Rotterdam Balloon Company
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Fill your balloons with Helium. This is what you need to know!
by Rotterdam Balloon Company, 2019-10-27
Table of Contents
- Are all balloons suitable for helium?
- Can you fill regular balloons with helium?
- How long do helium balloons float?
- Can the floating time of helium balloons be extended?
- How much helium is in a balloon?
- How many balloons can I tie to a balloon weight?
- What is the helium price?
- Why aren't my balloons floating?
- What is the difference between latex balloons and foil balloons?
- Can I fill balloons with helium myself?
- Is helium poisonous?
- Is helium flammable?
- Is breathing helium dangerous?
- Is helium the same as nitrous oxide?
- How many balloons are needed to fill a ceiling?
- How to stick confetti in balloon?
- How can you fill a foil balloon with helium?
- Which large balloons are for sale?
- Can I also have a balloon with text made?
- Where can I buy balloons?
- Where can you buy helium?
- Where can I order helium balloons?
Disclaimer: We receive a small commission from some of the links on this page.
Welcome to the Globos Balloons helpdesk. Here you will find the most frequently asked questions (FAQ) and objective answers about Balloons and Helium. Is your question not listed? Then ask your question via response form below and we will answer your question about balloons and helium and, if necessary, add it to the FAQ below.
Are all balloons suitable for helium?
Latex balloons with a diameter greater than or equal to 9 inches (23cm) and foil balloons with a diameter greater than or equal to 18 inches are in principle suitable for helium. Smaller balloons contain too little helium, which means the balloon does not float.
With helium-filled balloons, the knot of the balloon points downwards (after all, the ribbon is also attached to it). Be careful with balloons with a print on them! Is the image upside down when the balloon knot is facing down? Then this balloon is NOT suitable for helium.
Can you fill regular balloons with helium?
Yes, that's possible. As long as latex balloons are larger than 23cm and foil balloons are larger than 40cm.
If that is the case, all you need to do is check whether the image on the balloon (if present) is upright when the balloon filling nozzle is pointed downwards.
How long do helium balloons float?
A standard size latex balloon with a diameter of approximately 30cm can float for approximately 14-16 hours.
Helium is very thin and therefore it leaves the porous latex balloon very slowly.
A foil balloon, on the other hand, is much less porous than latex and can float for several days or even weeks.
The exact floating time depends on the environment in which the helium balloon is used. A helium balloon left outside affects the weather and will sink to the ground more quickly when it rains because water makes the balloon heavier.
Can the floating time of helium balloons be extended?
Yes, that's possible. You can treat latex balloons with so-called HI-FLOAT. This is a kind of gel that you knead into the inside of the balloon, creating a protective layer in the balloon so that the helium cannot leave the balloon as quickly and the balloon can therefore float for longer.
According to the manufacturer, HI-FLOAT can extend the floating time by up to 15 times.
How much helium is in a balloon?
The amount of helium in a balloon depends on the size of the balloon. The larger the balloon, the more helium it contains.
The amount of helium is expressed in cubic meters (m3). It is known exactly how much helium is contained in the most common balloons, see the 'Gas Capacity' column in the helium chart .
If you buy or rent a helium tank, it is important to know how many cubic meters (m3) of helium are in that tank. With these 2 pieces of information you can calculate exactly how many balloons you can fill with a helium tank.
How many balloons can I tie to a balloon weight?
Each balloon has its own pulling force. In general, the larger the balloon, the more helium it contains and therefore the more pulling force the balloon has.
The pulling force of a helium balloon is expressed in grams (g). The exact pulling force of the most common balloons is known, see the 'Lift Ability' column in the helium chart.
If you balloon weights, it is important to know how heavy the balloon weight is. With these 2 pieces of information you can calculate exactly how many helium balloons you can attach to a balloon weight.
What is the helium price?
The current helium price is 1 euro per 0.015m3.
A standard 30cm balloon contains exactly 0.015m of helium.
So it costs 1 euro to fill 1 latex balloon of 30 cm.
In the Qualatex helium chart in the 'Gas Capacity' column you can see how many m3 of helium are contained in the most common balloons. .
For example, a 90cm balloon contains 0.425m3 of helium and if you know that 0.015m3 of helium costs 1 euro, you can calculate how much it costs to fill a 90cm latex giant balloon with helium (namely 0.425 divided by 0.015 = 28.33 euros). ).
However, we never fill this balloon to 90cm but slightly smaller, so for convenience we charge 25 euros to fill this balloon with helium.
Why aren't my balloons floating?
There are a number of reasons why balloons don't float. First, a balloon must be filled with helium to float. After all, helium is lighter than air.
If the helium balloon still does not float, make sure to fill the balloon to its full size.
An underfilled balloon is the most common reason why a balloon does not float.
Do not fill latex balloons smaller than 9 inches (23cm). These are too small to float and if they do float, they only do so for a few hours.
What is the difference between latex balloons and foil balloons?
Latex balloons are made of rubber and therefore 100% biodegradable, these balloons are available in a wide range of colours, sizes and shapes. A major advantage is that latex balloons are much cheaper but last a lot less well than foil balloons. NB! Someone with a latex allergy should avoid contact with these balloons. These are the balloons you get at McDonald's, for example.
Foil balloons are made with a layer of plastic (mylar) and covered with a thin layer of aluminum (the foil). These balloons also come in many colors, sizes and shapes. Unlike latex balloons, foil balloons are more luxurious and expensive but last much longer. These are the balloons that you can buy at Schiphol and in hospitals, for example.
