Dehumidifier or Air Chamber???
Discussion
Hello all,
This is the first time I've used a forum and hoping I might get some good advice.
I'm just in the process of preparing my garage ready to take a Morgan Aero 8. This is a big purchase for me and I want to make sure I look after the car as best as I can - the car is for life.....not just for Christmas!!! My garage is detached and backs on to open fields so is constantly battered by the elements. As a result it gets cold and is also quite damp. It is very dusty on the inside so I am having it painted with a PVC type paint to address that problem. I am also looking at having a roller door fitted to give a more secure and tighter seal. I'm struggling though to decide on what is better......a good dehumidifier with a permanent drainage outlet or an air chamber.
I've read enough web sites all professing their product is best (but then it would be wouldn't it!!). Has anyone any good/bad experiences with either of these products please and any advice?
Thanks in advance.
This is the first time I've used a forum and hoping I might get some good advice.
I'm just in the process of preparing my garage ready to take a Morgan Aero 8. This is a big purchase for me and I want to make sure I look after the car as best as I can - the car is for life.....not just for Christmas!!! My garage is detached and backs on to open fields so is constantly battered by the elements. As a result it gets cold and is also quite damp. It is very dusty on the inside so I am having it painted with a PVC type paint to address that problem. I am also looking at having a roller door fitted to give a more secure and tighter seal. I'm struggling though to decide on what is better......a good dehumidifier with a permanent drainage outlet or an air chamber.
I've read enough web sites all professing their product is best (but then it would be wouldn't it!!). Has anyone any good/bad experiences with either of these products please and any advice?
Thanks in advance.
Personally, I think that if your garage is structurally sound and weathertight, then putting an air chamber inside it is a bit of a waste, especially if it would make getting in or out of the car awkward - anything that deters you from driving it is a bad thing, as cars deteriorate far more when they are used only rarely.
I have a B&Q dehumidifier in my garage, I run it for about 3 hours a day, and it keeps everything pretty much under control.
I have a B&Q dehumidifier in my garage, I run it for about 3 hours a day, and it keeps everything pretty much under control.
Thank you Gaspode. My garage is weatherproof and structurally sound. I can live with getting in/out being awkward if an air chamber would do a better job of protecting the car from condensation/rust/mould etc.. Over a dehumidifier.
I don't think there is anything that could deter me from driving this car! Morgans have been my mothers favourite car as far back as I can remember. Neither she nor I have had the where with all to ever own one.......until now :-)
I fell in love with the Aero 8 when it was shown on the TV programme where John Harvey Jones revisited Morgan back in 1999 so it's been a long time coming. The car will be driven at every opportunity.
I don't think there is anything that could deter me from driving this car! Morgans have been my mothers favourite car as far back as I can remember. Neither she nor I have had the where with all to ever own one.......until now :-)
I fell in love with the Aero 8 when it was shown on the TV programme where John Harvey Jones revisited Morgan back in 1999 so it's been a long time coming. The car will be driven at every opportunity.
I ran a dehumidifyer in the winter with the Aston and found it took the edge off the moisture. Just make sure it can do sub-zero temperatures. Not all of them can.
I also tried an option which invovled zipping the car into a giant thick bag and using dessicant canisters to dry the air. Useless on every level: the "new" bag had patches where it had been repaired, didnt seal properly so didnt work, and after a few weeks use the bag got so dirty I didnt want to cover the car in case all the grit and crap scratched the paintwork. And the custoemr service was awful: aparently there should not be a difference between humidity inside and outside the 'bag as it was "relative" humidity.
I also tried an option which invovled zipping the car into a giant thick bag and using dessicant canisters to dry the air. Useless on every level: the "new" bag had patches where it had been repaired, didnt seal properly so didnt work, and after a few weeks use the bag got so dirty I didnt want to cover the car in case all the grit and crap scratched the paintwork. And the custoemr service was awful: aparently there should not be a difference between humidity inside and outside the 'bag as it was "relative" humidity.
I use neither. There is very little to rust on a Morgan especially an Aero. I cover mine with a very thick car cover which absorbs any moisture and keeps the frost off the car. I make sure I use it fairly regularly, but only when the roads are salt free, to give it some air and always ensure that when its put away the car is dry. Beware of using a dehumidifier I have heard stories of them drying out the wooden frame too much causing damage.
