Went out to my unheated garage earlier and my Jota was dripping wet, probably because the temperature was -7 degrees yesterday morning and +13 degrees this morning...apart from towelling it all down dry and covering it with a sheet, what else is recommended?...and will it do any long term harm to the bikes internals?...others must be in the same situation.
Condensation in the shed/garage
- Thread starter philw
- Start date
KERMIT1200
Hero member
- Location
- Worcester,UK
Hi Phil,
Ventilation fan with hydrostatic switch is the way forward, its something I have been meaning to do with my Man Cave which has 100mm on roof, 75 mm on internal walls of insulation.
Andy
Ventilation fan with hydrostatic switch is the way forward, its something I have been meaning to do with my Man Cave which has 100mm on roof, 75 mm on internal walls of insulation.
Andy
pf1
Hero member
- Location
- Portsmouth UK
I have found that inside the fuel tank is the worst water trap.
Condensation is a battle I constantly fight in the cold months. My garage is stone, so it holds the heat or the cold for days when the weather fluctuates.
One time is was so bad the electric GFI's tripped. WD40 (Water Displacement 40) works OK. Any big lump of metal will hold the cold and when humid air hits it there's instant condensation.
I've learned to not open the doors or open only briefly to minimize the effect. I also keep my fuel tanks full - less air/moisture to condensate. Pipes and carbs sealed off with disposable rubber gloves.
One time is was so bad the electric GFI's tripped. WD40 (Water Displacement 40) works OK. Any big lump of metal will hold the cold and when humid air hits it there's instant condensation.
I've learned to not open the doors or open only briefly to minimize the effect. I also keep my fuel tanks full - less air/moisture to condensate. Pipes and carbs sealed off with disposable rubber gloves.
Rob
Hero member
- Location
- Midlands, UK
Spray with ACF50 or similar in Autumn. A cheap spray gun and compressor transforms this job in terms of time taken but entirely possible without.
Buy a dehumidifier if you have power in the garage... choose one that works at freezing temps.
With our British weather, I do both.
Buy a dehumidifier if you have power in the garage... choose one that works at freezing temps.
With our British weather, I do both.
Blooming good shout you lot. Thanks. My garage is a double with a dividing wall. One side insulated and mostly draft proof. In there I have desiccant type dehumidifier that I turn on for 8 hours now and again. There’s only one bike in there on the ramp and the rest are in the cold side. Saw what you lot and written above and popped out to check. They’re soaking. Squeezed two and my mountain bike in the insulated side and turned the dehumidifier on. Sadly my Tiger 1050 is still dripping but no room to get that in too.
I wish there was a smarter dehumidifier that worked out when condensation is likely to form and only turns on then. Mine is 340 watts when it’s turned down low. Not cheap to run continuously.
I wish there was a smarter dehumidifier that worked out when condensation is likely to form and only turns on then. Mine is 340 watts when it’s turned down low. Not cheap to run continuously.
Exmoor beast
Hero member
- Location
- Minehead,Somerset, ENGLAND OF COURSE
Very odd weather- Down here in Somerset exactly the same. Last year no condensation.I fit positive ventilation fans to houses a lot, might pop one in the garage.
Andy
Hero member
- Location
- Auckland, roughly
Lots of things help like ventilation, heating, insulation etc. But the one thing that can make the biggest difference in older buildings is a moisture barrier on the floor. In NZ older garages didn’t need a dampcourse so the concrete floor constantly wicks moisture from the ground and keeps the room cold and damp all year. A specialist paint coating can solve most of the problem.
A simple check is to tape a sheet of plastic on the floor for 24 hours then check for moisture under it.
A simple check is to tape a sheet of plastic on the floor for 24 hours then check for moisture under it.
pf1
Hero member
- Location
- Portsmouth UK
There isn't much this forum doesn't have advice for.
rocketonarail
Hero member
- Location
- Gloucestershire,England
Have the same problem...used to have the bikes in two lock up garages and one seemed more prone to dampness than the other...have now moved out of that garage into the smaller one which has wooden doors instead of the steel up and over type , and seems a little less prone to condensation , although water droplets can still form on the inside of the steel roof and then drip down , and then turn into ice on whatever is underneath....bikes are covered to protect against this .