Foil balloons are made with a layer of plastic (mylar) and covered with a thin layer of aluminum (the foil). These balloons also come in many colors, sizes and shapes. Unlike latex balloons, foil balloons are more luxurious and expensive but last much longer. These are the balloons that you can buy at Schiphol and in hospitals, for example.
Can I fill balloons with helium myself?
Yes, that's possible. You can buy helium from us in disposable bottles that you can close after use and store for the next occasion.
Once the bottle is completely empty, you can throw it away. There is no deposit on the helium bottles.
NB! These helium bottles cannot be returned to us because we cannot see whether you have used the helium.
Is helium poisonous?
No, helium is not toxic. Helium is even used in hospitals in combination with oxygen (Heliox) for people with breathing problems. And divers who go very deep also use helium.
Is helium flammable?
No, helium is not flammable. Helium is an inert gas. Inert literally means non-flammable. Helium (in its liquid state) is even used as a coolant for rocket ships, MRI machines and particle accelerators.
Is breathing helium dangerous?
Although inhaling helium seems harmless, it can cause dizziness and even suffocation.
Additional side effects include nausea, vomiting and/or loss of consciousness. Children can suffer lung damage as a result of inhalation.
Even frostbite can occur when inhaled directly from the tank.
With each inhale of helium, oxygen is displaced or removed in favor of the helium.
As a result, this causes a severe reduction in the body's overall oxygen level.
When someone inhales helium, he or she is essentially depriving him or her of oxygen. When this happens quickly, a person may faint without warning.
If the person faints while standing or in a dangerous location, he or she could cause physical harm, such as a head injury.
Is helium the same as nitrous oxide?
No, with helium you do not achieve the same effect as with nitrous oxide. In contrast to helium, laughing gas generally makes people euphoric, quite relaxed, giggling and has more difficulty thinking clearly. However, nitrous oxide affects the nervous system much more than helium.
How many balloons are needed to fill a ceiling?
A standard size helium balloon has - if you look from the side - a vertical diameter of 30cm (measured from top to bottom). But if a helium balloon hangs from the ceiling and you look from below, the balloon only has a horizontal diameter of 25cm. This means that a maximum of 4 rows of 4 balloons = 16 balloons in 1 square meter. Anyway, then there won't be a piece of the ceiling visible anymore.
As a rule, if you calculate with 9 balloons per square meter (m2) - so 3 rows of 3 balloons - the ceiling is nice and well filled.
How to stick confetti in balloon?
Confetti in a confetti balloon filled with air will stick better than in a confetti balloon filled with helium. The confetti sticks due to static electricity from the balloon.
To make the balloon static, rub the balloon with a synthetic cloth or piece of clothing. Or you rub the balloon on your hair.
If you want to fill a balloon with helium, you can put a little bit of air in the balloon and then 90% helium.
Please note that the confetti in the helium balloon makes the balloon heavier and so the balloon will come down sooner.
How can you fill a foil balloon with helium?
We can fill your foil balloons with helium in Spijkenisse, but you can also fill a foil balloon with helium at home using: a disposable helium tank. Open the tap on the helium bottle (counterclockwise). Place the filling opening of the foil balloon over the filling nozzle of the disposable helium tank and gently push the rubber filling nozzle down so that the helium flows into the balloon.
As soon as the foil balloon is taut, stop filling immediately otherwise the foil balloon will burst. Unlike latex balloons, foil balloons cannot expand. So do not let the helium flow into the balloon too quickly, but do this slowly.
Which large balloons are for sale?
We sell round latex balloons from 3 inches (7.5cm) up to 240cm. You can order the different sizes via the links below.
- 7.5cm balloons (water balloons)
- 13cm balloons
- 30cm balloons
- 35cm balloons (metallic)
- 40cm balloons
- 60cm balloons
- 75cm balloons (for on a balloon pillar)
- 90cm balloons (for on a balloon pillar)
- 120cm balloons
- 165cm balloons
- 240cm balloons
Can I also have a balloon with text made?
Yes, we print (helium) balloons with your own text or logo. This is possible with normal size balloons of 30cm from 50 pieces and with giant balloons of 90cm from 3 pieces. Or even from 1 piece if necessary, but then you will have no spare balloons if that one balloon bursts.
Where can I buy balloons?
That depends on what you want to do with the balloons and what you need them for, but you can always contact Globos Balloons. Globos operates a number of specific websites where you can easily buy balloons.
- If you would like to receive empty balloons by post to your home to fill yourself, you can order at ballonartikelen.nl
- If you would like to have ready-made helium balloons or balloon decorations delivered to your home or location, you can order at ballonboog.nl
- If you would like to have balloons printed with a text or logo, you can order at ballonnenbedruk.nl
- If you want to purchase large quantities of balloons in our balloon wholesaler, you can order at globosballonnen.nl
Where can you buy helium?
Buying helium is only possible in the so-called disposable helium tanks that you can throw away with the scrap iron after use. We can send these disposable helium bottles to you by post so that you can fill the balloons with helium at home. You can order the disposable helium tanks at ballonartikelen.nl.
Where can I order helium balloons?
Globos delivers helium balloons throughout the Netherlands to your home or location 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The helium balloons are inflated and delivered by us with a ribbon.
You can order ready-made helium balloons at ballonboog.nl/heliumballonnen.
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