Thanks LE52 MOG
I did wonder how prone the Aero 8 would be to rust given much of it is made of Aluminium. Take your point about drying out too. There had been some minor frame damage to the wood on the car. The lawyer had peeled away to the front of the side windows. I put this down to water ingress. This has been made good mind by the Morgan factory.
Love the +8 ...... My next car if I can afford it.
I did wonder how prone the Aero 8 would be to rust given much of it is made of Aluminium. Take your point about drying out too. There had been some minor frame damage to the wood on the car. The lawyer had peeled away to the front of the side windows. I put this down to water ingress. This has been made good mind by the Morgan factory.
Love the +8 ...... My next car if I can afford it.
LE52 MOG said:
I use neither. There is very little to rust on a Morgan especially an Aero. I cover mine with a very thick car cover which absorbs any moisture and keeps the frost off the car. I make sure I use it fairly regularly, but only when the roads are salt free, to give it some air and always ensure that when its put away the car is dry. Beware of using a dehumidifier I have heard stories of them drying out the wooden frame too much causing damage.
Hmm. Have to say I'm not entirely sure that having a car cover on in the garage is a good plan - too much risk of trapping moisture next to the paintwork. As for dehumidifying to the point of drying out the wood, you'd have to be going some in the UK climate to get this problem. I dehumidify down to around 75%, that's fine for drying the car out. The wood won't start suffering until it gets below around 50% and stays that way for weeks - that's hellish dry.Although always ensuring the car is properly dry before putting it away in undoubtedly a good idea, I find that it's just impossible to do so this time of year, when it stays wet for days at a time - hence the dehumidifier.
I'd agree with Gaspode on this. I use a dehumidifier bur only tend to use this after the car has got wet or after washing the car.
I did have a carcoon which I used for an xk150 and my first aero they are bit of pain but it cerinly helped kept the dredded rust at ay onbthe xk150. I'm of the view that I don't want the paint being touched by a cover so I've put a ceiling in my garage and made it as daust proof as I can, given the ali body of the aero rust isn't going to an issue although my earlier aero did have some localised corrosion due to electrolyse.
Now the import questions what aero are you getting?
As Sawman said you'll find plenty of help with the aero at www.talkmorgan.com
I did have a carcoon which I used for an xk150 and my first aero they are bit of pain but it cerinly helped kept the dredded rust at ay onbthe xk150. I'm of the view that I don't want the paint being touched by a cover so I've put a ceiling in my garage and made it as daust proof as I can, given the ali body of the aero rust isn't going to an issue although my earlier aero did have some localised corrosion due to electrolyse.
Now the import questions what aero are you getting?
As Sawman said you'll find plenty of help with the aero at www.talkmorgan.com
Thanks for the info all.
Just registered with TalkMorgan as TheCoot also - will take a look around once my account is approved - thanks Sawman. "Lawyers"!!! That's the price I've paid for typing that on an iPAD!! I think "lacquer" was too difficult a word for it!! :-)
Hey AsboJohn - it's a S3 Aero 8 in Silver. I've been looking for a while and had a specific criteria 1) It had to have the original 6 spoke forged wheels, 2) A rear Librand Sports exhaust 3)S3 or S4 i.e. mini headlights and 4) the colour had to be right - I think the Aero is a car that can look magnificent if the colour is right and awful is not! (Subjective I know).
Taken a while to find it, can't wait for it to arrive.
Just registered with TalkMorgan as TheCoot also - will take a look around once my account is approved - thanks Sawman. "Lawyers"!!! That's the price I've paid for typing that on an iPAD!! I think "lacquer" was too difficult a word for it!! :-)
Hey AsboJohn - it's a S3 Aero 8 in Silver. I've been looking for a while and had a specific criteria 1) It had to have the original 6 spoke forged wheels, 2) A rear Librand Sports exhaust 3)S3 or S4 i.e. mini headlights and 4) the colour had to be right - I think the Aero is a car that can look magnificent if the colour is right and awful is not! (Subjective I know).
Taken a while to find it, can't wait for it to arrive.
