FUN FACTOR THEFTS
August 25, 2009 by funfactor
We have experienced two burglaries in the past few weeks where a number of Gibbons Blowers and laptops were stolen.
The burglaries took place on 31st July 2009 and three weeks prior to that on 10th July 2009.
The stolen equipment is as follows:-
2 lap top computers
18 Gibbons blowers/fans (which are used to inflate bouncy castles).
The serial numbers of the stolen Gibbons Blowers are listed below which we hope will help to trace them.
If you are offered, or have recently bought a Gibbons Blower, particularly if they were offered to you cheap, please check them against the following serial numbers:-
167924 169347
167931 169348
169301 169299
169309 169338
169310 169349
169314 169350
169319 169951
169331 170007
169339
169340
The Police are also investigating the thefts.
Please contact Ryan, in confidence, if you can offer any information relating to this the thefts.
Regards
Ryan Wakefield
FUN FACTOR
www.fun-factor.co.uk
Warning - (Toy Bouncy Castles!)
August 11, 2009 by funfactor
It has come to our attention that there are bouncy castle operators working in this area who are hiring out toy bouncy castles rather than the real thing. These castles are made of a nylon material and are inflated by a little blower which is not much bigger than a hair dryer! They tend to sag rather than bounce and are definitely not up to entertaining a horde of excited children! Typically they are being hired out slightly cheaper than proper castles even though they cost just a fraction as much to buy. One final point is that they are manufactured to a different set of standards, the packaging would clearly state that they are not suitable for hire and if the operator was insured against public liability then the policy would be invalidated because the equipment is not suitable. Please be aware and choose who / where you hire from carefully! Our castles are the proper commercial type, they are regularly cleaned and maintained, and they pass annual safety inspections.
How To Instantly Increase The Effectiveness Of Your Blowers
August 10, 2009 by funfactor
All bouncy castles and inflatables need blowers to inflate them and keep them inflated.
However, during normal use, the blower’s impeller blades attract airborne debris e.g. dust, dirt etc. which sticks to them and reduces their efficiency in much the same way that the build up of ice on an aircraft’s wing can seriously reduce its lifting capability.
An instant solution to this problem is to get a thin, long screwdriver and very gently poke it through the outlet of the blower and then very carefully and gently scrape away the debris from the impellor blades. If you scrape away at each blade, it will take about 5 - 10 minutes for all of them. After you have done this**, switch the blower on and stand well back, and make sure no-one is standing in front as all the debris and dirt you just scraped off will be expelled out in lumps and also in a cloud of thick dust and cover anything in front of it.
It’s very important to wear mouth and eye protection and also ensure that there is no risk of the blower being accidentally switched on whilst you are scraping the blades. It is also crucial that the blower is not run for more than a couple of seconds or so, as when it is not connected to an inflatable, it can put more strain on the motor bearings. I carried out this procedure at least once a year on all my blowers and never had an incident in 14 years. But please take utmost care when you do it, and be careful that you do not accidentally damage the impellors as you clean them.
** If the impellors are particularly dirty, then it is better to switch the blower on after say every 6 or 7 blades to expel the debris, in order to prevent too much of a build up of dust and dirt in the actual blower itself.
Register of Play Inspectors (PIPA accredited) who test inflatables
August 7, 2009 by funfactor
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Register of Play Inspectors (PIPA accredited) who test inflatables.
To view this list, please visit the following website.
http://www.playinspectors.com/rpiimembers/inflatables/index.asp |
How to prevent movement of metal pegs from damaging your inflatables
August 6, 2009 by funfactor
Someone recently posted the following question on the discussion forum at: www.BouncyCastleOwner.com
“Just wondered when you peg down your inflatables do you put the peg straight over the anchor point or not? Trying to prevent taking my castles to get a little bit of stiching done where the anchor point has rubbed againt the stake. Any ideas?”
