Got one today from Amazon. It had mass quantities of good reviews. Gonna test it in one of my safes.
Any of Y'all Ever Use one of These Dehumidifiers?
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1911 45
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They do work but eventually the beads inside won't recharge. The one I had was a Remington brand and I was always forgetting to plug it in to recharge it. I use a couple of golden rods now in my safe's, just plug it in and forget about it.
StakeOut
US Veteran
Nope,all my firearms go in protective storage bags.
I put a DampRid pack in the safe and refill it when needed.I buy the DampRid Refills at Home Depot.
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I put a DampRid pack in the safe and refill it when needed.I buy the DampRid Refills at Home Depot.
Sorry! Something went wrong!
I've got one going continuously since 1987, zero rust anywhere. Heaters push moisture out, desiccants pull it in or so the salesman said. Joe
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Got one just like it, and it seems to work (and recharge) just fine. Take it out of the safe and plug it into an outlet overnight every couple of months.
Mark 40
Member
Same here, use it in a small safe. No problems.
I had two of them, they now reside in a landfill.
The never charged anywhere near full capacity. Very happy with golden rods.
My golden rod type dehumidifier keeps the humidity around 37-39% all year long, which is well below the "rust" level but not low enough to cause the stocks to shrink and crack.
The need for a dehumidifier depends greatly on the conditions of where you live. For example, here in Michigan, the furnace running in the cold months more than negates the need for a dehumidifier. Even if you run a humidifier here in the winter months, chances are the humidity will not get above 50 to 55% unless you get really crazy. Humidity levels below 55% are sufficient to prevent rust from forming on steel.
Since Michigan is the "water wonderland", humidity levels in the warmer months can reach rain forest levels and a dehumidifier is recommended. If you wish, you can kill two birds with one stone by installing lights in your safe. Low wattage tungsten bulbs give off more than enough heat to dry out even the dampest of air, especially in a small confined space that rarely gets opened up to let in fresh air. Even LEDs give off some heat albeit not on the same level as a tungsten bulb. As an aside, air conditioners also remove humidity, so if you live in a warm, humid area, the AC may be all you need to stay within tolerable levels.
If you reside in an exceptionally dry area, you may even wish to run a humidifying system as wood can dry out and crack. Area's where the humidity levels are safe and rarely change negate the need for a dehumidifier or humidifier, while areas where nothing is constant can result in a balancing act.
A golden rod dehumidifier isn't magic, it's just a rudimentary heater that warms the air enough to remove excess humidity. If you live an area that requires the use of such a device, make sure to use a meter monitor the humidity because short of grabbing the device, there is no way to tell visually if it is working, although some have an indicator light, that really only means the light is on, not that the unit itself is actually doing it's job. That's another advantage a light bulb has since it is readily apparent if it is on or not, but once you close the safe door, how will you be able to tell?
I personally don't care for the silica type systems, but that's just me.
The need for a dehumidifier depends greatly on the conditions of where you live. For example, here in Michigan, the furnace running in the cold months more than negates the need for a dehumidifier. Even if you run a humidifier here in the winter months, chances are the humidity will not get above 50 to 55% unless you get really crazy. Humidity levels below 55% are sufficient to prevent rust from forming on steel.
Since Michigan is the "water wonderland", humidity levels in the warmer months can reach rain forest levels and a dehumidifier is recommended. If you wish, you can kill two birds with one stone by installing lights in your safe. Low wattage tungsten bulbs give off more than enough heat to dry out even the dampest of air, especially in a small confined space that rarely gets opened up to let in fresh air. Even LEDs give off some heat albeit not on the same level as a tungsten bulb. As an aside, air conditioners also remove humidity, so if you live in a warm, humid area, the AC may be all you need to stay within tolerable levels.
If you reside in an exceptionally dry area, you may even wish to run a humidifying system as wood can dry out and crack. Area's where the humidity levels are safe and rarely change negate the need for a dehumidifier or humidifier, while areas where nothing is constant can result in a balancing act.
