Best dumidification in gun safe??

[Half Loaded]

What is the best dehumidifier in a gun safe and where do I buy it? Thanks!

(By the way, I am a little nervous about one of those electric plug in kind that constantly have a small heater on inside the safe.)

[Sugarfoot]

I've had one of those electric plug in kind that you're nervous about for around 5 yrs now.. No problems whatsoever..

I believe the name brand might be "Goldenrod"...

[unclebob]

Between 20 to 30 years with the Golden Rod with no problems. plug it in a forget about it.

[GammaDriver]

Will larger packets of silica work?

Seems one can buy them on the 'net.

Edit: Maybe not - "Silica gel is nearly harmless, which is why you find it in food products. Silica, or silicon dioxide (SiO2), is the same material found in quartz. The gel form contains millions of tiny pores that can adsorb and hold moisture. Silica gel is essentially porous sand.

Will 40 percent still be too high for a gun safe?

[Steve Koski]

I have a Goldenrod in my safe. It raises the air temp in the safe a few degrees which lowers the relative humidity slightly. Not a guarantee for sure, but I suppose it can't hurt. Draws like 17 Watts or something, costs 1/5 cent per day in power.

Most plastics are gas permeable and will let water vapor through. If you go this route, by a specially designed product.

The desiccant products do great so long as...
<ul>
<li>They are regenerated or replaced often enough. They only absorb so much water then they're done. You either have to pitch them or regenerate them by cooking off the water. In my mind, the ones with the color changing indicator are best, otherwise how would you know if it's saturated, or regenerated?
<li>There's not an overloading stream of wet air that exceeds the capacity of the desiccant. If there are leaks or you open the door every day in a humid environment and exchange all of the air in the safe, you'll put more moisture in than the desiccant can absorb. Best bet is to put your gun/whatever in a sealing ammo can (or the like made of metal or glass) with a fresh desiccant packet. It absorbs the moisture in the air, and no additional moisture can penetrate the seal. If the safe has leaks (as most do) the desiccant may quickly become saturated.
</ul>

I live in a pretty dry climate, so I've not really had to fight the tough battles.

[Bushflyr]

Just get the Rod. Like Steve said, you really only want to use desi-paks in a small area with limited air exchange. I usually throw one in the box with the guns I don't shoot much. That's just paranoia though, I've never had any rust spots with just the GoldenRod.

[Neal]

My Goldenrod quit after only a few years, guessing 5 or so. Never have replaced it.

[Half Loaded]

OK, I'll get a Goldenrod: How do these install? Do they just sit on the bottom of the safe, or what? I see they sell different sizes. Is it better to just get the largest size for max effect? thanks.

[unclebob]

Originally posted by Half Loaded
OK, I'll get a Goldenrod: How do these install? Do they just sit on the bottom of the safe, or what? I see they sell different sizes. Is it better to just get the largest size for max effect? thanks.
Get the biggest one that will fit in the bottom of the safe.

[Yamadad]

There's a product, but I forget what it is (sorry) and it works real good. In fact, you have to place it in a bucket or other container because it wicks water out of the air and it will/does puddle.

[unclebob]

Originally posted by Yamadad
There's a product, but I forget what it is (sorry) and it works real good. In fact, you have to place it in a bucket or other container because it wicks water out of the air and it will/does puddle.
Are you talking about DampRid?

[paccw]

The rod is safe and easy to install.

To drill a hole for the power cord I found a self tapping screw worked better then any drill bit.Then use the drill bit to enlarge the hole,the package tells you the drill bit to use.

If you keep stuff just 1 inch away from the rod it will be fine.

If this is a damp room like a basement you better get a room dehumidifier.

[Nowhere Man]

Originally posted by Yamadad
There's a product, but I forget what it is (sorry) and it works real good. In fact, you have to place it in a bucket or other container because it wicks water out of the air and it will/does puddle.

How can puddles of water in the bottom of a safe be good?


Dave

[Steve Koski]

I believe the puddles aren't water, but a chemical that is formed when the deliquescent reacts with the water in the air. I believe the liquid is corrosive, but I'm not sure if it poses any corrosion risk to anything it isn't in direct contact with.

[aplaceinspace]

Something that most people don't think about is the foam in your gun safe. These products are made out of plastics usually, and the foams are filled with gases that can oxodise steel easily. I no longer have foam pads in my gun safe because it caused my buttplates to rust.

Run a search on google for museum foam padding, or foams that are filled with a neutral gas, such as nitrogen. When the foam degrades and releases this gas it wont cause your guns to rust. I know that ethafoam used to be made with neutral gases, but no longer is. There are others out there.