pun intended.
First, make sure your pump has the appropriate needle attachments, if necessary. Some pocket pumps already have a needle attached.
Next, find the plug on your volleyball. This plug has a one way valve on it that requires a pin in order to access the air inside.
Insert the appropriate sized needle into the plug in the ball and immediately begin pumping. If you have an electric pump, turn it on, while hand operated pumps merely require your own muscle power and rarely, stamina. Some people recommend moistening the needle for easier insertion, but this is not absolutely necessary.
Once the ball has been filled to a tight sphere, stop pumping and remove the needle.
Finally, test the hardness of the ball. If you want the rubber to have some give to it, look for a bit less than 1/8 inch of depression when you press your finger firmly into the ball. But if you are seeking a tougher, sports center type experience, purchase an air gauge that has been specifically designed for sports balls, and it will notify you when your ball is up to either standard or professional snuff.
Be careful not to overinflate the ball, or you will wind up with a permanently flattened ball after a few hard punches. If you haven’t yet invested in a pump, ‘pocket’ pumps (balloon style hand pumps) are available from under $10, and multipurpose pumps go up from there. Now you have the means to keep the family sports balls in top condition.
They dont put air in them, there is air because unless they built them in a vacume, there has to be air when they put the peices together.
You need to get an air pump and put the end in the hole of the ball. Just push the lever up and down, and air is injected into the ball.