There could be plenty of ways for water to get into your tires. There are no surprising exceptions to rule out from natural causes like floods or melting of snow to accidental reasons.
Did you know that the inner tube might float, but your steel-belted radial might take water on? Besides, the presence of moisture in the ambient air and the inability of the air compressor to get rid of the water can cause this problem. Moreover, it is natural to have some water seep in when you drive through muddy areas.
If you are not a technical expert on car mechanics and tires, you must take extra precautions. Water in the tires might be an accident waiting to happen. Besides, prevention is better than cure, isn’t it?
This article will walk you through the essentials of the problem. You will find out how it might arise and the various consequences of water getting into tires. To aid your concerns further, you shall get your hands on select solutions as well.
As mentioned earlier, it could be due to natural causes such as heavy rains and floods or accidental exposures. So, let us dive right into the guide to water in the tires without any further ado.
How can water and moisture get into your tires?
You might have come across many people who advise you to go against nitrogen tire inflation. They might even recommend you to keep a frequent lookout on your tire pressure.
If you tried to use an air compressor on your own, the results would not vary as much. You will achieve the same results as the after-effects of adding nitrogen. Then you might wonder why do the alternative at all?
Well, you would be saving up on a significant amount of money. That said, several do-it-yourself alternatives might not work out as expected every single time. The primary reason behind it is the moisture or water that follows closely behind.
Contrary to popular belief, the addition of air compressors will not do you much good either.
To understand why, here is a list of how water can get into your tires. It could be in as minimal a form as moisture too. Regardless, most tire-filling equipment cannot rule it out completely.
The presence of moisture in the air
There is no questioning that when there is air in a given environment, moisture tends to persist. You might think that you are off the hook if you live in cold and dry regions. However, that is not the case because there is always some amount of moisture around you.
The reason behind it is rather apparent. As long as there is water around you, moisture will follow closely behind you. That said, you might wonder if getting an air-compressor might aid the solution to your problem.
Well, contrary to popular belief, using air compressors can only help you fill your tires to a certain extent. And that is especially given dry or cold weather. Meaning, it does not ensure that the air you are filling the tires with is free of moisture.
If you do not keep a check on that, you might face some severe harshness while driving.
The inability to negate water from the air
As mentioned earlier, you know that you can seldom separate water from the air completely. You might still rely on your air compressor to negate the problem for you.
However, the truth is that the tool concentrates the moisture that already exists in the air. In simple words, air compressors are unable to negate water from perspective altogether. Be it the compressor in your garage or that at a gas station. Their functioning does not differ.
You might even think that the air compressors used at an auto shop or gas stations are preferable. On the contrary, they might tend to neglect and ignore moisture problems in their machines and tools.
You would think that they help you drain the water from the tubes and lines. However, do you still want to rely on an air compressor? In that case, the one in your garage might have a better shot at it.
Regardless, keep in mind that this moisture and water existing in the air can get compressed into the tires. Often, you might notice rusting and corrosion issues within your tire or its axel. You might have wondered before from where it could be entering.
Well, now you know!
The lack of air-drying capacity of the air-compressors
Slightly taking a step away from the line of thoughts, we come to the compressors equipped with an air filter. Many people who have used it before believe that it cuts off moisture and not just the dirt or grime.
Now, an air-filter is hardly an equivalent of an air dryer. And the lack of air-drying of air-compressors might lead you to invest in an air-drier. However, multiple concerns follow along in the latter case. To begin with, you will find it extremely difficult to find air dryers that are sold separately. They seldom are.
And if that were not a problem enough, all come in an industrial-size. You could probably imagine how inefficient and inconvenient it would make the situation. In addition to that, it costs up to several thousand dollars. While you might be able to afford it, a typical driver or farmer simply cannot.
Sure, an air dryer could help you fill your tires with dry air, thereby avoiding moisture. However, there is no guaranteeing it every single time. That said, you arrive back on the option of air compressors.
Well, you can drain out the water from the multiple numbers of airlines when using an air compressor. However, that is the best you could do with it. Not to mention that the air which goes into the tires still has a certain amount of moisture in it.
When driving on muddy or water-filled roads
Often, you might have to drive through flooded or muddy roads. In case you do not have a four-wheeled vehicle, try avoiding traveling on such roads. Even in cases otherwise, you must know what kind of a car you have.
Meaning, you should know the air intake location since water can directly enter the engine from here. If your wheels have a ‘snorkel,’ it will be left the air intake above the waterline. However, if it is not, you must take extra care and ensure that the air intake does not submerge.
Such cases could result in severe mechanical damages or cutting out of your engine. If you see that the roads are highly muddy, your first instinct should be to check the manual.
Melting of snow into the pressure valves during the winter
Another worry that might come in the way of your safety is the melting of ice or snow. It could damage the rubber and pressure valves of your tire. So, if you live in areas experiencing severe winters, you need to keep a few things in mind.
In comparison to the two-wheeled vehicles coping with snow, four-wheeled vehicles 4WD vehicles have a much better shot. Did you know that in several parts of the world, rental companies offer snow tires as well?
Not only do they provide better control on your drive, but also in case of melting snow or ice. Alternatively, some even fit snow chains to the non-driving tires too. It improves the overall stability and balance control.
