Condensation

[mat_the_cat]

And what can I do about it? We've had a pretty wet winter, even by Welsh standards. So even though the Stellar is in a leak-free, well ventilated garage, this is what it looks like a lot of the time:

 

 

Every metal surface has water droplets on, including all my tools  Even the tyres have beading on them! Fortunately, having a (non-waterproof) cover over it has prevented moisture from condensing on most of the bodywork - you can see the line where the cover has been - but not the underside. The concrete floor has a waterproof membrane underneath it so it's not rising from the ground.

 

Is there anything that can be reasonably done??? There's no easy way to seal up the building, so I can't see a dehumidifier helping, even if I could raise the temperature enough for one to be effective!

[sierraman]

If suggest a draught of some sort. I'd definitely not do as my wife's grandmother does and bring in the car piss wet through and park it in the garage over some carpet.

[bigfella2]

You need some air movement in the garage, is there any way to install any vents or air bricks? What kind of garage is it?

[mat_the_cat]

It's a timber (so breathable) garage, with a couple of inches gap under the doors - double at the end and a single on the side. It's well ventilated to the point of being draughty! I never put it away wet for that reason, as it would just never dry out.

[OwdChina]

Used to have the same problem during the winter months in Massachusetts. The cheapest practical solution I found was to buy two cheap 20 inch fans, the sort that are mounted on four foot poles with base stands and put them in opposite corners of the garage, one facing the back, one facing the front of the garage and leave them on 24/7. Worked for me.

[25v6turbo]

25KG bags of salt,one each side of the garage and one at the very back wall open them up and leave them,watch them change colour,in the winter they get damp and go like brown suger in summer they turn white,it saps the damp out of the air,have them in my garage and so does my dad,work fine.

[noseypoke]

Rob one of those old parafin road work lamps (old people know about these) and place it on a brick (about 4" off the ground) this will keep the air moving,by drawing in fresh air thru all your holey wood

Me mum used to hang one of these lamps in the loft next to the water tank during the winter months,never had burst pipes in her house? cos the frost never had time to settle,they only held about 1 pint of parafin but on a small wick they'd last about 5 days.

[OwdChina]

25KG bags of salt,one each side of the garage and one at the very back wall open them up and leave them,watch them change colour,in the winter they get damp and go like brown suger in summer they turn white,it saps the damp out of the air,have them in my garage and so does my dad,work fine.

Strangely only yesterday we were in the bar (watching the Pats lose to Broncos.......damn) and discussing the fact that putting salt (table salt) on a wet beer mat stops it sticking to the bottom of the glass by absorbing the water.

[Skizzer]

There's dehumidifiers and dehumidifiers. The compressor types need heating but the desiccant types don't, so are suitable for garages.

 

More info here: http://www.meaco.com/which_dehumidifier_is_best_outdoor.php

 

I've got a Meaco DD8L Junior and it's a flipping astonishingly good bit of kit. Used it in the freezing cold kitchen in our old flat (you could see your breath) and now use it in my big shed, albeit mostly inside cars. Not super cheap at about £160 but really effective.

 

Edit to add: This isn't to say that cat litter and salt aren't also worth a go. I use cat litter in my porous Golf, and it helps a bit - and costs a shitload less than a dehumidifier, obv.

[mercrocker]

You would be surprised how much kitty litter takes out of the atmosphere.   Some big drip trays or similar filled up with it will draw quite a bit and can be oven-dried for reuse...no power needed of course.   Certainly worth keeping a couple of troughs inside the car if nothing else.  

[forddeliveryboy]

When it turns from freezing cold to 14C within a few hours, like it did at the weekend, condensation is going to be a big problem especially when the 14C is wet air and there are large lumps of heavy things like cars. Best thing possible is to move a car out of a garage for a few hours, if it's not raining. Otherwise doors and windows and bonnet and car doors open.

[mrcitroen]

When it turns from freezing cold to 14C within a few hours, like it did at the weekend, condensation is going to be a big problem especially when the 14C is wet air and there are large lumps of heavy things like cars. Best thing possible is to move a car out of a garage for a few hours, if it's not raining. Otherwise doors and windows and bonnet and car doors open.

Exactly. That is the problem I had at the weekend. I went to visit the BX and although it had been fine all winter, it now had a layer of condensation on the lower panels. It went from cold to around 13 deg in a day or so. Could not move it out as it has no battery and it's a downward slope on the way out. Pushing it in will be a bugger.

 

Funnily enough last year I had a lot of condensation issues in that lock up, so I fitted air vents on the tops of both doors. This year I have had none, so they must work to some degree. I may put some at the bottom too.

[steveo3002]

you wont fight that unless you have a big ol heater

 

metal things get cold when its cold out and dont warm up as fast as the air does in the daytime  , once its settled into a cold or warm spell and the metal warms up it will go away 

[Asimo]

Conditions have been really extreme recently. At the weekend my conservatory floor and shed walls outside were running with condensation because it had been cold and then suddenly got relatively warm and muggy. Now they are bone dry because of the wind and temperature of the previously cold damp bits now equals the air temperature.

 

Unless your garage is completely draught free a dehumidifier is no use: you will be trying to dry out the universe. Ventilation is what you need, and lots of it. 

[steveo3002]

or just have the door up and /or roll the car out when its a dry breezy day

[oldcars]

This must be why all the 5l bottles of Autosmart cleaning stuff were damp, thought they were leaking.

[Danblez]

You would be surprised what a difference a dehumidifier makes even in a space that is well ventilated. I have one on my garden shed and it keeps the humidity levels well below outside levels.

