Choosing an Appropriate Blower

Eddie Demirdjian, the CEO of B-Air in Azusa, California, and a former manager of Saderma in Los Angeles, has overseen his current company since 2003. Under the leadership of Eddie Demirdjian, B-Air has expanded into three key areas: water damage restoration, pets, and inflatables.

The air blower, while a small piece of equipment, can make the difference between a fun event and an embarrassing one involving the use of inflatables, such as advertising balloons, bounce houses, and inflatable slides. Choosing the right blower — and having plans in place in the event of a failure — is essential to any activity, such as advertising functions and children's parties, that uses an inflatable.

The primary concern for choosing an appropriate blower is horsepower. Most inflatable units require approximately 1 horsepower, especially when new. Larger units that are more than 18 feet at their largest dimension may require a 1.5- or 2-horsepower blower. Older inflatables should also use larger blowers than expected for their size in order to gain back firmness.

The other concern when choosing a blower is deciding what size of generator is appropriate. Multiplying the running amps by 115 volts provides a wattage. It's also important to be certain that the wattage of the generator can support all the blowers plugged into it.