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I have an old pre fab concrete double garage that suffered from condensation. It was not horrifically bad, however sometimes i would go in there and there would be moisture all over my cars and bikes, which I found very distressing!
I also have an old Victorian house that was prone to a bit of condensation and while searching the web I found a product called a Nuaire PIV which basically pumps air from the loft area into the main house after it has been filtered. It is incredibly effective and the house feels warmer and there is never any condensation on any of the windows. (Best £400 I have spent on the house – check out the reviews on Amazon) So i thought what about replicating the PIV system for the garage, and while I was at it why not it run off the solar panel battery charger system I have in the garage? It works like this – above the side entrance is a wooden panel, this has a large (shrouded against the elements) industrial PC fan in it that blows air into the garage, the hypothesis being that this will pressurise the garage internally and the air will escape through all the various nooks and crannies. The fan is powered by an old car battery that is being charged during the day light by an 80w 12v solar panel – this means that fan is running 24/7. Between the fan and battery is a PWM controller to adjust the speed. I was a bit sceptical about this as essentially its just moving air about – however it definitely works, its warmer and dryer in the garage – no more condensation to be found.
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brachunky
Scotland
Posts: 1,316
Club RR Member Number: 72
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Thanks for sharing & will also give it a go! What size pc fan did you use assuming you have a single garage?
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Detailed pictures please
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I’ll take some pics later, hopefully it will help someone out with the same problem!
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moglite
Part of things
Posts: 815
Club RR Member Number: 144
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So you've turned your garage into a CarcoonI can see that working
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1967 Morris Oxford Traveller 1979 Toyota LandCruiser BJ40 1993 Daimler Double Six 2007 Volvo XC70 2.4D
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Yes, I suppose I have moglite! Do they have a bad reputation?
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moglite
Part of things
Posts: 815
Club RR Member Number: 144
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No not at all - I bought one to keep my Mercedes in a while ago.
The concept is sound
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1967 Morris Oxford Traveller 1979 Toyota LandCruiser BJ40 1993 Daimler Double Six 2007 Volvo XC70 2.4D
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What a great fix! I'd love to think I could replicate it, but the problem with my garage is that it's built into a slope with a single layer of cinder-blocks, so the damp I get is actual water, not airborne condensation. Interested in that tech for the house though - never heard of it and it looks so simple!
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jpr1977
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 656
Club RR Member Number: 18
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I'd be really interested in some pics, been thinking of installing something very similar to solve a few issues with condensation in the garage
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Last Edit: Apr 9, 2018 16:57:59 GMT by jpr1977
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... Pics of the installation.
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Apr 10, 2018 13:26:55 GMT
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Great idea I'm often doing work on cars / bikes / houses / garages so cheap & clever ways to solve problems are always appreciated ! (see my "Wombling" thread for pics of some of my more unusual projects )
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So here is a picture of the 80w panel on the roof, not the most professional install (note the sealant to stop the leaks) however at some point the garage will go, to be replaced with something much bigger. Less that £70 off the ‘evil bay.
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This is the charge controller and the PWM fan controller (which was a left over from the superturbodiesel project that was not necessary) The wiring could be shorter, however initially the only unit there was the charge controller, the PWM was a later addition. Note cells 2 are being charged - these are the ones powering the fan. It’s the morning so the battery will be low on power after going all night.
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This is connected to the fan above the door - again this was installed quickly as 1, its an experiment and 2 the garage will go. The fan is rated for 150000hrs - that’s 17 years!
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From the outside the shroud is just a bit of marine ply. Ill make something more permanent later.
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It’s still an experiment, however the system still appears to be working, there is no condensation.
The weather has been terrible, its wet, mild and misty so surely a perfect storm for condensation. I’ll keep you updated, hopefully ill get time to take the car our soon and test out the latest mods, and it will get a clean - should be a good test for the ventilation set up....
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Apr 14, 2018 17:37:54 GMT
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Does the fan suck air in or blow it out of the garage ?
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1992 240 Volvo T8 1955 Cadillac 1994 BMW E34 M5 (now sold ) 1999 BMW E36 sport touring x2 1967 Hillman imp Californian "rally spec" 1971 VW bay window (work in progress) 1999 Mazda 323F 1987 Jaguar XJ12 All current
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Apr 14, 2018 18:00:43 GMT
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Hi, I've just found this thread, I suppose the Amazon kit for the house works by bringing the warmer air in the loft back down into the house. The garage set up is about the temperature of the air inside and outside being at the same temperature so that condensation doesn't start to form. It must be cheaper than the cost of insulating the garage.
Colin
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Dec 22, 2020 15:00:58 GMT
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What a great thread, I just was thinking recently about how to get rid of condensation in my workroom, and where can I buy this PIV system? It sounds like the right decision for me, but all connected to electricity is not my strong side, it`s funny but recently I was dealing with some electricians, with them residential electricians Chicago they were doing some electrical works on my backyard (they have done a great job, I am very thankful) and I have realized how stupid I am in it, I felt so stupid that in my adult age I do not know some simple things in electricity, need to put more stuff like that to my head for not to be ashamed more, I have to read more forums like this
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Last Edit: Dec 30, 2020 11:53:25 GMT by jimmyroth
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