 

I would try and seal the doors a bit better and then get a dehumidifier,

[forddeliveryboy]

We once stayed at an acquaintance's ultra-modern holiday house, with internal air recirc and heat exchangers for warming incoming air with the old air being pushed out. Insulation a foot thick, that sort of thing. Anyway, we all arrived on a properly wet November afternoon and it was as cold indoors as out, so I lit the woodstove - the only heating. Within an hour the temperature was scorchio and everyone and their clothes had dried out (we'd come on foot via a boat), the dogs were stretched out in the place dogs know best.

 

After food, my gf asked if the roof was leaky. Host looked horrified, how could it be - this was state of the art. "Well there's water dripping over your hifi under the TV". And there was, quite rapidly. We all looked for a weeping Mary round the back of the telly once the ceiling was pronounced dry, it was clear a dog hadn't pissed where he shouldn't have and I'd made sure I hadn't knocked a whisky off the top of the set.

 

Turned out to be a hefty lump of steel which was the posh TV stand - it hadn't yet warmed up much and was dripping with condensation out of sight. Motto - draughts and single glazing like all proper British houses.

[mat_the_cat]

When it turns from freezing cold to 14C within a few hours, like it did at the weekend, condensation is going to be a big problem especially when the 14C is wet air and there are large lumps of heavy things like cars. Best thing possible is to move a car out of a garage for a few hours, if it's not raining

 

It's been mild and wet here this weekend, only frost we had was early last week so I don't think it's due to a sudden rise in temperature.

 

or just have the door up and /or roll the car out when its a dry breezy day

 

Hahahahahaha!!! We've had ONE dry day since the 2nd November, and we were at work during daylight hours so missed the chance to dry anything out

 

I think a fan is the best/only practicable option - I've had one on all evening so will pop up later to see if there's any difference.

[RayMK]

My Stellar lives outside.  I had not used it for a week.  Yesterday, I gave it a run of about 40 miles - it behaved itself and I really enjoyed the drive.  Prior to driving it, I had to chamois the inside of the windows, all of which were soaking wet.  It does not usually leak, so I assumed this was condensation.  Under the driver's seat I found my trainers, and a pair of binoculars in a leather case, all of which was spotted with mildew.  The carpet was also sopping wet.  I did not have time today to deal with the carpets but tomorrow a fan heater will be used to try to dry it out a bit, taking care not to get the heater wet or overheat the upholstery.  I'm now wondering whether the thawing snow caused some leakage, + the inevitable condensation.  I may give cat litter a go, once the car is dry again.  As to your problem, I think fans and trays of cat litter could work.  Good luck!

[steveo3002]

might well have a leak

 

i use these things in our cars ,,,they keep em dry and mold free , jsut dry em on a rad every month or so 

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TWO-Thomar-Windscreen-Dehumidifier-Bags-Condensation-Damp-Car-Windows-Demister-/171189242284?hash=item27dbac89ac:g:L40AAOxy4t1SoFhs

 

can find em cheaper than that

[mercrocker]

i have mentioned this in a similar thread but its also worth taking out any easily removable interior trim for the winter - carpets, etc.   Unseen dampness can kill a floor over a couple of winters.

[forddeliveryboy]

It's been mild and wet here this weekend, only frost we had was early last week so I don't think it's due to a sudden rise in temperature.

 

 

What part of the country are you in? Most of England had temperatures down below 5C most of last week, only for it to suddenly jump by 10C or 15C in a matter of hours on Saturday. Can imagine it wasn't the case in Devon or Cornwall, poss., otherwise fairly country-wide I thought.

[Kiltox]

Currently successfully using a compressor type dehumidifier to dry out cars after wet shampooing the interiors - it says on the box it works down to 5c but seems to still be effective a little bit below that

 

£80 Homebase own brand job

[mat_the_cat]

What part of the country are you in? Most of England had temperatures down below 5C most of last week, only for it to suddenly jump by 10C or 15C in a matter of hours on Saturday. Can imagine it wasn't the case in Devon or Cornwall, poss., otherwise fairly country-wide I thought.

 

North Wales (hence wet!) but only 10 miles away from the coast, which keeps temperatures up if there's a westerly wind. Current forecast not looking much drier!

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/forecast/gcmjw2027

 

I left a fan heater running all evening, but no change in condensation so I'm guessing it's not enough of an air current to make a difference. Might look at something like this as it may not cost much to run on low (maybe even on a timer?) but create more air movement.

https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/clarke-cff18b-18-high-velocity-floor-fan/

[scaryoldcortina]

Sunny and breezy here for most of today, so all the cars got the windows opened and the MGTF spent all day with the top down.

[PhilA]

Been hot/cold/hot/cold here with rain on the interchange between each.

 

Car smells moldy. Decided to do something about it- days are hot enough in the sunshine to turn the water to vapor so I hooked up a small power supply to the cabin fan motor because the wiring's accessible. That's made it spin at a moderate speed and there's a noticeable airflow through the car now.

 

I'll probably just leave that to run for a couple days and see how it is afterward. Have discovered the boot leaks when it's parked at the angle it is.

 

Lovely

 

 

--Phil

[KruJoe]

small power supply to the cabin fan motor

That's a brill idea!

I imagine with a window down an inch, and the addition of a small fan heater inside, that would work wonders. And cheaper than buying a dehumidifier.

[mercrocker]

 Best thing possible is to move a car out of a garage for a few hours, if it's not raining. 

 

Absolutely!  Rare combination of sunshine and no work yesterday so bundled Mrs Rocker into the Cowley with some sandwiches and had a day in the New Forest.   Had to choose routes carefully to avoid standing flood water, though.

[PhilA]

First power supply burned out. Tried again with my battery charger hooked up to it on 6V setting. That was successful. Due to be sunny today so I'll plug it back in before I go to work.

 

Shall see what the boot is like tonight.