Tractors and trucks in farms: the use of calcium and water
Did you know that water in tires is not a completely bad thing? As an alternative to calcium, it is also used in heavy vehicles on farms to improve traction. Especially in cases of muddy or snowy surfaces, it aids the balance in your car.
Are you one of the off-road enthusiasts, or maybe, happen to know any? In that case, airlift bbs are a standard part of the picture. Imagine driving down a touch patch of a road. Many times you might encounter skimpy gobs of mud just sticking to the tires. It might even derail you from your desired path, which is not the best-case scenario when driving.
However, if you add the right amount of water to the tires, you can tackle the worst-case scenarios. After interacting with a muddy element, water will enhance the internal balancing system on its own. Meaning, it will adjust the off-balance weight, thereby alleviating the problem.
Lastly, the heavy loads and equipment you might carry in your vehicle also come into the picture. As you read in the pointer mentioned earlier, adding water to the tires can balance out unevenness.
How does water negatively affect your tires?
By now, it must be clear to you that water and moisture could have severe effects on your vehicle. Sure, you did read a bit about how some of us can use water to our advantage. However, you also need to focus on the problems that arise from it.
Most of the article talks about the different aspects of water in the tires. Especially given that fact, getting a complete all-around idea of its effects becomes imperative to your understanding.
In regions of extreme heat temperatures
Well, to state in a single line, water can give rise to a series of problems. To further elaborate on the point, you will see that the most apparent reason behind it is expansion. As you might have heard or experienced before, heat causes the material of the tires to expand.
Believe it or not, this expansion is much faster in the presence of water than the air. Since moisture can trap heat for a more extended period, the effects are much more adverse.
In regions of extremely cold temperatures
That said, the problem does not just occur if you live in scorching hot areas. If you are from one of the world’s colder regions, staggeringly low temperatures could create problems as well. For example, the water in the tires could freeze up.
The formed ice could affect the balance of your vehicle. In addition to that, the frost could also severely harm the material of your tires.
As seen earlier, you could rely on specific measures to avoid a damaging situation from arising. You would have a much better shot at driving a four-wheeled vehicle as opposed to a two-wheeler.
Moreover, you could check for the availability of snow tires. Since the effects of the melting of ice or settling of snow could be drastic, you must approach an expert in the field. Several reputed car-rental services out there could help you out with this problem.
Effect on the monitoring systems in the wheels
Then again, do your automobiles have a specifically installed monitoring system for tire pressure? In this case, you should probably know that moisture can affect it negatively as well. The water in the tires could harshly impair the transmitters present in them.
These transmitters usually help you determine the condition of your wheels. Ranging from the temperature on your drive to the pressure, they pick on these sets of signals. However, if water enters your tires in a damaging amount, the monitoring system will be rendered useless.
How to get rid of the water in the tires
So far, you have read about the multi-faceted possibilities of having water in the tires. Now, you also know in which cases having water in your tires is ideal and when it is not. Besides, you were also able to get your hands on how water could damage the entire wheel.
As you might have figured out, water in your tires could also be beneficial for you. However, that is not always the case since too much of anything is neither ideal nor preferable.
That said, if you think that for your situation, the effects could be harsh
, worry not. You have multiple ways of expelling water in the tires, and here is the most common method.
Dismounting the wheels
As daunting as it might sound, dismounting your tires is the most efficient way to get the job done. Moreover, it might just be the only way to expel most of the water in the tires out.
- You could begin by inserting a small-sized hose into the hole of the valve stem. It would enable you to siphon out a substantial amount of water. That said, it could take you several hours if the water in the tires is too much.
- The hole in the valve system, as well as the hose, is relatively small. And therefore, it would not be a surprise even if it took you up to 24 hours. In addition to that, you would also require a block that creates an obstacle against the axle.
- It will help you keep your tire from sagging or drooping down. You might especially experience the problem while moving the hose in different directions. That said, you will not be able to expel all of the water in the tires.
In such cases, you could try to suspend a bit of antifreeze that you know on which you can rely.
Alternatives to dismounting the wheels
Were you worried that the only way to expel water from the tires is by dismounting the wheels? Do not be because there are more comfortable alternatives to figure your way out of this mess.
- Air compressors, for example, help you suck out the air. The remainder of the humidity or moisture in this sucked air drains to the bottom of your tank.
- Even if water enters when you put air in your tires, there is no need to be alarmed. The situation is widespread. Luckily for you, your driving will generate heat in the engine, causing the water to evaporate.
- So, if you ever find yourself in such a situation, hit the end of the air chuck to check for mist. That said, it is always advisable to use one that does not have as much water.
Final thoughts
There is no arguing that water in the tires could either be beneficial or harmful. It all depends on two factors. Ask yourself with what kind of terrain your vehicle is familiar with. Secondly, what type of load does it need to carry?
Depending on these answers, you can figure out if you need to expel the water in the tires or not. Be it natural causes like heavy rain, floods, and such, or accidental issues. Once you place what category your automobile falls under, the problem will not seem as grave to you.
Needless to mention that if you ever were to face difficulty in the arena, you could always approach a professional.
There was no need to use water in the tires extensively as a keyword, as I already explained to keep it as natural as possible.