How dehumidifiers tackle car corrosion across the automotive industry

Rust: a word that sends shivers down the spines of car owners, car dealers, car manufacturers and beyond. When vehicles or components start to show those foreboding orange and brown marks, you know at best you’re facing some costly repairs and replacements, and at worst, permanent damage.

Fortunately, professional dehumidifiers can keep car corrosion at bay, saving you from these unwanted expenses. Below we explain why these are one of the most important investments for the automotive industry.

What is car corrosion?

Car corrosion is when a vehicle’s parts deteriorate due to oxidation. When iron alloys, oxygen and water combine, it gradually causes metalwork to wear down and creates that awful brown coating.

Corrosion is not only a threat to the attractiveness of a car. Left unchecked, it can steadily eat away at vital components such as the suspension and brakes, making the car hazardous to drive.

What car parts are most susceptible to corrosion?

Rust can occur anywhere on the metal bodywork of a car, but some of the most common locations include:

• Frame rails

• Wheel wells

• Exhaust

• Suspension

• Doors and windows

Although metal rusts, it is not the only humidity-sensitive material to be wary of. Wood, leather and other old-school materials, particularly present on classic cars, can be worn down over time by exposure to extreme humidity, harming the look, performance and value of a vehicle.

High humidity: the leading cause of car corrosion

While several factors contribute to car corrosion, such as age and general wear and tear, nothing plays a bigger role than excessive moisture. When the relative humidity (RH) around a vehicle or stored parts fluctuates, this can significantly accelerate the rate of corrosion.

Conversely, when the RH stays between 40% and 60%, virtually no corrosion occurs. Storing cars and automotive components in these conditions is the key to minimising this damage, and subsequently protecting their safety, quality and value. This is where dehumidifiers come in.

Is low humidity a problem for cars and car components?

While humidity levels below the 40% RH threshold will not lead to corrosion, it can cause a number of other problems that you’d want to avoid, including:

• Cracking of leather seats and fixtures

• Warping of wooden furniture

• Deterioration of rubber and cork seals

• Damage to electrical wiring

Dehumidifiers: the ultimate protection from car corrosion

Condensation dehumidifiers counteract corrosion and rust by delivering total humidity control. By physically removing moisture from the air, these focused solutions keep humidity levels regulated at all times, so conditions never exceed safe parameters.

Humid air is drawn into the dehumidifier, passing across a refrigerated coil. This coil cools the air below its dew point (where the air can no longer hold water vapour). This simultaneously condenses the water and dries the air.

The latent heat energy generated by the process is then reused to heat the cool air, resulting in warm, dry air being returned to the room at the optimal humidity.

Fundamentally, these industrial-grade solutions ensure the water vapour in the air never reaches a harmful level, meaning you never have to worry about moisture-related defects affecting the condition or value of your vehicles and parts.

Where should dehumidifiers be used in the automotive industry?

Dehumidifiers are a valuable investment across many areas of the automotive sector, from factories and manufacturing plants, to showrooms, dealerships and garages.

Manufacturing facilities

As many manufacturing processes can contribute to rising humidity levels, industrial dehumidifiers help prevent water damaging your stored materials and machinery, or impacting the comfort and productivity of your assembly line workforce.

Automotive part warehousing

Especially during the wetter months of the year, storing your automotive components in a dehumidified space helps ensure they do not rust or deteriorate. This means parts can stay in storage safely for longer, and you avoid the cost of ordering replacements.

Dealerships and showrooms

From keeping your fleet of cars in pristine condition, to improving the indoor air quality and atmosphere for potential buyers, there are a wide range of benefits that dehumidifiers offer to car dealers.

Service stations and garages

Introducing dehumidifiers to your service station or garage can improve the storage conditions for any spare parts or equipment you have in storage, and help look after your customers’ vehicles during their stay with you.

Auto paint booths

The prevalence of low solvent, water-borne paints makes moisture management essential to ensure high-quality finishes. The right high-performance dehumidifier helps keep the climate optimal to give your customers the best results every time.

Classic car preservation

The old-school construction of classic cars makes them particularly susceptible to rust. Dehumidifiers play a crucial role in vintage car storage, protecting these pristine pieces of automotive history for future generations to admire.

Defend your cars from corrosion with Dantherm Group

Moisture damage prevention is critical across the automotive industry. That’s why organisations globally look to Dantherm Group to keep their vehicle storage facilities optimised at all times.

When fluctuations in humidity threaten the look, performance and value of your vehicles, our intelligent car dehumidifiers instantly react to these changes, so that humidity always stays at a safe, comfortable level.

Plus, by converting the moisture captured into useful heat energy, our moisture control systems keep energy costs down for your business. Total humidity control, impressive long-term savings.

We have engineered and supplied bespoke climate control solutions for names such as Jaguar, Land Rover and Aston Martin, helping them keep their vehicles and components safe from rust.

When you choose Dantherm Group, you get over 60 years’ of specialist expertise, European engineering and unrivalled efficiency at the heart of your business.

So whether you manufacture, store or repair vehicles, trust us to specify systems tailored to your exact requirements and create the right environment for your spaces.

Get in touch with our team today to learn how we can help you with car corrosion protection.