A spontaneous deflation

[Pat "5mph"]

Was sitting in my living room cuddling the cat, when a sudden hissss announced the rear tyre of my commuter going down, presta valve.
Said tyre had been inflated to 80 psi two days ago (max 85) and had done 2x 10 miles meantime.
This is not the first time similar happens to my bikes, it happened once a couple of years ago, schraeder valve.
On that occasion I simply changed the tube without finding the cause of the deflation, but yesterday I wanted to find the puncture: there wasn't one, I put a new tube in, but the old one is still inflated, hanging on a hook.
Question: has this something to do with the bikes living indoors? They are not anywhere near a radiator though.
I had a tube failing at the valve once on a very hot day, hence the question.
Can presta valves unscrew themselves?
I will put the deflated tube on a tyre and inflate properly as an experiment, but could not find any holes by submerging it in water, plus, it's still holding air 24 hours later!

 

[I like Skol]

You are being invaded by hibernating ssssnakes. They are looking for somewhere warm to see out the Scottish winter (that period of the year squeezed between Aug 2nd through til Jul 27th).

 

[potsy]

Poltergeist, it's the only rational explanation

 

[Pat "5mph"]

You two guys just wait until MCL shows again!

 

[CanucksTraveller]

A tube won't behave the same at low pressure outside of a tyre as it does at 80psi inside a tyre. If it's a tiny hole it could easily hold air at say, 10psi while you test it, but under proper pressure it might let go quite fast.
Sometimes you never find the hole, that's life. It could also be a faulty valve.
You've done the right thing in swapping it out, I'd bin it and replace with a fresh one and be done with it.

Oh sorry, I forgot to say, no there's not really any harm in keeping the bike indoors and it's not generally a cause of tube failure.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

A tube won't behave the same at low pressure outside of a tyre as it does at 80psi inside a tyre. If it's a tiny hole it could easily hold air at say, 10psi while you test it, but under proper pressure it might let go quite fast.
Sometimes you never find the hole, that's life. It could also be a faulty valve.
You've done the right thing in swapping it out, I'd bin it and replace with a fresh one and be done with it.

Oh sorry, I forgot to say, no there's not really any harm in keeping the bike indoors and it's not generally a cause of tube failure.

Yes, but I would really like to know how a faulty valve can be fine for, what, at least 2 years, then deflate the tyre suddenly, bike been used a few times then left standing for a couple of days.
I must get to the bottom of this, CSI style

 

[CanucksTraveller]

Metal fatigue in the valve moving parts, a weak seal, a Friday afternoon tube, could be anything. Buy a fresh and shiny tube, have a pint, sit back, and relax in the knowledge that you solved it, and that the culprit was a faulty tube and / or valve.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Buy a fresh and shiny tube, have a pint,

True, true, my tubes are quite aged.
Will forego the pint for a double espresso

 

[Yellow Saddle]

I'm with Pat on this one. One simply has to get to the bottom of it.

Don't give up.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

The only spontaneous deflation I've ever had was when I left the bike in a sun trap on a rather hot day. So I patched it up, pumped it up but the puncturegeist was still in a hissy mood.... Time for a completely new tube, I decided.

So, this 80psi, was it outdoors when you pumped it up or outside? And how old (without need for carbon dating) do you think the tube was?

 

[Pat "5mph"]

So, this 80psi, was it outdoors when you pumped it up or outside? And how old (without need for carbon dating) do you think the tube was?

Pumped up outdoors, at around 10/12 Celsius.
Tube is about 3 years old.

 

[Dave 123]

What a let down eh?

 

[Pat "5mph"]

[QUOTE 4540281, member: 9609"]what is the date in Glasgow ? it's not the 31st Oct there is it ?[/QUOTE]
Wot?

 

[Crackle]

You were cuddling a cat when you heard a sudden hiss.

I've had that happen too.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Pumped up outdoors, at around 10/12 Celsius.
Tube is about 3 years old.

So pumped up outside, exploded indoors. Warmth would have raised the pressure by a little. Not much though, so not enough to explain it. Most of my tubes are at least 3 years old so that's nowhere near explaining it. Puncturegeist, often erroneously referred to as the puncture fairy, is the most likely explanation. Exorcise the tube from the bike.