humidity control

[William F.]

Does anyone use those bags with dessicant to put in your interior while in garage to keep down humidity? Do they help? Any other suggestions?
Thanks

[Tony R.]

Re: humidity control

My family stores some autos for others in a cement block building that is not climate controlled. We have used those in some cars. If you use them you want to have a catch basin beneath them just in case they leak. I have heard of that happening. Also, the resulting water and dissolved dessicant is bad stuff. Don't get it in your eyes.

[Ed S.]

Re: humidity control

There is probably a practical limit to how much moisture you could remove from the ambient air without some mechanical process (AC). Don't know where you live or how much humidity you have to deal with but..... here is something you can do that works. Did you ever notice that there is no frost on the grass after a cold "windy" night - or did you ever notice there is not dew on grass after a warm, humid, and "breezy" night? Condensation does not form on stationary objects if the air is moving. I have my 64 in a garage in central Virginia (read humidity) no AC but my floor is sealed (epoxy) ---- but.... I have a $20 big box store window fan that I put on the floor in front of the car and leave it running on the low speed - the air movement under the car is sufficient to prevent condensation and ultimately surface rust from forming on all those "natural finish" parts. It works.

[David M.]

Re: humidity control

I put heavy 2 mil contractors vapor barrier plastic on the floor under the car year round to prevent the normal condensation from effecting the car. Controlling the temperature swings is key as well. 20*F ambient for weeks then a 50*F day will make a car sweat hard if its exposed to the swing.

The fan moving air is effective as mentioned by Ed.

My garage is attached and next to the family room which has a wood stove burning all winter. I open the interior door leading into the garage and have a pedestal fan pointed into the garage running much of the time (I'm single so I can get away with whatever whenever). Same deal in the humid months with the AC. Some day I'm going to duct the forced air system into the garage in front of the car. Easy job just low on the list.

I also keep the windows down on both cars. The 442 I keep the trunk open as well, no rubber trunk mat ever.

The garage is well insulated and the doors are well sealed. This helps with the "climate control" AND keeps the bugs out!

[Craig P.]

Re: humidity control

One trick I have heard of boaters using is to put a tray of charcoal briquets in the (boat) vehicle. The charcoal absorbs moisture over time. You might put a humidity gage (cheap ones are available on-line or from a cigar store) in the closed car for a day or so to get a baseline humidity measurement, then try the charcoal trick for a week or two and see if it makes a difference... If you try it, post the results, it would be interesting to hear...

[Tom B.]

Re: humidity control

I replaced the dehumidifier in the basement due to it being loud when it ran, with a faster and quieter one. The old one went out to the shop where noise doesn't matter it was always loud from new. It took a few days to get caught up but after that it kept the moisture level under control all summer.

Tom

[Larry E.]

Re: humidity control

FWIW>I have used the "Omni" bags(As they where called at one time) for 30 years now w/o any problems. When
you take the car out they look just like you put them in. No surface rust on the the exhaust manifolds or the disk
brakes. I use an outdoor carpet underneath the bag. Building is steel building w/o electricity except for the 12 V.
solar panels on the roof to run small tools and etc. Building's floor is concrete. They are not cheap though; over
$200 for the zipper kind depending on the size you want. Buy the white moisture absorbing pellets through
"Camping World". Of course this is JMHO>Larry P.S. Live in Illinois so there is plenty weather thrown at you.

[Mark F.]

Re: humidity control

...and remember with any desiccant materials used (silica gel; indicating silica gel; charcoal; salts, etc.) when they become fully loaded with moisture absorbed/adsorbed out of the air, they need to be regenerated (moisture needs to be driven out of the sorbent material - usually with heat).

Unless you use an indicating type of desiccant (changes color when saturated); or use disposable materials and just change out on some set cycle (can get expensive) - figuring out when the material used gets saturated can be a mystery, I guess(?)

[Phillip M.]

Re: humidity control

I have been using the "Car Jacket" product for 13 years with no condensation problems noted. The car comes out in May looking like it did when put away in November. It is a totally enclosed zipper bag with included desiccant that I recharge in an oven and put in pans inside and under the car. Storage is a harsh environment: 3-car unheated garage shared with 2 daily drivers that, due to being covered in snow & slush, keep a high humidity level throughout the winter months.

[Stephen L.]

Re: humidity control

I used a small dehumidifier in my 5th wheel when not in use. It kept the unit dry. I placed it on the sink, set the humidity level, and just opened the drain system and let the accumulated water out on the ground. Worked great. The same could be applied to a "bag". Place a small dehumidifier inside the "bag" and route the drain outside. Very little energy involved....... and no dessicant required.

[Tom L.]

Re: humidity control

OR... you could invest in a Mini-split heat pump (I install them and it's not tough, most of us could do it on our own and they are not real expensive) which will control humidity, cool you in the summer rather than sweating too much and give you heat in the winter. Just my 2 cents. Have fun!

[William F.]

Re: humidity control

Tom,
Thought I'd replied but don't see it. Mini splits are the best but not inexpensive. $3000-$4000 for an 18,000BTU unit for my 20x20 garage.

[Tom L.]

Re: humidity control

I agree, but that would be an installed price. I did suggest that if your skill set includes working with copper tubing (just 45* flares), basic electrical skills (Running a circuit to the outdoor unit and 3 control wires from the outdoor unit to the indoor unit) and basic constriction skills (Finding/avoiding wall studs, screwing a mounting bracket to them and drilling a 2 5/8 hole through a wall) most determined individuals could do the installation.

I know I make it sound easy but it really isn't that difficult. If there were no real obstacles I am able to install one of these in less than a day, double that if you've never done it before. Here's a link to an LG system (A good system) for example. I sell Mitsubishi but have installed others, even the real cheap systems you can find on amazon. They all work it's just build quality, product and parts support that make me stick to Mitsubishi. I hope this helps.

[Gary C.]

Re: humidity control

Bought a LG portable dehumidifier about 20 years for my shop. It has a drain hose that I ran outside. Does a great job and keeps the humidity at less than 40% in my shop. No problems on my '57 or 64 with moisture.

Found the LG dehumidifier on sale at Home Depot.

Gary
....

[Owen L.]

Re: humidity control

Here's a link to an LG system (A good system) for example. I sell Mitsubishi but have installed others, even the real cheap systems you can find on amazon. They all work it's just build quality, product and parts support that make me stick to Mitsubishi. I hope this helps.

Tom, I am most concerned about humidity and not cooling. Here in the Pacific Northwest, from November thru March, things just don't dry out with the nearly constant rain and overcast skies. Do you have a recommendation for a heating unit? I'm thinking of something that can be installed down near floor level to aid in evaporating the concrete moisture.