I had this problem and they all failed the annual test due to the anchor points being frayed. We took them all to a local manufacturer who added a nylon ring to each anchor point. Cost about £40 per unit.
AN ANSWER: There should be a length of heavy duty rope tied to each anchor point (Approx. length of 10 - 12 inches) with a loop tied at the end. The metal peg is then staked through this loop and driven into the ground for anchoring. Any rubbing or abrasion is then done to the rope (which is easily and cheaply replaced) rather than the anchor point being frayed or cut through by the continual movement of the peg leading to a costly repair.
Its a good idea to always carry spare rope in your van in case any on the inflatable gets damaged and has to be disposed of.
INPAS 2010 Stoneleigh Park
August 5, 2009 by funfactor
The Largest Display Of Inflatables, Play & Attractions Equipment In The UK
Who Should Visit The Show ?
Bouncy Castle Hire Companies, Event Organisers, Family Entertainment Centres, Hotel & Country Clubs, Mall & Retail Managers, Municipal & Local Authorities, Playground & Leisure Centres, Showmen, Theme Parks & Attractions, Zoos, Farm Attractions, Indoor Playcentres, etc
The exhibition takes place at :-
Stoneleigh Park Exhibition Centre,
Coventry,
CV8 2LZ
The Event takes place over two days the dates are :-
Tuesday 16 th March and Wednesday 17 th March
10.oo am until 5.00 pm
Inpas 2010 is your opportunity to view a large selection of inflatables, play equipment and other play related products direct from leading manufacturers and suppliers at the largest show of its type in the UK in 2010.
If your equipment is play related for either indoor or outdoor use then you should consider exhibiting at this major play industry event. Visitors are drawn from all sectors of the play industry. Following the success of INPAS 2009 the majority of exhibitors have already booked space for INPAS 2010. If you think you would like to exhibit your equipment or for further information visit the show web site www.inpas.co.uk or call 01442 245700.
An Insurance Scheme For Inflatable Hirers
August 4, 2009 by funfactor
BOUNCE INSURE
* Public Liability up to 5,000,000
* Employers Liability 10,000,000 (optional)
* Property Damage - Replacement Values (optional)
* Legal Expenses
£50,000 for HMRC Investigation
£2,000 for Aspect Enquiries
Business legal help line
Here are a few examples of equipment they insure :-
Bouncy Castles
Inflatable Slides
Bouncy Boxing / Sumo Suits
Surf Machines
Bucking Bronco / Multi rides
Soft Play & more
Bounce Insure cater for both dry hire and wet hire.
For a quote call :- 0870 6066668
Web site :- www.gmisl.co.uk
The Importance of PIPA testing
August 3, 2009 by funfactor
Every so often at PIPA HQ they get an anonymous call from someone alerting them of an inflatable hire company who is displaying the PIPA logo but does not actually use PIPA tested equipment. These situations are always hard to deal with. They always encourage operators to display the PIPA logo in order to raise awareness of the sceme. However it is the inflatables that are registered with PIPA and not the operators.
Unfortunately it is very easy for operators without PIPA tested equipment to obtain a copy of the PIPA logo and use it to gain credibility without actually getting their units inspected.
Obviously PIPA do want to preserve the integrity of the scheme, any inflatable without a tag is simply not PIPA registered. The status of an inflatable with a tag can be checked online http://www.pipa.org.uk/findTag.asp or at PIPA administration on 0207 340 6265. All you need is the unit tag number to find out wheather the unit is tested or not. Operators with PIPA tested equipment should be willing to give their tag numbers to prospective clients, if operators refuse then customers have every right to doubt their equipment.
Hopefully the extent of this practice will improve as PIPA’s new awareness campaign gathers pace. Their focus at the moment is to get the scheme recognised among local authority event organisers.
If you suspect an operator is claiming to have PIPA tested equipment but if fact does not you can contact PIPA through the website http://www.pipa.org.uk/publicReport.asp or on 0207 340 6265, an administrator from PIPA will then investigate.