Dealing with condensation

[Steve Q]

As you will all know my A6 has now been stood sometime and has started to get condensation inside the cabin. I fear this is going to start doing damage as I noticed one of my interior window stickers has started to go mouldy.

I must add, I do have the car covered with a tarpaulin (not a car cover as I still wanted the car to breath so the tarp covers the roof and tops of the doors to where the glass meets the door skin. 

I've have experimented with salt and one of the moisture bags which did clear some of it. 

Since then I have placed coarse salt inside tupperware containers and placed them on the dash and I have invested in a Silent night 2L dehumidifier. 

I'll keep you posted on how I get on. 

Pic 1 the condensation. 

Pic 2 the moisture bag. 

Pic 3 the coarse salt. 

Pic 4 coarse salt in the tupperware. 

Pic 5 the table salt I had used originally which had got stuck together after absorbing moisture. 

I got the idea of using coarse salt from here: 

https://www.thescottishfarmer.co.uk/machinery/motoring/23147145.stop-condensation-cars-tips-uk-drivers-winter/#:~:text=Expert life hack to get rid of condensation from car windows&text=The main life hack involves,spilling all over the car.

Here's the link to the dehumidifier: 

https://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/silentnight-dehumidifier-4439990

I'll keep you posted on how I get on and if anyone has any further suggestions then please let me know 🙂

[coupe4]

Hi steve.the salt is a great trick,we use bowls of it everywhere in our mobile home every winter when its not in use and its amazing the amount of moisture it collects,

theres also small dehumidifiers in dealz [poundland] for about 1.50 euro each and theyre brilliant for the car.

[Steve Q]

29 minutes ago, coupe4 said:

Hi steve.the salt is a great trick,we use bowls of it everywhere in our mobile home every winter when its not in use and its amazing the amount of moisture it collects,

theres also small dehumidifiers in dealz [poundland] for about 1.50 euro each and theyre brilliant for the car.

Thanks for that. Without sounding thick, can the salt by dried out and reused? 

Never seen dehumidifiers in our Poundlands! 

[coupe4]

i think youd be better off using standard table salt,i dont think it can be dried out and reused,maybe the store is called B and M?,its called dealz here in ireland but they are an english outlet.

[cliffcoggin]

Steve.

I use an electric dehumidifier in my workshop as a cheaper alternative to heating, and it is very successful in preventing naked steel tools rusting by extracting a litre or more per day of water from the atmosphere. As far as I recall it uses 600 watts for six hours per day. (I have it on a timer so that it runs mainly on cheap overnight electricity. I also set it to stop at a somewhat higher humidity setting than the "normal" setting.

If you don't fancy running an electric device in the car you will find that containers of calcium chloride are more effective than sodium chloride (salt) at extracting moisture because it has a greater affinity for water. This is the sort of thing I mean:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/ANSIO-Dehumidifier-Condensation-Moisture-Dehumidifiers/dp/B015AOGP1S?crid=B996OUG3WFWH&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.FVZ5pjN9QD7zShhv5-NWBs2nzt4E7i2tuiOc7Dpz6hCeIN_0kNcO_2rec-koKry4Eoe-Ojktf4BS4WovCQQqEDBuqr-fY9iao7KhkDFrbI_q-_hA-bcv4YR9glvBnC4cay4uHToaSJIyxNJKMJwNe24Au4k1JMAhajccK41MQdM950D5LVwBq1eX9MqevnFZUYpXS5ujTORp6o9Nzogf8w0eG0wc9FJptR-T1FoppSo.tdOXAsBl3go4PMVFOtm-m10UMp-8w02i3apCNfGY704&dib_tag=se&keywords=dehumidifier%2Bcrystals&nsdOptOutParam=true&qid=1732828908&sprefix=dehimidifier%2Bcrystals%2Caps%2C111&sr=8-4&th=1

Both sodium and calcium chlorides can be regenerated by heating in a very hot oven.

Cliff.

[coupe4]

the ones Cliff has posted are the same ones i was on about ,they are very good to extract moisture in a car,definitely worth putting one or two into the boot and some in the front

[Steve Q]

58 minutes ago, coupe4 said:

i think youd be better off using standard table salt,i dont think it can be dried out and reused,maybe the store is called B and M?,its called dealz here in ireland but they are an english outlet.

Thank you. I did use normal tablets salt which did absorb quite a bit of moisture but was recommended the coarse salt so will see if that's better 🙂 

43 minutes ago, cliffcoggin said:

Steve.

I use an electric dehumidifier in my workshop as a cheaper alternative to heating, and it is very successful in preventing naked steel tools rusting by extracting a litre or more per day of water from the atmosphere. As far as I recall it uses 600 watts for six hours per day. (I have it on a timer so that it runs mainly on cheap overnight electricity. I also set it to stop at a somewhat higher humidity setting than the "normal" setting.

If you don't fancy running an electric device in the car you will find that containers of calcium chloride are more effective than sodium chloride (salt) at extracting moisture because it has a greater affinity for water. This is the sort of thing I mean:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/ANSIO-Dehumidifier-Condensation-Moisture-Dehumidifiers/dp/B015AOGP1S?crid=B996OUG3WFWH&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.FVZ5pjN9QD7zShhv5-NWBs2nzt4E7i2tuiOc7Dpz6hCeIN_0kNcO_2rec-koKry4Eoe-Ojktf4BS4WovCQQqEDBuqr-fY9iao7KhkDFrbI_q-_hA-bcv4YR9glvBnC4cay4uHToaSJIyxNJKMJwNe24Au4k1JMAhajccK41MQdM950D5LVwBq1eX9MqevnFZUYpXS5ujTORp6o9Nzogf8w0eG0wc9FJptR-T1FoppSo.tdOXAsBl3go4PMVFOtm-m10UMp-8w02i3apCNfGY704&dib_tag=se&keywords=dehumidifier%2Bcrystals&nsdOptOutParam=true&qid=1732828908&sprefix=dehimidifier%2Bcrystals%2Caps%2C111&sr=8-4&th=1

Both sodium and calcium chlorides can be regenerated by heating in a very hot oven.

