Carcoons - are they any good?
Discussion
I have a standalone double garage. It is not the driest garage in the world and my winters are a constant battle against the damp. The garage is reasonably ventilated but the corners/walls tend to be damp (i.e. not in a direct line between the up and over doors and the garage door)
I've tried all sorts of different ideas incorporating combinations of fans/heaters/dehumidifiers.
I have dithered about investing in a carcoon for many years as I am very sceptical about their properties.
I doubt that the filter can extract moisture such that only dry is circulated.
If the garage is damp surely you will simply be passing damp air over the car?
The main advantage I can see is that the bubble insulates the car and will slow the rate of change of temperature - which is one of the main causes of condensation. My thinking is to get one and stick the dehumidifier in the carcoon with the car.
What's the opinion here?
I've tried all sorts of different ideas incorporating combinations of fans/heaters/dehumidifiers.
I have dithered about investing in a carcoon for many years as I am very sceptical about their properties.
I doubt that the filter can extract moisture such that only dry is circulated.
If the garage is damp surely you will simply be passing damp air over the car?
The main advantage I can see is that the bubble insulates the car and will slow the rate of change of temperature - which is one of the main causes of condensation. My thinking is to get one and stick the dehumidifier in the carcoon with the car.
What's the opinion here?
Apologies for dragging this post back to life...
New Carcoons/Airchambers are around the £400 mark.
So I tried to get one cheap on Ebay, I thought £200 would do it but no, second-hand they hit not far off new money.
In the end, with some plastic piping & a huge roll of sturdy plastic sheeting I made my own (total cost about £50). I've stuck my dehumidifier and a couple of greenhouse heaters in there for good measure and it works a treat. I would post up a picture but I fear I would get the p*ss ripped out of me.
But I found this on Ebay today - not a Carcoon but a very similar product for around £300 new
Seller has no feedback but looks reputable...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CarCapsule-Classic-Vinta...
New Carcoons/Airchambers are around the £400 mark.
So I tried to get one cheap on Ebay, I thought £200 would do it but no, second-hand they hit not far off new money.
In the end, with some plastic piping & a huge roll of sturdy plastic sheeting I made my own (total cost about £50). I've stuck my dehumidifier and a couple of greenhouse heaters in there for good measure and it works a treat. I would post up a picture but I fear I would get the p*ss ripped out of me.
But I found this on Ebay today - not a Carcoon but a very similar product for around £300 new
Seller has no feedback but looks reputable...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CarCapsule-Classic-Vinta...
na said:
...lots...
Air replenishment, not sure what you are going on about here but it's a car not a plant.Any excess moisture will be removed by the dehumidifier, which will be drained externally.
The heaters are electric and will further diminish the risk of condensation and will promote air circulation.
The only reason I would buy a Carcoon or similar is for ease of use.
Getragdogleg said:
I have been reading this with interest, The way I see it is the carcoon only uses air flow replenisment as a way to de-humidify, moving air picks up moisture by sublimation so flow promotes drying, carcoon use this system as it is cheaper than putting a full dehumidifier in the kits, plus the end user gets a product that is a bit cheaper to run.
I have a very lightly heated workshop (one tiny tube heater next to the body panel store area ) with a dehumidifier in it and I empty around 7 liters every morning in the winter, slightly less in summer.
I want a carcoon type of product to keep the dust off my car but i am not spending the money on it so I have been thinking about a load of alloy tubing and a load of pvc, i could get a local sailmaker to stitch it all up and bung the car in it, once in a while move the dehumidifier to the tent I have created and let it dry out the car if needed. I have a battery trickle charger so that side of it is all ok already.
I think you are on the same wavelength as me.I have a very lightly heated workshop (one tiny tube heater next to the body panel store area ) with a dehumidifier in it and I empty around 7 liters every morning in the winter, slightly less in summer.
I want a carcoon type of product to keep the dust off my car but i am not spending the money on it so I have been thinking about a load of alloy tubing and a load of pvc, i could get a local sailmaker to stitch it all up and bung the car in it, once in a while move the dehumidifier to the tent I have created and let it dry out the car if needed. I have a battery trickle charger so that side of it is all ok already.
The key things are the rate of change of temperature from very cold to warm.
Condensation on a car will occur in an unheated garage if after an Arctic spell we get a big South Westerly (warm damp air) - metalwork will literally be dripping.
The rate of change of temperature will be controlled by putting the car in its own environment (i.e. an airtight-ish bubble).
But beyond that I think heat and a dehumidifier will work better than simply circulating air in a bubble (i.e. a Carcoon)
Carcoon or its followers make much of the filters that the air passes through on its way to circulating over the car but there is no way they can extract on a long term basis any meaningful amount of water.
Deep breath...
- * Trommel, you beat me to it ***
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