A golden rod dehumidifier isn't magic, it's just a rudimentary heater that warms the air enough to remove excess humidity. If you live an area that requires the use of such a device, make sure to use a meter monitor the humidity because short of grabbing the device, there is no way to tell visually if it is working, although some have an indicator light, that really only means the light is on, not that the unit itself is actually doing it's job. That's another advantage a light bulb has since it is readily apparent if it is on or not, but once you close the safe door, how will you be able to tell?
I personally don't care for the silica type systems, but that's just me.
I've used the EvaDry/Remington dehumidifiers for years to good effect.
I have my safes in the finished part of the basement, which is heated.
Also, I run a dehumidifier year round, although in the winter it rarely turns on.
In the summer I set it for 45% and have no problems.
Never had a gun rust in my safes.
I have my safes in the finished part of the basement, which is heated.
Also, I run a dehumidifier year round, although in the winter it rarely turns on.
In the summer I set it for 45% and have no problems.
Never had a gun rust in my safes.
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I've had gun safes for forty or more years and have never used or needed such a device, but I live in an area where the humidity isn't too bad. Still, I wipe down all guns at least every couple of years or so with a lightly oiled soft cloth. No signs of rust.
prairieviper
Member
I have an Eva-Dry and similar Stack-On in my safe but do not rely on them alone. I also have a PEET SafeKeeping Dryer (same concept as Golden Rod) as my main dehumidifier.
My folks, after my dad retired, lived in a big old house alongside a river in Tidewater, VA. Very humid climate. My mother, in her bedroom clothes closet, hung an incandescent light bulb, always on, to mitigate mold. That would probably work in a safe if one could find an incandescent bulb these days.
I think golden rods or similar are the best choice.
I think golden rods or similar are the best choice.
ACORN
Member
I have one and am not impressed. There's not a lot of desiccant in it. Also some of the beads turned dark brown when I forgot to unplug it after regenerating.
I went with the Goldenrod and bought a 5lb. jug of desiccant beads from Amazon.
I put the beads in 2 open plastic tubs in the safe with the rod.
Just don't spill the beads. There a pain to clean up.
I went with the Goldenrod and bought a 5lb. jug of desiccant beads from Amazon.
I put the beads in 2 open plastic tubs in the safe with the rod.
Just don't spill the beads. There a pain to clean up.
hobby-gunsmith
US Veteran
Dehumidifier in safe
Since I had to downsize my safe for apartment living, I do not have a plug in the safe as I did in the house with my large safe using a Goldenrod. I downsized the safe and I am using the Eva-dry and the reading is .55 degrees in the safe and on the outside gauge showing .60 degrees. The apartment is air conditioned and set on 78 degrees in the summer. Florida weather is very humid in the summer and so far, I have not had a rust problem. I look at the beads showing wet or dry and plug it in the socket for overnight and it is good to go. They are made in Florida and customer service is great. I would recommend the product.
Nick
Since I had to downsize my safe for apartment living, I do not have a plug in the safe as I did in the house with my large safe using a Goldenrod. I downsized the safe and I am using the Eva-dry and the reading is .55 degrees in the safe and on the outside gauge showing .60 degrees. The apartment is air conditioned and set on 78 degrees in the summer. Florida weather is very humid in the summer and so far, I have not had a rust problem. I look at the beads showing wet or dry and plug it in the socket for overnight and it is good to go. They are made in Florida and customer service is great. I would recommend the product.
Nick
OP
I don't think it works.
Yesterday I bought 2 of these things. I tested them outside, and inside and they both had the same readings.
[ame]https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0013BKDO8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1[/ame]
The safe without one is reading 40% humidity. The safe with the dehumidifier thing is reading 44% humidity. Both safes are in closets, the one with the higher reading in in a closet with an AC vent.
Yesterday I bought 2 of these things. I tested them outside, and inside and they both had the same readings.
[ame]https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0013BKDO8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1[/ame]
The safe without one is reading 40% humidity. The safe with the dehumidifier thing is reading 44% humidity. Both safes are in closets, the one with the higher reading in in a closet with an AC vent.
Yes, they work fine for a year or so. After that they don't recharge, the beads just stay green. Golden Rod works best.
