Humidity in safe

[ZX9RCAM]

I have a 64 gun safe which, when purchased, I put a qt. container of Desiccant.
The can's contents have never changed color or appeared damp.
I recently bought a hygrometer, & it states the humidity is ~70% which I believe is
higher than desired.
Anybody have any experience or recommendations?

 

[Dcav]

Years back I worked for a company that made air dryers, for industrial applications, if the desiccant is the dry pellet type it can be "refreshed" if you will in a low temp oven for a hours or two.

 

[ZX9RCAM]

But, as I said, the desiccant still looks the same as the day I opened it.

 

[ZX9RCAM]

You can go ahead & delete this thread...I believe it is in the wrong place....thanks

 

[Dcav]

But, as I said, the desiccant still looks the same as the day I opened it.

Looks yes, absorbed humidity for sure. Dry it in a low temp oven, or replace the desiccant.

 

[ZX9RCAM]

May try that.

 

[Dawico]

I have a Golden Rod (cheap at Walmart) in mine and do not have any humidity issues. It works well and I never need to refresh it.

 

[ZX9RCAM]

Do you have a hygrometer?

 

[RetArmySgt]

I bought 2 safes at the same time of the same make and model, one i have never had any issues with humidity and the other i go through about 5 packs of desiccant a month. I have never understood why one safe seems to attract and hold humidity better than my humidor and the other stays nice and dry.

 

[Dawico]

Do you have a hygrometer?

No, but I do have some cheap guns that will rust overnight if left out. I have no idea what the humidity level is.

 

[45tex]

I just keep the safe in the house where the AC/heat keeps it comfortable for me. If I notice rust forming on my toenails then I check the safe.

 

[shortround]

All my safes are in air-conditioned spaces. No rust, no problems.

Humidity will only affect safes in unconditioned spaces.

 

[ZX9RCAM]

As far as I knew, my humidity level was fine until I
got my hygrometer.

ETA: My safe is indoors.

 

[RetArmySgt]

All my safes are in air-conditioned spaces. No rust, no problems.

Humidity will only affect safes in unconditioned spaces.

Both of my safes are side by side in an air-conditioned space and i still have an issue in one of them.

 

[winchster]

You might check, most hygrometers measure relative humidity, as opposed to absolute. RH can change quite rapidly with temperature. The lower the temp the higher the RH.

In other words, put a lightbulb in your safe to increase the air temp thereby lowering the RH.

 

[OldTex]

If I understand it right, the golden rods don't actually lower the humidity but they do create a slow circulation of air within the safe that prevents any concentration of humidity near the floor. The same circulation prevents any condensation on any of the guns. I've had one in my safe since it was brand new 20+ years ago and never had any rust issues.

 

[winchster]

If I understand it right, the golden rods don't actually lower the humidity but they do create a slow circulation of air within the safe that prevents any concentration of humidity near the floor. The same circulation prevents any condensation on any of the guns. I've had one in my safe since it was brand new 20+ years ago and never had any rust issues.

They warm the air, this lowers relative humidity. Warm air rises, creating a convection current in the safe. The rise is RH is what prevents the condensation , not the air circulation. A lightbulb will provide the same result for less money.

 

[ZX9RCAM]

Well, as an experiment, I dumped some of the desiccant out of the qt. can into 3 smaller containers.
I am hoping this will create more surface area to allow the stuff to work better, who knows.

 

[ROGER4314]

I don't air condition much in the summer and turn the AC off at night. Breezes from the bay keep the temp at a constant 80 degrees which is perfect for me. The humidity is another matter.

I calibrated instruments for years and have hygrometers and even a sling Psychrometer for testing humidity. The best relative humidity for me is kept below 60% RH. Any higher and I have allergy problems.

It's noon, quite warm and my AC is turned off, ceiling fan is on and dehumidifier is cranking away. That's normal for me. The AC seldom has a chance to dehumidify here.

I don't want to fool with dessicant dryers as it's too hard to tell when they're working sufficiently. Usually, they are made of some form of salt and that concerns me about having it close to my firearms. Instead, I run one or two dehumidifiers 24/7 in my house. You need to keep emptying the container but at least I know that they're working! The biggest dehumidifier is running right now and I dump gallons of water out of it every day! A side benefit is that the water is distilled and is pretty much demineralized except for what is picked up from contact with the mechanism. There is no "recharging" necessary. I just dump the container.

That's the way that I do it!

Flash

 

[Acera]

Guys remember that while low humidity will be good for the metal, it plays hell on the wood. If you get and keep it too low your wood stocks will crack.