Storing carseat in attic?

[Unregistered]

We don't have a garage, so we have absolutely NO storage in our home. Is it ok to store my carseat in the attic, which will probably get pretty hot in the summer? Will it harm the plastic and make it unsafe? It will be wrapped up in plastic bags.

 

[Victorious4]

I imagine that's OK, but I have heard that extreme weather does make a seat expire sooner.... The average seat expires in about 6 years & I was told that a seat I had which was not quite 6 years was expired anyway because it had lived in both 110+ degree desert heat & -45 degree blizardy winters....

 

[Unregistered]

hot seats!

I never worried about carseats when living in Oregon, but now that we live in Texas I do have concerns about my kids seats baking in the car all summer. I try to park in the shade as much as possible and use a shield in the windshield when it is parked but it still gets VERY hot.
Is there anything that can slow the deterioration process down or a formula that tells you how fast your seats are aging based on exposure??
C.

 

[jen_nah]

I never worried about carseats when living in Oregon, but now that we live in Texas I do have concerns about my kids seats baking in the car all summer. I try to park in the shade as much as possible and use a shield in the windshield when it is parked but it still gets VERY hot.
Is there anything that can slow the deterioration process down or a formula that tells you how fast your seats are aging based on exposure??
C.

I too live in Texas and none of us techs here have said it causes them to age any faster. Not sure what part of Texas you are in but I am just north of Dallas. We still stick with the 6yrs.

 

[UlrikeDG]

I can't imagine that storing them in the attic would be any worse than installing them in your car! The expiration dates on your seats take the normal degredation from severe temperatures into account.

Check out:
CPS Technical Encyclopedia "Expiration Date"
CPS Technical Encyclopedia "Date of Manufacture"
FAQ - Age of Safety Seats

My understanding is that seats older than the 6-10 year limit will still perform as intended (i.e., the plastic degredation at that time isn't significant enough to cause the seat to fail), but that there are other important issues such as possible lost parts or changes in regulations & vehicles, as well as improvements in current technology, which make them less safe than newer seats.

 

[Unregistered]

I'm in Austin. Hullo!! It seems from the info Ulrike linked that the main concern is the seat having current warning stickers and improvements. Taking that into account I'm now thinking that my RA manufactured in July '99 may not be as 'old' as I was thinking...if you know what I mean. I'm still glad I had a 'reason' to get a Wizard though!!! I'll be happier with dd in it in our car than the RA.
C.

 

[Unregistered]

Thanks for the info everyone! I'm in Oregon, but I've heard the temps in the attic can reach 130 or more.

 

[UlrikeDG]

I found pages suggesting that the temperature in your car can reach 150 to 200+ degrees. I know attics can get HOT. I just don't think they're any more severe than a vehicle, and it's perfectly appropriate to use the car seat in the car for the full 6-10 year life span.

 

[Victorious4]

Curious

What about people who store their seats outdoors in all kinds of weather - rain, snow, etc. for long periods of time??? I imagine that's not good for it & I know people who do this & have always wondered what I might say to convince them to take care of the seat - if no other reason than that it begins to smell mildewy *YUCK*

 

[UlrikeDG]

I honestly have no idea if this is a safety issue. A call to one or more manufacturers might be enlightening. I'd definitely be concerned about the health issue, as mildews & molds can cause some pretty serious problems.

 

[Victorious4]

Yeah ... & of course the kids I know who's parents do this are usually kids with asthma - & the parents smoke, forget to give them their nebulizer/inhaler @@ *SIGH*