How To Refresh Tubeless Tire Sealant

Did you know that you should be refreshing the tire sealant in your bike tires every six months? And if you’re riding in hot and dry conditions, you might need to do it even more frequently.

Regularly refreshing your tire sealant is crucial if you want to avoid slow leaks, and even worse, flats! The good news is that this is a bike maintenance task that even the most mechanically uninclined folks can manage. In this guide, I’ll walk you through the simple steps to refresh the sealant in your tubeless tires.

Why Refresh Your Tire Sealant?

Tire sealant works by filling small punctures and creating an airtight seal, allowing your tubeless tires to hold air even without an inner tube. If you’ve ever heard a sudden sudden rush or air gushing out of a puncture, only to have it bubble and seal up within a moment or two, then you’ve seen tire sealant in action!

However, over time, the sealant can dry out, especially in hot and dry climates, losing its effectiveness. By refreshing the sealant regularly, you ensure that your tires are always ready to handle whatever the trail or road throws at them.

What You’ll Need

Before we get started, you’ll need a few essential tools and materials:

• Tire sealant: I recommend using Stan’s NoTubes Tire Sealant, but there are plenty of other popular brands including Orange Peal. Buy a big bottle, and it will last for a while.
• Valve core remover tool: This tool is essential for removing your valve core, and replacing it when your done.
• Injector syringe or a sealant bottle with a nozzle: Either will work to inject the sealant thru the valve. Personally, I like the small 2 oz Stans bottles. They are cheap, convenient, and you can refill them later.
• Bike pump: You’ll need this to inflate your tire after adding the sealant.

Step 1: Prepare Your Sealant

Whether you’re using a bottle with a nozzle (like me) or you’re using an injector syringe, fill it up with the appropriate amount of sealant. For road tires, you’ll need about 2 oz of sealant. For mountain bike tires, you’ll want between 4 and 6 oz, depending on the width of your tires. The fatter the tire, the more sealant you’ll need. For instance, for my 2.2” mountain bike tires, I add adding 4 oz of sealant, which equates to two of the small 2 oz bottles.

Step 2: Remove the Valve Core

Next, use your valve core remover tool to take out the valve core. Place the tool on the valve and turn it counter-clockwise until the core is completely loose. There will be a big rush of air as all of it is released from the tire. Be sure to set the valve core somewhere safe so you don’t lose it.

Step 3: Add the Sealant

Now it’s time to pour the sealant into the valve. Go slowly to prevent the sealant from overflowing.

Sometimes, you might encounter a clog in the valve due to old, dried-out sealant. If this happens, use something long and skinny, like the end of a hex wrench, to push the clog loose. This will allow the new sealant to flow in smoothly.

Step 4: Reinstall the Valve Core

Once you’ve filled the tire with the appropriate amount of sealant, it’s time to reinstall the valve core. Finger-tighten the valve core as much as you can, then finish tightening it with the valve core remover tool. This ensures that it’s securely in place and won’t leak air.

Step 5: Inflate and Distribute the Sealant

The final step is to inflate your tire to the desired pressure using your bike pump. Once inflated, give your tire a spin to help distribute the sealant evenly throughout the tire. This helps ensure that the sealant can quickly fill any punctures that might occur while you’re riding.

Step 6: Repeat With Your Other Tire

That was the process for a single tire–but your bike has two! Repeat the whole process on your other tire.

Additional Tips

• Keep a rag handy: Even the best of us spill a little tire sealant during this process. Just wipe it up right away or it will become sticky and hard to clean. (Don’t ask me how I know this).
• Store sealant properly: Keep your sealant bottles tightly sealed and store them in a cool, dry place to prevent them from drying out.
• Use quality sealant: Not all sealants are created equal. Using a high-quality sealant like Stan’s NoTubes can make a significant difference in performance and longevity.
• If replacing the tire, just pour the sealant in: If your tubeless tire is already seated (aka inflated and holding air), the easiest way to add sealant is using the process I described it here. If, however, you are replacing your tubeless tire or setting them up tubeless for the first time, you can pour sealant directly into the tire while it’s partially off the rim rather than thru the valve.

Ready To Learn More?

Go refresh your tire sealant, and then come back to learn more about how to maintain your bike. There are lots of small, simple bike maintenance tasks that we can do to help prevent issues and to save money! Working on your bike doesn’t have to be overwhelming or intimidating–just learn one task at a time.

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