Why is there water inside my shipping container when it does not leak?

It is condensation. At night the steel roof cools below the dew point of the air inside, and the moisture in that air forms droplets on the ceiling that drip onto the contents. The water comes from humid air, damp cargo and the timber floor, not from outside.

Do shipping containers have vents?

Yes. Standard dry containers have small vents high on the side walls. They equalise pressure but move little air, so a container used for storage usually needs added vents, desiccant or both.

How many vents does a storage container need?

There is no single number. A pair of louvred vents high on opposite walls, for cross-flow, is a common starting point. Humid climates, damp cargo and large day-night temperature swings call for more ventilation and for desiccant alongside it.

Is ventilation or insulation better against condensation?

They solve different parts of the problem. Ventilation removes moist air; insulation keeps the inner surface warm enough that the moisture does not condense. For storage, ventilation and desiccant are usually enough. For a heated or occupied conversion, insulation with a vapour barrier is needed.

Does desiccant work in a shipping container?

Yes, if there is enough of it and it is replaced when saturated. Desiccant absorbs the moisture that ventilation cannot remove on still nights. Calcium chloride products collect the water in a reservoir, which shows when they need changing.

Shipping Container Ventilation and Condensation

Why shipping containers sweat, where the water comes from and how to control it: vents, desiccant, insulation and storage practice for dry goods.

A sound container keeps rain out. Most of the water found inside a stored container never came through the steel: it condensed out of the air that was already inside. This is how that happens, how to recognise it, and what actually controls it.

Why containers sweat

A container is a steel box, and steel follows the outside temperature closely. At night the roof loses heat to a clear sky and cools below the dew point of the air inside. The moisture in that air condenses on the underside of the roof and drips onto whatever is stored below. The trade calls it container rain.

The water has to come from somewhere, and it is rarely a leak. It comes from air sealed in on a humid day, from damp cargo such as timber, cardboard, feed or grain, from the timber floor itself, and from doors opened in wet weather. The larger the swing between day and night temperatures, the more often the roof passes below the dew point.

Signs of a condensation problem

Condensation and leaks look alike from the doorway. The pattern tells them apart: condensation is spread across the ceiling and appears after cold nights, while a leak is local and follows rain.

Droplets across the underside of the roof early in the morning.
Rust spots or blistering paint on the inside of the roof panels.
Mould on cardboard, timber or fabric, and a musty smell when the doors open.
Damp patches on the floor along the side walls.

Moving the moist air out

Standard dry containers carry small vents high on the side walls. They equalise pressure and let a little air through, but they move far less air than a storage unit usually needs.

Adding louvred vents high on opposite walls creates a cross-flow, and a low inlet with a high outlet uses the natural rise of warm air. Roof vents move more air but require cutting the roof, and every roof penetration is a potential leak that must be sealed and checked. Fit insect mesh behind every vent.

Ventilation only works when the outside air is drier than the air inside and something moves it. On still, humid nights it does little on its own, which is why it is usually combined with the measures below.

Desiccant and dehumidifiers

Desiccant bags or poles hung from the lashing rings absorb moisture the vents cannot remove. Calcium chloride types collect the water in a reservoir, which makes it easy to see when they are saturated and need replacing.

Where power is available, a small dehumidifier running in a closed container is the most effective option. It works best with the doors kept shut and the vents partly closed, so it is not trying to dry the outside air.

Keeping the inner surface above the dew point

Insulation stops condensation by keeping the inside surface warmer than the dew point. Closed-cell spray foam bonds to the corrugated steel and acts as its own vapour barrier. Rigid foam boards work when every joint is sealed.

Fibrous insulation fitted without a continuous vapour barrier is the worst case: moist air reaches the cold steel behind it, condenses, and the water stays trapped against the panels where it cannot be seen. Insulation is a conversion job for a specialist or the owner. MG-Atlantic supplies the container, not the fit-out.

What costs nothing

Most condensation damage is avoided by how the container is loaded and placed, before any vent is cut.

Store goods on pallets and keep a gap between the load and the walls.
Let damp timber, feed or equipment dry before it goes in.
Open the doors on dry, breezy days to replace the air inside.
Check the door gaskets and the roof: a small leak adds water every time it rains.
Set the container level on a firm, draining base so water runs away from it.

Which grade to choose

Condensation is not a defect of the container, but a leak makes it worse. For dry storage, buy a wind-and-watertight or cargo-worthy unit with a sound roof. A simple check: stand inside with the doors closed on a bright day; any point of light in the roof or walls is a hole.

A new one-trip unit has intact paint on the inside of the roof and no rust scale, which slows corrosion where condensation does form. For a container that will be insulated and converted, that is usually the better starting point.

Ventilation and condensation, answered

Why is there water inside my shipping container when it does not leak?: It is condensation. At night the steel roof cools below the dew point of the air inside, and the moisture in that air forms droplets on the ceiling that drip onto the contents. The water comes from humid air, damp cargo and the timber floor, not from outside.
Do shipping containers have vents?: Yes. Standard dry containers have small vents high on the side walls. They equalise pressure but move little air, so a container used for storage usually needs added vents, desiccant or both.
How many vents does a storage container need?: There is no single number. A pair of louvred vents high on opposite walls, for cross-flow, is a common starting point. Humid climates, damp cargo and large day-night temperature swings call for more ventilation and for desiccant alongside it.
Is ventilation or insulation better against condensation?: They solve different parts of the problem. Ventilation removes moist air; insulation keeps the inner surface warm enough that the moisture does not condense. For storage, ventilation and desiccant are usually enough. For a heated or occupied conversion, insulation with a vapour barrier is needed.
Does desiccant work in a shipping container?: Yes, if there is enough of it and it is replaced when saturated. Desiccant absorbs the moisture that ventilation cannot remove on still nights. Calcium chloride products collect the water in a reservoir, which shows when they need changing.