TheCoot said:
Just registered with TalkMorgan as TheCoot also - will take a look around once my account is approved - thanks Sawman. "Lawyers"!!! That's the price I've paid for typing that on an iPAD!! I think "lacquer" was too difficult a word for it!! :-)
Just yankin' ya chain, buddy!The beast sounds great, No doubt you will be posting a pic soon, its "de rigueur" around these parts you know!!
I would go for a Carcoon any time.
If you are just using a cover go and buy a pond liner from your local garden centre as this stops a lot of moisture coming through the concrete floor.
We leave a car parked in our garage in the UK for about 4-5 months as we winter in Spain.
The first year I just left it in the garage which, like yours, is not attached to the house and of stone construction. I could not believe the moisture that had settled on the car.
Second year I bought the pond liner and sat the car on it, this made a big difference but still had moisture on the brake discs etc.
Third year I bought the carcoon as we bought a newer UK hack and the car was absolutely dry with no corroding anywhere. The added bonus is that the Carcoon also comes with a battery condition meter. The car started first time after 5 months of just sitting there, was clean, dust free and as I left the windows down the interior was fresh and dry.
If you are just using a cover go and buy a pond liner from your local garden centre as this stops a lot of moisture coming through the concrete floor.
We leave a car parked in our garage in the UK for about 4-5 months as we winter in Spain.
The first year I just left it in the garage which, like yours, is not attached to the house and of stone construction. I could not believe the moisture that had settled on the car.
Second year I bought the pond liner and sat the car on it, this made a big difference but still had moisture on the brake discs etc.
Third year I bought the carcoon as we bought a newer UK hack and the car was absolutely dry with no corroding anywhere. The added bonus is that the Carcoon also comes with a battery condition meter. The car started first time after 5 months of just sitting there, was clean, dust free and as I left the windows down the interior was fresh and dry.
Hi M3DEV
Thanks for the advice. I've now got both mind....a dehumidifier and an airchamber. The car came in February. The air chamber was a month late so I used the dehumidifier for that month - I've got to say it was excellent and kept the garage at a constant 50% Relative Humidity which I'd read somewhere was about where it should be.
The Air Chamber came and I erected it (that's another story!!!). It does exactly what it says it does i.e. circulates air. How useful that will be in the long run I can't say as the Relative Humidity still gets high albeit the air is moving. Now it's summer I've tended to leave the large door at one end of the air chamber open but the fans still running to circulate air in the garage as it get's pretty warm in there when zipped up which I don't reckon can be too good.
The garage was sealed using a PVC paint along with the floor and I've got to say, so far so good, even after all the rain we've had. But then again, the air chamber does have a floor to it.
Now I know a little more a) about the storage of a car and b) about the car itself if I were coming at it again, I'd probably just buy a fan and keep the dehumidifier on. The dehumidifier will maintain the relative humidity and the fan will simply circulate the air around the garage. I also use a CTEK battery conditioner and that is excellent (one new battery later after having left the lights on for a week whilst away on holiday!!!!!).
Thanks for the reply.
Thanks for the advice. I've now got both mind....a dehumidifier and an airchamber. The car came in February. The air chamber was a month late so I used the dehumidifier for that month - I've got to say it was excellent and kept the garage at a constant 50% Relative Humidity which I'd read somewhere was about where it should be.
The Air Chamber came and I erected it (that's another story!!!). It does exactly what it says it does i.e. circulates air. How useful that will be in the long run I can't say as the Relative Humidity still gets high albeit the air is moving. Now it's summer I've tended to leave the large door at one end of the air chamber open but the fans still running to circulate air in the garage as it get's pretty warm in there when zipped up which I don't reckon can be too good.
The garage was sealed using a PVC paint along with the floor and I've got to say, so far so good, even after all the rain we've had. But then again, the air chamber does have a floor to it.
Now I know a little more a) about the storage of a car and b) about the car itself if I were coming at it again, I'd probably just buy a fan and keep the dehumidifier on. The dehumidifier will maintain the relative humidity and the fan will simply circulate the air around the garage. I also use a CTEK battery conditioner and that is excellent (one new battery later after having left the lights on for a week whilst away on holiday!!!!!).
Thanks for the reply.
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