What’s the best way to energise a FloodSax alternative sandbag with water?

We are often asked what’s the best and most effective way to energise a Floodsax in water so it inflates to become an alternative sandbag in minutes.

The ideal way is to fully immerse the FloodSax in water so the water is soaking in from above, below and the sides.

You can use a sink, a bucket, a tub – any kind of container like that. Just fill it with water, pop the FloodSax in, push it under the water and you’ll see it start to expand immediately.

It usually takes less than 5 minutes and can be even quicker if the water is tepid rather than cold.

If you’re at the scene of a flood and there is no tap or container, simply immerse the FloodSax in the floodwater, keeping a tight hold of it so it doesn’t float or get swept away.

We recently energised some FloodSax in a cold Yorkshire river and they absorbed around 20 litres and were fully energised in just over 4 minutes.

Videos showing the FloodSax being energised in a container and in the river are both on our FloodSax website homepage.

The FloodSax expands because it has a gelling polymer inside which means it instantly absorbs the water and then retains it so the FloodSax ‘inflates’ before your eyes.

But when we say ‘inflate’ or ‘energise’, what the FloodSax is doing is filling with water to become as taut and heavy as a traditional sandbag but with a far more uniform and consistent shape which makes FloodSax easier to build into a flood barrier.

The reason for this is that the interior of a FloodSax has been very carefully designed and engineered so it has of 4 layers with 12 internal absorbent sections creating a multi-chamber system to keep the water fully absorbed.

You could just direct a hosepipe straight onto a FloodSax on the ground but this will take the best part of 10 minutes to work, a lot of water will run off and it may not fully energise. We’d only recommend this if there was no other option available.

Again, torrential rain would eventually energise it but would take time and the water will just be hitting the top so will take a while to soak right through. That’s why it’s best to immerse it in water both top and bottom.

Each FloodSax weighs just under 1lb (.37 kilos) before it comes into contact with water and is 520mm (52cms) by 470mm (47cms) by 12mm (1.2cms) in size. After it has absorbed the water it will be about 170mm (17cms) deep and the same length and width and will weigh around 20kg.

The beauty of the FloodSax is that it also works in its dry state to soak up water. It’s very flat with a large surface area so can be slipped into the tightest spots to soak up leaks, spills, drips and even floods.

They’ve been used to stop leaking pipes beneath floorboards to prevent water seeping through a ceiling below, beneath faulty refrigeration units in shops and supermarkets and below sinks, boilers, radiators, washing machines, dishwashers … the list goes on.

This means they save a lot of flood damage and money as water destroys everything it touches.

If you ever need any help or advice about FloodSax then call our office on 01484 641009 and you’ll be immediately talking to one of our friendly staff.