Preserving the value of vintage vehicles
| Vehicles from California are known among experts to be relatively rust-free even after 20 years. One of the decisive factors in this is California's low relative air humidity. It prevents moisture (e.g. condensation) from accumulating in hollow spaces, and prevents the general corrosion of metal parts and the rotting of wood, leather and other materials. |
In our region, if you want to slow down the process of a vehicle's destruction by rust and corrosion, then you have to control the relative air humidity carefully. Only a regulated climate can prevent the forming of condensation and the collection of moisture on the vehicle.
Why does a garage not protect against moisture damage?
A garage is not sealed, and outside moisture can penetrate the structure of the building and accumulate in considerable quantities in the masonry and other building materials (lime-sand bricks, for instance, can hold up to 270 l/m³). That water is constantly being emitted into the air inside the garage. This applies to above and below-ground garages alike.
Whether the garage is heated or not, the air humidity will be too high for vehicles stored there throughout long periods of the year.
In underground garages the air humidity is basically determined by the moisture from the earth and the temperature of the earth, which is seldom higher than +10 °C. Water condenses on the cold walls, especially in summer when warm air enters the underground garage.
The same effect is also caused temporarily when a vehicle which has cooled to the outside temperature throughout the day is parked inside a warm garage. The whole vehicle suddenly attracts condensation.
This crossing of the dew point, and the condensation this causes, occurs not only when the moisture level rises, but also when the temperature drops.
How do I prevent my vehicle from being damaged?
Sealing up spaces and sealing the underbody are inadequate methods, since protective materials are extremely difficult to apply to many of the crucial angles and recesses.
The sealing process must be repeated and checked regularly. Furthermore, moisture and rust frequently creep in behind under body sealants. This damage does not emerge until later when it has reached an advanced stage. It is the symptoms you are fighting, not the cause.
The only technically, physically and economically adequate approach is to reduce the air humidity, and keep it at around 50% all the time. This applies especially to temperatures above +5 °C, at which the quantity of water stored in the air rises steeply with increasing temperature.
Structure of an air dehumidifier
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AERIAL air dehumidifiers constantly draw moisture out of the air, a process which is automatically controlled by built-in hygrostats.
The condensation is carried out again by means of evaporation in the opposite direction from which it came-through hollow spaces and hygroscopic material. AERIAL air dehumidifiers are especially frugal in their consumption of electrical energy. They work on the heat pump principle, which means they utilise the energy contained in the air as well as electrical energy.
This leads to energy gains of up to 2.5 times the amount of energy consumed. AERIAL air dehumidifiers use only around 20% of the energy required to heat a garage-and they produce much more satisfactory drying results. The heat released by an AERIAL air dehumidifier, which can be many times the electrical energy it consumes, helps to warm up the room.
Sample set-ups The unit is set up on the floor (it is easy to roll) or can be fitted to a wall mounting which is available as an accessory.
If a drain outlet is available or can be set up in a suitable place, then the condensation can be fed away through a tube (accessory). This means you no longer have to empty the collection container regularly.
Air dehumidifier set-up
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Setting up beneath a tarpaulin, sheet, or similar. The sheet or tarpaulin should never be completely airtight, since petrol fumes can be produced. |
A good air circulation is important when you set up. Vehicles or machines that are to be stored over longer periods of time in places such as large halls can be stored separately beneath a plastic tarpaulin or in a large "plastic bag".
The AERIAL air dehumidifier is then placed beneath the cover or in the plastic bag with the vehicle.
Air dehumidifier set-up
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Advantage: The volume of the space which needs dehumidifying is reduced. This approach saves energy and money because you no longer need to dehumidify the entire hall. If the sheet is placed directly on top of the vehicle, then cover the vehicle beforehand with a car cover, a woollen blanket, a sheet, or similar. |
That is because the air which is constantly pumped in brings in precisely the thing which you are attempting to protect the vehicle from: moisture.
Chemicals or eco-friendly technology? What is the best corrosion protection for vintage cars, motorcycles, machines and valuable possessions? Vintage cars rust and crack above all because of too much air humidity.
A range of systems are available to counter this, all of which promise corrosion protection.
For the amateur it is hard to get clarity: which system is the most suitable and worth the money? How can I really keep air humidity away from my vintage car in the long term? The kind of "big bag" in which you place the vehicle cannot do away with moisture-whether the air circulates or not.
Because of the laws of physics, sooner or later the humidity level inside a bag will become the same as the humidity around the bag. That means that if it is moist inside your garage, warehouse or barn, then it will become moist inside the bag. Bags containing drying cylinders (usually filled with chemical salts) can only absorb a certain amount of water if they are not checked, and once saturated they lose their effectiveness; they work rather like a sponge.
These cylinders are regenerated in a kiln or oven, which means you have to keep checking the hygrometer beneath the sheeting and regenerate the cylinder at fairly frequent intervals, whatever happens.
Using a cylinder, you will only occasionally and accidentally reach the recommended ambient humidity of approximately 45%-60% RH (which depends on the type of vehicle and the equipment in it), and the humidity will certainly not remain constant.
If you are using a bag, then you must also consider the difficulty of handling it: parking and removing the vintage car, tears caused by sharp edges, damage to the base caused by tyres, and dust build-up-including on account of static charge.
When comparing prices with a bag solution, you need to consider that when you purchase an AERIAL condensation dryer you are acquiring a technically advanced system which will last for many years (like a refrigerator), with fully automatic humidity control (hygrostat), produced in our own factory in Germany.
The price is around twice as high as a bag, although in pure material terms it is at least 10 to 20 times more valuable.
AERIAL Units: