Most of you enjoy playing air hockey, but it can be discouraging to discover that your puck no longer slides across the table gently.
This article will give you tips to fix air hockey pluck not sliding. This will help make your playing experience fun and excellent, leaving you yearning for more.
Stay with me!
Tips to Fix Air Hockey Pluck Not Sliding
1. Sand Your Puck
It isn’t worth taking this step if your puck is cheap. However, if you have an arcade-quality puck that has previously operated without issue, things might be slowing down due to wear and tear on the puck.
Even a small degree of unevenness on the puck’s sliding surface on the table can significantly increase friction and decrease glide.
To avoid sanding the surface of the table itself, it’s a fantastic idea to keep this adhesive sandpaper close to your table for routine maintenance on the puck and base of your mallets.
2. Clean Your Table Surface of Dust
Even if the table doesn’t seem to have any apparent symptoms of dust, you should still attempt cleaning it down first.
There probably is dust on your table if you don’t clean it frequently (at least once or twice every week).
The puck won’t slide across the table smoothly if there is even tiny dust. To clean your air hockey table, follow these simple steps: First, switch on the table so the fans operate.
By doing this, you can be sure that the liquids you use on the table will evaporate rapidly.
Then, using a soft cloth, apply some isopropyl alcohol or window cleaner (without ammonia).
Cleaning the table’s surface with fabric is a good idea, but leave some dust on the rails’ sides because it helps the table bounce.
3. Remove Blockages in the Holes
Cleaning the table’s top won’t fill the gaps. The holes in your tables are probably partially stopped if you’ve had them for a while and haven’t been cleaning them frequently.
Making sure you are not shoving the dust back in when cleaning your table’s holes is the key.
Because of this, reputable manufacturers advise using a 1/32″ drill bit, which collects dust while lifting dirt out of the rotation.
To begin with, you must obtain a drill bit that will fit in the table’s holes without damaging or enlarging them.
Put the revolving drill bit in the table after that. As you take the bit out, the dust and debris will become lodged in the grooves of the bit and come out. Do this for each of the holes.
4. Get a Lighter Puck
It may be too heavy if you have just replaced your pucks or are unsure of their origin. Blowers on less-than-commercial tables are frequently insufficient to withstand the heavier pucks in an arcade.
Fortunately, light replacement pucks are significantly less expensive than heavy ones, allowing you to purchase a large quantity just in case of breakage.
5. Check Your Warranty
If none of these techniques work, try to check your warranty.
Verify the current warranty on the table you own before spending your hard-earned money on a new one. You can contact the manufacturer and ask if they will help repair the blower.
Reasons Why Puck Is Not Sliding?
For several reasons, the puck may not have slid as smoothly as it once did. If the puck isn’t sliding correctly, you can have difficulties with your bank shoots or blocks.
Therefore it’s critical to get this repaired.
There may be an issue with the surface, air holes, fans, or the puck itself. To solve each of these issues, you will require various approaches. Fortunately, none of them are challenging.
#1. Surface
An air hockey table’s surface needs to have a smooth design. However, utilizing the strikers and pucks and touching the surface will cause a buildup of residue over time.
This could make the table move more slowly.
#2. Air Holes
The tiny air openings that enable the strikes and puck to float around the surface might clog up over time.
#3. Fans
If you don’t clean fans regularly, dust and grime can accumulate on the blades and cause them to slow down.
#4. Puck
After the extensive play, the once-smooth puck may develop dents and gouges, impairing its ability to slide across the table smoothly.
Final Word
Now that you have the tips to fix the air hockey pluck not sliding, you’re good to go. However, if none of these solutions function and your warranty has expired, your only option might be to buy a new table.
There is a problem with your blower if your table is clean and the puck matter has been resolved.
Of course, you can attempt to fix the blower, but unless you’re incredibly handy or skilled as an electrician, it’s likely not worth your time.
