Humidity inside any kind of safe spells disaster.
Tarnishing on jewelry pieces can happen, cash and documents will smell and get mildew, and weaponry can develop rusts on them. Photographs can also get damaged in a very bad way to the extent that they can no longer be repaired.
So, what is in acceptable gun safe humidity level? Having a 50 percent relative humidity it is acceptable for a gun safe. In order to measure RH, you have to use a hygrometer.
Condensation inside storage places can make medications in them decompose faster than usual. Just as how you spend your hard earn money in protecting your valuable from different outside sources, it only makes sense that you keep them away from harm inside.
Vaults placed in non-temperature controlled environments such as sheds or garages are subject to major temperature changes between night and day. It can then cause evaporation and condensation, thus resulting in damage and moisture.
A safe place near a body of water is also subject to moisture accumulating inside.
Even a safe positioned close to a steamy shower or laundry room is subject to dampness. However, there is no need for you to freak out because it is actually easy to fix this problem.
There are now some dehumidifying products or what you call desiccants available on the market right now that are created using silica gel.
Silica gel can absorb moisture from the air and for sure, you have seen silica gel before in one form or another.
Every time you purchase a new pair of shoes, silica gel is what is inside the small square packets inside the shoe box. You just buy your shoes then you throw away this packet since you probably have no idea what it is or what its purpose is in the first place.
On top of that, there is a chance that the silica gel already absorbed all moisture it can hold, thus, it no longer serves any additional purpose. However, who would want to fill up their firearms locker with hundreds of these tiny packages? This is where a gun safe dehumidifiers come in handy.
The canister of these dehumidifiers contains some specially made crystals with an extremely high rate of absorption to get rid of the atmosphere’s moisture.
These are available in various sizes to be used inside a safe. The safe’s size will depend on the canister’s size you will need, and the good news is that these are renewable. The crystals found inside are non-toxic and odorless. These start out in blue color but the moment they absorb the air’s moisture at a much higher rate compared to traditional silica gel dehumidifiers, the beads will turn pink.
It can be seen in the small window monitor found on the front part of the canister that eliminates the guesswork as to when you should be drying out the desiccant.
Once all the crystals have turned pink, this signals that the unit needs to be charged again. At this point, it is similar to dipping the sponge that is already soaking wet into a water bucket. It means it can no longer absorb any moisture.
When this happens, you just have to take out the crystals from the safe, pop out the built-in plug on the back or bottom, plug this into the wall outlet throughout the night and the following morning, it will be like new again, ready to do the job once more.
Place this back inside your safe and your worries will be gone. This is an extremely efficient way of absorbing air moisture.
The main benefit of these models is that these are self-contained inside a canister. Not like the rest of the desiccant products, there is no need for you to empty its canister or the small cotton bag, dry this out inside the oven at low temperature for a few hours, and try getting all the silica gel crystals back inside the bag or canister without spilling them all over the floor.
The electrical rod is another kind of dehumidifier. These are known by all sorts of names such as a heating rod, goldenrod, dry rod, or dehumidifier rod.
Dehumidifier rods can produce the same kind of result as a desiccant but in a way that it is a bit different. The moment you put it inside the safe then plug it in, it can give off just the right amount of heat for warming the air and keeping it circulating in the safe.
All the items in the safe will stay around 3 degrees warmer than the ambient air. This prevents evaporation and condensation from taking place and prevents moisture, thus reducing the level of humidity in the safe.
Remember that this is a type of electrical appliance. The safe should be able to accommodate the electrical plug or cord. The older models of safes have not been drilled or punched to allow for a plug or cord yet others have. The firewall might not have been drilled but the steel might have. if this is the case, you just need to drill a hole of around ¼ inch through the firewall. This is where you can snake through the cord, attach the plug to the cord outside then plug this to the wall outlet.
There are different lengths of dehumidifier rods available right now. Once again, the size of the weapon locker will determine the size of the rod you will need. For a safe of less than 20 cubic feet, a rod measuring 12 inches is recommended. A 16-inch rod is best for a safe of 25 to 30 cubic feet while an 18-inch rod is ideal for safes bigger than 35 cubic feet.
Not too long ago, some safe manufacturers have either installed electrical outlets in their safes or provide an electrical adapter kit. If your safe is already equipped with an outlet, you only need to plug in a dehumidifier rod and it will start to do its job right away.
When the safe has been drilled properly so that an electrical adapter kit can be installed, it will be easier to get electricity inside the vault. The bonus here is that you can also plug in other items such as watch winders, chargers, lights, and others.
Moisture damage might not be visible right away inside your weapons safe. As mentioned earlier, a hygrometer will be able to help you in keeping an accurate watch on your safe’s level of humidity.
A hygrometer can measure the relative humidity in your safe and once again, the goal here is to achieve a relative humidity of 50 percent. With the use of a hygrometer, there is no need for you to wait until it gets too late to prevent damages caused by moisture.
