How does it work then?

[James Arnold]

I have recently been pondering (as you do) why the carcoon type bubbles are so effective at drying cars. I've read a couple of articles saying 'I put my car away wet and its soon bone dry'. How?

All the carcoon does is push the same air from the garage round and round through the bubble. OK, so the air movement will assist the drying process, but the surely a fan pointing at the car would be nearly as effective.

If the garage were draft free, then I would expect the garage air to reach saturation point fairly rapidly and condensation to start occurring everywhere. If the garage is nice and drafty then I would expect the car to dry anyway.

If I fit a small extractor fan to my garage, won't it in effect be one large carcoon? None of that silly unzipping when I want to get my car out either...

I don't dispute these product appear to work as many testimonials seem to show, I just don&'t see how.

Anybody care to enlighten me?

 

James

 

 

Edited by - James Arnold on 25 Jan 2002 10:24:24

[Anthony Micallef]

Anyone who wants to put their car in a plastic bubble has obviously been talking to Michael Jackson too much wink.gif

 

This Year I'll Own One teeth.gif

[Bricol]

Don't they have a moisture absorbant substance in the air flow somewhere?

 

 

[Foxy Smith]

Not sure about the Carcoon specifically but a similar device uses SS cylinders filled with silica gel or similar to absorb moisture. When these are saturated they can be dried out in a domestic oven.

 

I would have thought that a small dehumidifier running in an enclosed garage will achieve the same effect and not be too costly to run plus the water collector could be connected up to a hose to discharge outside. Nothing to keep an eye on then.

[JampJ]

It is designed to blow damp air out,and only alow fresh dry air in through filters!

Ring carcoon:- 0161 737 9690 or visit web

www.carcoon.co.uk,they can give you all the

answers!

Cheers C7 POW.

[CHRIS CLARK]

James.

In drying mode there is a zip at the rear in the upper piece of the bubble that one leaves open. The two front mounted fans (with the charcoal filters) draw air through and the moisture goes out the vent over a period of time. Close the zip up, and the bubble 'vents' via the attachment zip around the lower joining section keeping it all hunky D.

 

Great gadget with the cooling fan transformer also having the ability to maintain a battery charge while it's sored too (well if you connect it of course!).

[tbhall777]

The car-coon system does not remove moisture below the relative humidity

level in the garage. It works by beating the dew point by cleverly passing

air over the entire vehicle. This is achieved by air escaping in a controlled

manner via the base zip which runs around the entire footprint. I think the

carbon filter bit is a sales gimmick. There is no way the carbon filters

remove moisture (where does all the water go).

The manufacturer says the carbon filters should be changed anually and thats

what the filters are about (making money from after sales).

I have a humidity meter inside the car-coon and it shows the same as the

outside. But the system definately works very well.

 

If you go to their website, you will see their add says we pay the vat for

this month only as a celebration of the goodwood festival of speed. It's

been saying that for month after month; thus encouraging potential buyers

to buy now and save the VAT. A bit slippery me thinks.

Never the less, I would recommend the product, it's bloody brill.

 

[I.Mupferit]

The charcoal filters really are only a gimmick. Charcoal or carbon filters are designed to remove certain noxious (and smelly) gases only, so have no real benefit in this application.

 

They are more commonly used in recirculating type domestic cooker hoods, restaurant extract systems or any application where you are trying to remove nasty smells from ventilation systems.

 

They are also the basis of early gas masks due to carbons ability to absorb some gases which are poisonous to humans.

 

They will NOT remove moisture from the air below the ambient R.H. level and a cheaper alternative would be to use simple washable dust filters.

 

Having said all that I would not denigrate the Carcoon itself as it is, quite clearly, a worthwhile method of keeping the car in a ventilated dust free environment.

 

Brent teeth.gif

[CHRIS CLARK]

I'd agree about the charcoal bit too Brent. I'm just quoting the supplied literature. Mine are well over three years old & have just been washed to keep the filters clean. Charcoal will be out at sea now!!!

Still a great product!

[JKJ]

Another efective way is to carpet your garage, 3 in my case, so that throughout the damp months the excess moisture is absorbed into the carpets, ventilate whenever you can, and cover the car with a heavy cotton coverall. Whilst the rest of the items in garage seem to get covered in dew the Caterham is well protected and for less than 1% of the cost of the CONcoon.

[I.Mupferit]

JKJ

 

I think CONcoon is just a tad unfair!

Carcoons are very useful in keeping the car well ventilated and dust free if, as in a lot of cases, the garage has a tendency to become damp. I understand you can also put your tools in it to keep them moisture free, unlike those in your own garage.

I am fortunate in having a heated and de-humidified garage but if not then I would definitely consider the Carcoon as a viable alternative.

 

Brent

[CHRIS CLARK]

JKJ.

If you owned my garage you'd soon delight in the smell of rotting carpet!!! The water table is such that the next door neighbours drive 'run-off' seeps through a corner of our floor.Try proving it though!

CarCoon is much better in this circumstance; take it from me!