I was in a chain store called B&M yesterday (they are located most cities & towns) and they sell a 2Kg bag of what was called "Cat Litter moisture absorbent crystals" for £2.99 which look almost the same as the crystals that you buy elsewhere for absorbing moisture at very much higher price for smaller quantity.
I normally put out some moisture absorbent in my caravan over winter and have a couple of the "pucker" units which are in need of a refill so I will give this "stuff" a try instead. As I said the proprietary refill packs are ridiculously expensive and this "stuff" is way cheaper.
Can't see any problem using it instead, but if it doesn't work in the same way then I have not wasted a lot of money at £2.99 a sack full.
Will keep this thread updated as time goes on OK.
Kevin
------------- Have wheels, will travel.... with or without the wife!
It is not an overpowering smell -a bit sanitized if you know what I mean - bit like a chlorine bleach smell and after all is normally used inside a home for the cat to use, but I won't be staying in my van during the time I will be using it anyway.
Kevin
------------- Have wheels, will travel.... with or without the wife!
hi kevinbfg This stuff you are on about wont work as well,you need the right crystalls, (silica) to do the job you want. I have used them for years, theres alot of folk on the forum that think they are a waste of money, But each to there own.
------------- Roughing it in style at Calloose caravan and camping holiday park nr St Ives.(seasonal pitch)
Its not a hangover, its wine flu!
We put three casserole dshes half full of cheap salt in ours. One at each end & one in the middle. We change the salt about once a month & it does absorb the moisture, if we leave it a bit too long, the water is someties above the salt in the dishes.
Same here for us, we recycle and fill the disposable plastic trays that mushrooms arrive in with cheap cooking salt bought from Tesco, We filled 3 large containers for under £2, and it is possible to be kind to the environment and dry the salt out every few weeks by placing the containers near a central heating radiator overnight, then breaking any crusts up that have formed on the top with an old fork before replacing them into the caravan to carry on doing their job.
Julia
------------- Just love to be out amoungst Nature and Wildlife
Celebrating 37 years of Caravanning in 2019, Recently Considered Retiring, but Totally Addicted for Life!
I think the point that Freeatlast was making was that both these crystals and salt absorb moisture well. However there is no point in using it in a free airflow environment where moiture captured will be replaced by moist air coming into the van through its vents. Its like sitting in the middle of an ocean in a boat that has a hole in it. you can bail the water out as much as you like but until you seal the hole water will continue to come in. On that basis we dont bother to put anything in the van over the winter.
------------- Nigel
March 2012 - Dove Meadows
6th July Moving to Hayle
Quote: Originally posted by Basilbrush on 03/12/2009
We put three casserole dshes half full of cheap salt in ours. One at each end & one in the middle. We change the salt about once a month & it does absorb the moisture, if we leave it a bit too long, the water is someties above the salt in the dishes.
BB
Have you considered the possible damaging effect of the salt? Salt is corrosive as those that live by the sea know only too well. Some salt will enter the caravan atmosphere due to natural evaporation of the salt water in the dishes.
Salt will only absorb water once, then the salt goes solid,it cant absorb any more.As the crystals absorb the water till theres no crystals left, and leaving water in the container.
------------- Roughing it in style at Calloose caravan and camping holiday park nr St Ives.(seasonal pitch)
Its not a hangover, its wine flu!
Quote: Originally posted by Bill Terry on 04/12/2009
Salt will only absorb water once, then the salt goes solid,it cant absorb any more.As the crystals absorb the water till theres no crystals left, and leaving water in the container.
No. The salt absorbs water and dissolves in it. You end up with a salt solution which if you boil/evaporate the water off it you are left with the salt again. When you do this, however, it does not form the coarse crystals, but very fine crystals which tend to form a hard mass. If you evaporate it slowly you can get quite large salt crystals.
Quote: Originally posted by freeatlast on 04/12/2009
Quote: Originally posted by Basilbrush on 03/12/2009
We put three casserole dshes half full of cheap salt in ours. One at each end & one in the middle. We change the salt about once a month & it does absorb the moisture, if we leave it a bit too long, the water is someties above the salt in the dishes.
BB
Have you considered the possible damaging effect of the salt? Salt is corrosive as those that live by the sea know only too well. Some salt will enter the caravan atmosphere due to natural evaporation of the salt water in the dishes.
I don't give the use of salt or its effect on our van a second thought. It's changed roughly once a month, dried out in the dish on the back of our cooker & put back in the caravan again when needed. I'm sure our caravan spending 5 weeks a year sitting by the beach does it more harm than a pound of salt being used to absorb moisture from the air during the winter.
Our van isn't used between september & the spring, everything is removed from it including all the soft furnishings & all we have on the drive is an empty box.
My wife bought some moisture absorbing crystals from Lakeland, and stuck them in a tray. This was then sat on the window ledge at home, supposed to stop the windows running with water, it didn't.
Plenty of ventilation, that's what's needed, and the caravan has plenty of that.
We just open all cupboards and lockers, this makes sure all air circulates around the van.
Quote: Originally posted by Basilbrush on 04/12/2009
Quote: I'm sure our caravan spending 5 weeks a year sitting by the beach does it more harm than a pound of salt being used to absorb moisture from the air during the winter.
BB
Excellent point, and, if like me, you're happy to see the moisture you've dragged out of the air, then as they say, 'carry on'!
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Moisture Absorbing Crystals
