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Posted: 9/17/2016 9:12:59 PM EDT
[#1]
Welcome to the South. I live near the Smokey Mountains, which is a temperate rain forest. You will get used to dealing with the humidity. Unless you move your safe inside your house where the climate is more controlled, you'll just need to stay on top of keeping your safe dry and contents oiled. When my safe was in my non-climate controlled garage, I kept 2 gel packs and just swapped them out periodically. I never had a problem with rust.
You should buy a basic hygrometer to measure the actual humidity level. It may not be as bad as you think. |
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Posted: 9/17/2016 11:33:23 PM EDT
[#2]
Your dry rods are likely circulating the air, which is causing your silica to be exposed to more moisture.
What is your typical humidity level outside of the safe? |
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Posted: 9/18/2016 1:45:43 AM EDT
[#3]
You keep stuff behind air conditioning
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Posted: 9/18/2016 11:16:19 AM EDT
[#4]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Your dry rods are likely circulating the air, which is causing your silica to be exposed to more moisture. What is your typical humidity level outside of the safe? Unknown on humidity level outside my safe. I don't have anything to measure it. |
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Posted: 9/18/2016 11:32:00 AM EDT
[#5]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Unknown on humidity level outside my safe. I don't have anything to measure it. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Your dry rods are likely circulating the air, which is causing your silica to be exposed to more moisture. What is your typical humidity level outside of the safe? Unknown on humidity level outside my safe. I don't have anything to measure it. You can buy a hygrometer for as little as $5-$10. I keep one in my safe and also in my downstairs basement area where I run a dehumidifier during the summer months. |
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Posted: 9/18/2016 11:57:41 AM EDT
[#6]
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You can buy a hygrometer for as little as $5-$10. I keep one in my safe and also in my downstairs basement area where I run a dehumidifier during the summer months. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
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Your dry rods are likely circulating the air, which is causing your silica to be exposed to more moisture. What is your typical humidity level outside of the safe? Unknown on humidity level outside my safe. I don't have anything to measure it. You can buy a hygrometer for as little as $5-$10. I keep one in my safe and also in my downstairs basement area where I run a dehumidifier during the summer months. Alright, hygrometrer on the way from Amazon. What should I do if it's really high? |
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Posted: 9/18/2016 12:09:07 PM EDT
[#7]
Quote HistoryQuoted: You keep stuff behind air conditioning |
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Posted: 9/18/2016 2:21:33 PM EDT
[#8]
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Yup....humidity we got, 365 days a year here in Fl. I have 2 30x22x60's in closets in the house. Quote HistoryQuoted:
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You keep stuff behind air conditioning What if I can't keep it air conditioned? There's literally no way to get my safe through the door; it's too big. I can't put more dehumidifying stuff in it? |
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Posted: 9/18/2016 2:53:39 PM EDT
[#9]
45% to 55% at 70 degrees is considered ideal. If you truly have high humidity and can't run an a/c, I would run a whole room dehumidifier near the safes.
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Posted: 9/18/2016 3:45:38 PM EDT
[#10]
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45% to 55% at 70 degrees is considered ideal. If you truly have high humidity and can't run an a/c, I would run a whole room dehumidifier near the safes. That's what I'm looking at now. I have a normal 2 car garage. It's about 20 ft x 20 ft. Any idea what size dehumidifier I would need? |
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Posted: 9/18/2016 4:13:31 PM EDT
[#11]
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That's what I'm looking at now. I have a normal 2 car garage. It's about 20 ft x 20 ft. Any idea what size dehumidifier I would need? Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
45% to 55% at 70 degrees is considered ideal. If you truly have high humidity and can't run an a/c, I would run a whole room dehumidifier near the safes. That's what I'm looking at now. I have a normal 2 car garage. It's about 20 ft x 20 ft. Any idea what size dehumidifier I would need? Just a suggestion, but I would wait to see if there's a real problem before investing in a dehumidifier for your garage. Especially with cooler and drier air coming. I've lived in a high humidity environment all of my life and have never had any major issues with a garage safe that has a heat rod. Several of my friends still keep garage safes and none have had a moisture issue. As long as your heat rod is functional, you should be ok. |
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Posted: 9/18/2016 4:58:53 PM EDT
[#12]
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Just a suggestion, but I would wait to see if there's a real problem before investing in a dehumidifier for your garage. Especially with cooler and drier air coming. I've lived in a high humidity environment all of my life and have never had any major issues with a garage safe that has a heat rod. Several of my friends still keep garage safes and none have had a moisture issue. As long as your heat rod is functional, you should be ok. Quote HistoryQuoted:
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45% to 55% at 70 degrees is considered ideal. If you truly have high humidity and can't run an a/c, I would run a whole room dehumidifier near the safes. That's what I'm looking at now. I have a normal 2 car garage. It's about 20 ft x 20 ft. Any idea what size dehumidifier I would need? Just a suggestion, but I would wait to see if there's a real problem before investing in a dehumidifier for your garage. Especially with cooler and drier air coming. I've lived in a high humidity environment all of my life and have never had any major issues with a garage safe that has a heat rod. Several of my friends still keep garage safes and none have had a moisture issue. As long as your heat rod is functional, you should be ok. Good advice. I appreciate your help. I'm gonna wait to see what the hygrometer says, I'm just thinking about the worse case. |
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Posted: 9/18/2016 5:53:45 PM EDT
[#13]
Not sure how the humidity in AL compares to the Richmond, VA area, but I don't have a rust issue. I've seen winter days, when it suddenly warms up, everything in the garage will be wet. Dew falls in the garage. The cars are wet, the tools are wet, the outside of the safe it wet. My guns are put away with a good coat of oil on the metal surfaces and they are not rusting. Hell, I kept the upstairs in soft cases for over 25 years (upstairs in the attic) and they didn't rust. I use either 3n1 oil or Mobil 1 to wipe them down with.
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Posted: 9/18/2016 8:40:41 PM EDT
[#14]
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What if I can't keep it air conditioned? There's literally no way to get my safe through the door; it's too big. I can't put more dehumidifying stuff in it? Quote HistoryQuoted:
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You keep stuff behind air conditioning What if I can't keep it air conditioned? There's literally no way to get my safe through the door; it's too big. I can't put more dehumidifying stuff in it? It might be worthwhile to sell off your large safe and purchase two smaller ones if humidity truly proves to be an issue. |
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Posted: 9/19/2016 12:47:34 PM EDT
[#15]
I use two rechargeable dessicants, 2 Goldenrods (never seemed like a temp diff in/outside the safe).
You can also add a VCI emmitter Keep blued guns well oiled. You can also use grease I use RIG Grease on my blued guns. AR's are pretty rust proof (aluminum and most of the steel is parkerized, chrome lined etc). The uncoated parts (BCG) should be well oiled anyway. ETA: I have a hygrometer/thermometer on the outside and inside of my safe door, so when I open it I can check the difference. The safe is always 10% or more less humid than outside. I don't think a Goldenrod will change the measured humidity, but should change the dewpoint (so water won't condense on the metal guns). So you may not see a change on the hygrometer. The dessicant should lower the actual humidity. The VCI won't have any effect on humidity level (just protects metal). |
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Posted: 9/23/2016 1:17:37 PM EDT
[#16]
I'm in Louisiana and the humidity is close to your AL conditions. Plus I just went through the flood and had to dry out my safe. Once I had it dried back out. I put a Peet drier in the safe. Its been doing a great job. I'd say try that. Peet drier
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