 Poster: A snowHead
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Can anyone recommend a dehumidifier for use in the mountains. I have to store skis in the car overnight and even trying hard to clear off the snow the car is getting all misted up internally. What works best? silica ones , battery powered or ?? any specific brands better than others ??
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I've had a silica (calcium chloride?) one in the back car of my car (in the UK) for two months and it has yet to collect any visible water...
I cant help thinking that you would need a certain amount of air 'movement' for these to work ?
cant comment on battery operated ones - but the mains powered one I have in the house certainly works !
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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have the aircon on in the car whilst driving anywere??? That will dry the air...
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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problem is only short 10 min drives to lifts and back then the car windows are all wet or iced in am and takes ages to remove.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Gonna be tough to solve, you are getting in the car in damp gear, either through sweat or external moisture. Add on the fact that you are probably generating heat from the walk to the car. Within 10 minutes most of this moisture is now in the car environment
My solution. Is the same as most french ski instructors. namely go and spend an hour or 2 in the bar getting dry (sic) before driving home.
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skimottaret, You have a number of issues going on here, which may prove difficult/impossible to solve. And, as I used to both hire and sell these units, I have a vague notion of what's involved 
First off, forget any of the silica style things...useless! A mains powered unit is the only type that will actually extract moisture.
Second problem, ambient temperature. Dehumidifiers function best at around 21c. As the ambient temperature falls, their extraction rate falls with it...rapidly! As you approach zero, the extraction rate will be around the same, zilch. So, if you park your car outside, in the mountains, you can almost forget it.
In addition, by now, your seats/foam etc will be full of moisture, which will release onto the cold spot(your windows), given the slightest chance. Add in damp kit etc, and you have a moisture laden time bomb seeking any opportunity to take a leak! Naturally, you blast the car heater as soon as you can, which just adds to the problem. As the temp rises inside the car, it allows moisture to vapourise, which in turn is attracted to any cold spot.....your windows.
So, what to do? Two options. If you can garage your car, run a dehumid overnight as often as possible. The warmer the garage, the better. The aim being to dry out the interior as much as possible, and keep it dry. You will be amazed just how much water is 'locked' into the fabric and seats. This will minimise the amount of moisture that is avaliable to vapourise. If you park your car outside, you can prob forget it I'm afraid.
Your only other option, and not a comfortable one, is to avoid creating the vapour circle in the first place....by keeping the interior as cold as the exterior....but its going to be a chilly 10min drive 
As suggested, you could try running the aircon(if you have it). This 'may' help, but most aircon units in cars are not designed to actually extract moisture as such, they are simply temp control units. But some are better at screen clearing than others, so try it? Sorry, no easy solution.
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Do as the locals do, leave two windows open by an inch when you're parked - no more mist/condensation! Just don't do it when snow is forecast, with the wind in the right direction it will fill a car overnight through a 1" gap 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I had misting issue when heater matrix leaked, dehumidifies didn't work, heater on high with air con on was only thing that worked
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I've tried silica bags. They make no noticeable difference.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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thanks all !
snowskisnow, would the battery powered ones do anything? if not can you recommend a mains unit?
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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For most cars, the aircon cuts out somewhere around 4C to prevent icing on the evaporator, which would cause serious compressor damage. As a result, its usually quite difficult to dehumidify the car with the aircon on a cold morning.
Decent dehumidifiers will have the same kind of low temp cutout, hence they aren't much use in a cold wet car in a ski resort.
I put a fan heater and a dehumidifier in each of our cars once or twice a winter to get the moisture out - this is about the only really reliable way to do it. I just have a cheap argos mains dehumidifier which will pull 4L out of a car interior in 24hrs used like this.
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Check for wet carpets as its possible you may have leak somewhere.
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You know it makes sense.
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I put a fan heater and a dehumidifier in each of our cars once or twice a winter to get the moisture out - this is about the only really reliable way to do it. I just have a cheap argos mains dehumidifier which will pull 4L out of a car interior in 24hrs used like this.
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sounds like a good plan, get a mains de humidifier and use on warm days or whack in a heater to really do the job right. How much water do you get out typically?
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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4L or so (the tank capacity on my dehumidifier) over a 24hr period. Without the heater, <1L.
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Poster: A snowHead
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skimottaret, why not a well locked ski rack?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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under a new name, no roof bars and too much faff as been ride sharing and typically 3 in the car, easier to just chuck all the stuff in the back...
snowdave, wow 4 L sounds huge but I can see it.. will have to look into one of those but was hoping for a quick solution as out in the mountains. silica/cat litter sounds like a waste of time
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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skimottaret, quick fix appears to be to keep all your kit on and drive with the window open and leave it open a crack overnight.....
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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kitenski, yeah and scrape the inside of the windows eery morning ! also been wiping down the skis and boots before loading which has been helping. Have fun next week I will be sharing your pain with a full on five days of training myself..
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