Cliff.

Thanks Cliff 🙂 when I was looking at dehumidifiers I was shocked at the difference in running costs. For example the one I've chosen will cost around £175 per year if run all year round. Whereas the 4l one I was originally going to get was going to cost £525 a year to run! 

Thank you for the suggestion of the calcium chloride, I'll definitely give that a go. 

Not going to lie, I'm slightly worried about running a dehumidifier in the car to be honest, but need must to preserve the car. 

[audia4b5kev]

3 hours ago, Steve Q said:

As you will all know my A6 has now been stood sometime and has started to get condensation inside the cabin. I fear this is going to start doing damage as I noticed one of my interior window stickers has started to go mouldy.

I must add, I do have the car covered with a tarpaulin (not a car cover as I still wanted the car to breath so the tarp covers the roof and tops of the doors to where the glass meets the door skin. 

I've have experimented with salt and one of the moisture bags which did clear some of it. 

Since then I have placed coarse salt inside tupperware containers and placed them on the dash and I have invested in a Silent night 2L dehumidifier. 

I'll keep you posted on how I get on. 

Pic 1 the condensation. 

Pic 2 the moisture bag. 

Pic 3 the coarse salt. 

Pic 4 coarse salt in the tupperware. 

Pic 5 the table salt I had used originally which had got stuck together after absorbing moisture. 

I got the idea of using coarse salt from here: 

https://www.thescottishfarmer.co.uk/machinery/motoring/23147145.stop-condensation-cars-tips-uk-drivers-winter/#:~:text=Expert life hack to get rid of condensation from car windows&text=The main life hack involves,spilling all over the car.

Here's the link to the dehumidifier: 

https://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/silentnight-dehumidifier-4439990

I'll keep you posted on how I get on and if anyone has any further suggestions then please let me know 🙂

i use  rice  steve   

[Steve Q]

7 hours ago, audia4b5kev said:

i use  rice  steve   

That's a good idea Kev, hadn't thought of that. Thank you 👍 

[cliffcoggin]

11 hours ago, Steve Q said:

Thank you. I did use normal tablets salt which did absorb quite a bit of moisture but was recommended the coarse salt so will see if that's better 🙂 

Thanks Cliff 🙂 when I was looking at dehumidifiers I was shocked at the difference in running costs. For example the one I've chosen will cost around £175 per year if run all year round. Whereas the 4l one I was originally going to get was going to cost £525 a year to run! 

Thank you for the suggestion of the calcium chloride, I'll definitely give that a go. 

Not going to lie, I'm slightly worried about running a dehumidifier in the car to be honest, but need must to preserve the car. 

Steve.

The volume of a car is much less than a room so you only need a small capacity dehumidifier. The running cost will depend on the humidity setting you select.

One thing I forgot to mention is that you need to get rid of the water the machine collects. I doubt that running a drain pipe from your car is an option so that leaves emptying the tank daily. That in turn reminds me that a power cable will needed, which is fine if the car is safely in a garage but not so good if the car is outside.

[Steve Q]

Thanks Kev, 

The dehumidifier I've purchased only has an on/off button and no additional settings. I checked it this morning and it hadn't collected any water.

Whereas the moisture bag had done it's job again as per the below pic. 

Yep not in a position to run the drain pipe so just letting it collect in the container. 

I'm running the extension lead into the car Nd then have the dehumidifier plugged into that. 

[Steve Q]

Just a quick update this was the condensation this evening. 

[Steve Q]

This is from yesterday morning 

[cliffcoggin]

On 11/29/2024 at 10:19 AM, Steve Q said:

The dehumidifier I've purchased only has an on/off button and no additional settings. I checked it this morning and it hadn't collected any water.

It must be faulty. The crystals have proved there is moisture present. Does the machine actually run? The collection tank should have an interlock switch to prevent operation if the tank is not fully inserted.

[Steve Q]

Thanks Cliff, dehumidifier definitely turned on and humming away. Will check the tank but sure it's fitted properly 

[Steve Q]

On 12/1/2024 at 11:00 AM, cliffcoggin said:

It must be faulty. The crystals have proved there is moisture present. Does the machine actually run? The collection tank should have an interlock switch to prevent operation if the tank is not fully inserted.

Following on from this cliff, I'd noticed the dehumidifier had slipped slightly and wasn't sitting upright. Which has ultimate got the rest seat wet 🤦‍♂️ I've moved it to the floor so it's fully upright. So we'll see if that makes any difference 

[cliffcoggin]

2 minutes ago, Steve Q said:

 I'd noticed the dehumidifier had slipped slightly and wasn't sitting upright. Which has ultimate got the rest seat wet 🤦‍♂️ I've moved it to the floor so it's fully upright. So we'll see if that makes any difference 

That suggests it is condensing water as it should, but the condensate is not going into the tank. The machine does need to be upright.

[Steve Q]

34 minutes ago, cliffcoggin said:

That suggests it is condensing water as it should, but the condensate is not going into the tank. The machine does need to be upright.

Thanks Cliff, I'll keep you posted. Strangely only side doing all this is there more if a water smell in the car now 😬 hoping it's temporary.