No power source in this garage and it is 18 miles away from where I live.....a couple of days ago when the snow started to melt I went down and emptied a can of WD40 over the bikes in anticipation of the temperature rise , my usual course of action , and will go down tomorrow hopefully and see how things are....the WD usually turns into a milky white covering when the condensation strikes , not a pretty sight , but at least it`s some form of protective barrier .
ACF 50 is gloopy at the best of times , never mind this time of year , so I prefer to use the WD as it still sprays and penetrates into spaces better than the ACF .
Of course WD will burn off if you run the engine so a reapplication is needed once it cools down again .
The thing that worries me most is the possible effect of condensation on electrical components , and their connectors ...... and then there`s the job of cleaning off the WD from the bike , including all the nooks and crannies and wiring harness and so on when the Spring arrives , whenever that might be.....
If anyone knows of a dry , heated , carpeted , secure , well lit garage with TV , internet , and a comfy sofa for rent at less than sixty quid a month in the Wotton under Edge area , please let me know......
No power source in this garage and it is 18 miles away from where I live.....a couple of days ago when the snow started to melt I went down and emptied a can of WD40 over the bikes in anticipation of the temperature rise , my usual course of action , and will go down tomorrow hopefully and see how things are....the WD usually turns into a milky white covering when the condensation strikes , not a pretty sight , but at least it`s some form of protective barrier .
ACF 50 is gloopy at the best of times , never mind this time of year , so I prefer to use the WD as it still sprays and penetrates into spaces better than the ACF .
Of course WD will burn off if you run the engine so a reapplication is needed once it cools down again .
The thing that worries me most is the possible effect of condensation on electrical components , and their connectors ...... and then there`s the job of cleaning off the WD from the bike , including all the nooks and crannies and wiring harness and so on when the Spring arrives , whenever that might be.....
If anyone knows of a dry , heated , carpeted , secure , well lit garage with TV , internet , and a comfy sofa for rent at less than sixty quid a month in the Wotton under Edge area , please let me know......
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Much better today, maybe the bike has acclimatised itself to the conditions!...must have been due to the huge variation in temperature between Sunday and Monday.
Never had a problem with this last year, but the temperatures were pretty consistent all through last winter.
Never had a problem with this last year, but the temperatures were pretty consistent all through last winter.
You've got it. Without getting technical, temperature change is what causes condensation. (If anyone wants to know more, just look up "relative humidity", 'relative' being the important word here).
Solution? Maintain a stable temperature. (Be it cold, be it warm, it don't matter).
Tippie
Hero member
- Location
- Dr?bak, Norway
Does anyone use those vacuum bags that are made for bike storage?
Rob
Hero member
- Location
- Midlands, UK
I would have agreed prior to using it from a spray gun. Completely transforms the application process.
AFAIK, WD40 doesn't have any propensity to creep after application (other than dripping under the influence of gravity!) whereas ACF50 does. Used it on the GS prior to a trip to Uyuni and covered 90 miles on the salt flats with no adverse after effects.
Sir Sidney Ruffdiamond
Hero member
- Location
- Cotwolds
This weather is a rare thing with such a change of temperature- exactly as above fortunately my garage has ventilation but also some residual warmth from the boiler so I have escaped the dampness
However did play table tennis last night in a building that had had no heat and the floor was swimming in dampness - had to put mats down to continue the match - even though we mopped the water it kept coming
However did play table tennis last night in a building that had had no heat and the floor was swimming in dampness - had to put mats down to continue the match - even though we mopped the water it kept coming
Perry
Hero member
- Location
- West Dorset UK
I've used them for years. I have a brick built detached garage that during the winter is horrendous for condensation. If I don't put them in a Vac Bag the engine cases fur up in no time. You pay about £50 for what is basically a large plastic bag that comes with a small sack of absorbent crystals and a cable tie. They work brilliantly except that if you fancy a ride during the winter months it's a pain to get the bike out and back in again. This usually means you don't bother.
rocketonarail
Hero member
- Location
- Gloucestershire,England
Made it down to the garage today and this is what I found....the WD has turned milky , but has turned into a sort of slippery protective film...emptied more of it onto the bikes so they`re now positively dripping with the stuff...this is what I do every winter , don`t really have any other choice with an unheated garage.....forecast for this part of the world is now fairly even temperatures for the next ten days or so except for a slight dip for some sleet on the 27th......will wait for the next cold snap and rise in temperature which follows with the WD at the ready.......