Posted: 12/10/2007 11:11:07 AM EDT
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Question for the hive mind. I have a humidor that holds 50 cigars. I have the cigar oasis humidifier. It has always kept my cigars at the humidity I want, just over 70%. I recently moved to a new house and now keep the heat at 58 degrees during the day until I get home then I turn it up to 66-68. I have also noticed that my humidity percentage has gone down to 65%. I cranked up the oasis all the way and it's has a hard time getting to 70%. Is this simply a direct result of the temp I keep the house at when I'm not home? |
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I dont think so. I dont think a 8-10 degree temp spread would cause that much fluctuation. Does it stabilize a few hours after you get home and turn the heat up? Did it go un-attended for a long time? Maybe it need to be re-seasoned? Is it now kept in direct sunlight, or near a heat vent? The Oasis should be plenty powerful to maintain the humidity in a 50ct box. More likely causes are poor humidor seal or a malfunctioning Oasis. Try the "flashlight test" . Put a flashlight inside the humidor and turn off the room lights. You shouldnt be able to see any light coming from the humidor. If you do, you have a leak. You might be able to shim the lip area of the lid where you see the light with cedar sheets, (like the ones that come wrapped aroud some cigars, like Fuente Chateau or many others) with some trimming gluing, and sanding, but might be easier to just replace the humidor. If there is no leak, the only other suggestion I can offer is look this over and make sure the Oasis is working properly: Cigar Oasis troubleshooting |
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Yes, probably. Cooler air cannot hold as much moisture as warm air. On a related note, does turning down the thermostat 10 deg. really keep your heating bill down, or does reheating the house (and everything in it) burn up any savings you might have accumulated during the day? |
Up until the move it has worked great for the past 3 years. I will check out the Oasis trouble shooting page. |
As far as the heating bill goes I don't know yet. I'm going to turn down all of Dec and keep track of the avg temp, then leave up in Jan and keep track of the avg temp to see if there is a difference in oil use. I am away from my house for at least 12 hours a day and with a few large picture windows the place does heat up pretty good without the heat on in the winter. Yesterday it was 70 on the ground floor with the heat on 64 and it was 30 degrees out. It's a new place so I'm still trying to figure out the best practice. |
| Well the first question is do you have standard hydrometer or a digital one? The standard dial ones are horribly inaccurate. If its a digital one, try putting the humidor in different places in the house. Humidors near vents, windows, or in closets act a lot differently. If that doesn't do anything try putting a new humidifier in the humidor. That doesn't work contact your local tobacconist for help. |
I have a standard one. I haven't thought about upgrading it because up until now I've never had any problems with humidity. I think I will try moving the humidor from my desk in the office to another location to see if there is any improvement. |
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temp and humidity are directly related a change in one will affect the other. in my experience 70% is perfect for storing and ageing and 65% is perfect for smoking. I can not control my temps at my home that closely and it is to cold in the winter and to hot in the summer. I may get a wine cabinet with temp control this year and try that. lol |
| I agree with some- I like my cigars around 65% . They smoke better- with a good humidor- you will still get the spanish cedar infused into your cigars- then what a peice of heaven you have- Don't worry-your cigars wont be ruined at that %. I think they actually store the pre-embargo cuban cigars around 60%- and they run around 10-20,000 $ or more for a box. |