Does anyone use those moisture trap thingies , the ones with the crystals , and do they work ? . Thinking about leaving one in caravan while stored for the winter . Thanks
Condensation
- Thread starter harleysdad
- Start date
On the odd occasion when not using the van in the winter for a few weeks I use two and yes they do work quite well. The alternative is the moisture trap bags as well.
I have in 30 years of caravanning only ever drained down, Pulled cushions away from wall,Leave all doors open and never had a problem
a problem that you never found ?
i use them over winter and they do pull a lot of moisture in. Do they protect your caravan from condensation and the soft furnishings from damp and possible mildew.
IO dont know but for a £4 or £5 on a £14k caravan .... i will once again use them.
i use them over winter and they do pull a lot of moisture in. Do they protect your caravan from condensation and the soft furnishings from damp and possible mildew.
IO dont know but for a £4 or £5 on a £14k caravan .... i will once again use them.
It is of course a personal choice whether to use dehumidifiers or not. but it may be helpfull to understand how condensation is caused.
All air has some moisture content known as humidity but how much depends largely on temperature and the available source of evapouratable water. Warm air can carry more moisture than cooler air. This demonstrated very well by the ferocity of the rainy season in hot tropical climates.
When a caravan is used (in the UK) it is usually kept warmer inside than outside, so the air inside the caravan can be more humid than the external air. The largest sources of water to raise the humidity are from the occupants breathing and any open flames such as the cooker and oven burners, and boiling water.
Any warm humid air that comes into contact with a cooler surface, will cause the air to cool, and if it is taken below its dew point it will deposit some of its moisture as condensation. (That is the reason we get dew on the grass etc and how it rains).
So during use, a caravan will attain a higher overall moisture content in the air and other materials such as the mattresses, curtains and untreated wood etc. As a consequence, when a caravan is put into storage and it cools down some of that raised moisture may appear as dampness.
It can make sense to use a dehumidifier for a couple of days after usage, but the benefits beyond that will diminish towards zero unless the caravan has a leak when it rains.
Over a longer period a dehumidifier will continue to collect water but its benefit to the structure and content of the caravan will diminish as it dries out, however as caravans have fixed ventilation (which is necessary as it is a habitation module) there will always air exchange with the outside, so increasingly all the dehumidifiers are effectively doing is collecting water from the outside air as it passes through the caravan and have virtually no impact on the condition of the caravan.
The best way of controlling and minimising condensation is to keep good ventilation with the ambient air.
All air has some moisture content known as humidity but how much depends largely on temperature and the available source of evapouratable water. Warm air can carry more moisture than cooler air. This demonstrated very well by the ferocity of the rainy season in hot tropical climates.
When a caravan is used (in the UK) it is usually kept warmer inside than outside, so the air inside the caravan can be more humid than the external air. The largest sources of water to raise the humidity are from the occupants breathing and any open flames such as the cooker and oven burners, and boiling water.
Any warm humid air that comes into contact with a cooler surface, will cause the air to cool, and if it is taken below its dew point it will deposit some of its moisture as condensation. (That is the reason we get dew on the grass etc and how it rains).
So during use, a caravan will attain a higher overall moisture content in the air and other materials such as the mattresses, curtains and untreated wood etc. As a consequence, when a caravan is put into storage and it cools down some of that raised moisture may appear as dampness.
It can make sense to use a dehumidifier for a couple of days after usage, but the benefits beyond that will diminish towards zero unless the caravan has a leak when it rains.
Over a longer period a dehumidifier will continue to collect water but its benefit to the structure and content of the caravan will diminish as it dries out, however as caravans have fixed ventilation (which is necessary as it is a habitation module) there will always air exchange with the outside, so increasingly all the dehumidifiers are effectively doing is collecting water from the outside air as it passes through the caravan and have virtually no impact on the condition of the caravan.
The best way of controlling and minimising condensation is to keep good ventilation with the ambient air.
aha wikipedia strikes again.
So Prof John, do you use them ? that was the question.... not how absorbed water vapour in the atmosphere and be caused to condense on surfaces.
So Prof John, do you use them ? that was the question.... not how absorbed water vapour in the atmosphere and be caused to condense on surfaces.
Thanks Philspadders that indeed was the question . Having attended what I consider to be a good state school all be it some years ago . I am aware through science lessons how condensation is formed . All I was asking , being a novice caravanner and all , was whether people use these things and whether they have any positive effect . I have now decided to use one of these , as you say for £5 if it only gives me peace of mind that I'm doing all I can to protect my caravan , because they are'nt cheap , then that will do for me . Thanks for all your comments .
I too pull all soft furnishings from the wall etc, I also leave two bowl of salt in the van. It does get water in it but whether it is helping I dont really know, however for the price of a bag of smart price salt who cares......
I think this is on all our minds this time of year. I too use these crystalls. They are cheap and do appear to collect moisture. I also leave the kitchen window on the first lock, leaving a small gap to allow airflow? My upholstery is stood up away from walls so air can circulate. I was thinking of putting a very thin silver insulation material in the windows too.
Hello Phill,
Wikipedia had absolutely no part in my answer! And no I don't use them, and have never needed them in a caravan. I have used a mains powered one after a new build after a plastering job.
Wikipedia had absolutely no part in my answer! And no I don't use them, and have never needed them in a caravan. I have used a mains powered one after a new build after a plastering job.
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