Best option for controlling safe humidity?

Mike52793

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Recently just got a liberty safe extreme 60. Came with a peet air dryer but not to crazy about leaving something plugged in inside the safe after seeing reviews about them catching fire. Anyone have any experience using the Boveda 49% 2 way humidity packs for inside a safe? Read the recommendation by the NRA museum is 50% humidity.
 
I use 3 of the dehumidfier packs you can buy. The ones that absorb moisture and then you plug them in to "dry" them out. I use them in 24 gun Winchester safe and my average humidity in the safe runs between 35% and 40%. I take them out on a rotating schedule and plug them in to dry out. It is an inexpensive reliable solution.
 
IMHO, if you're not controlling humidity in the room that the safe is in, then you're shoveling shit against the tide.
After that, I do like the type that you only plug em in to dry em out kind.
Just my $.02.
This.

I run a dehumidifier in the basement. In the safe I rotate my plug in dehumidifiers. I keep two in the safe.
 
My safe in in an attached garage, temp ranges from 40 to 95 and the humidity is pretty much whatever it is outside. I’ve run a goldenrod in the safe for the past 8 years and have had no rust or moisture issues. A yearly wipedown for all safe queens and a wipedown after use for the others is all I have done. I agree that trying to get the humidity inside a safe lower than the humidity outside the safe is impossible unless it is hermetically sealed.
I’m no expert but i think that water vapor in the air (%RH) is not a problem unless a rapid temp change causes the vapor to condense to a liquid on a metal surface. Goldenrod has worked well for me in that regard
 
Id had nothing but issues with moisture in my safe in the past causing light films of rust much to my horror. Just comes with living where I do and it basically being all wetland/swamp/forest or the most part. I use Breakfree CLP for oil on everything and threw in a Goldenrod and haven't had an issue since. Occasionally I'll throw a couple desiccant packets in if its a wet spring just to be safe
 
Goldenrod, silicon socks and I make sure the guns are periodically wiped down with a rag that has a light amount of ballistol and ammo is ammo cans with good seals and few packets of silica gel. Has worked for me for years. Good luck.
 
I use the Golden Rod too, along with a few Zerust pods and have had good success. Some of the rifles that see no use are also in a silicon sock. Between that and my normal cleaning regiment (which I'll easily admit to being borderline OCD about), I think I'm good.

When I know I'll be gone for a period of time, I will unplug the rod.
 
I've had Golden Rods plugged in for over 20 years. I just touch them now and then to make sure they still work. Never thought about unplugging them and won't. They do make other brands of rods these days but I see no need to buy imitations.
 
This.

I run a dehumidifier in the basement. In the safe I rotate my plug in dehumidifiers. I keep two in the safe.
This is also what I do. Basement dehumidifier set to 50 and in the safe I run a Stack-On rechargeable dehumidifier. Recharge every month. Most long guns are in socks
 
Goldenrod, silicon socks and I make sure the guns are periodically wiped down with a rag that has a light amount of ballistol and ammo is ammo cans with good seals and few packets of silica gel. Has worked for me for years. Good luck.
I turn my socks inside out and apply oil to that surface when I do my rub downs. Over time you'll have a nice oily sock that helps keep things rust free.
 
Great Thread, thanks for the advice. I have been using Damprid packs, but just bought 2 EvaDry renewable dehumidifiers. As suggested above, I'll swap them out as necessary.
 
Def will look into the golden rod, I dont think the peet can handle such a big safe. Also just bought a temp stick to put inside that way I can monitor temp & humidity changes from my phone.
 
I don't use anything in my safes, but I wipe down every gun with a rag dampened with WD40. Whether I take a gun out for a day of shooting or just long enough to move it out of the way, the last thing that touches the gun is a rag with WD, never my bare hands.
And twice a year or so they all come out and get a patch down the bore with WD and then the entire gun gets it too. Metal, wood, plastic,...whatever.
I'm not sure how well it works long term. I've only been doing it since 1978 so I'll have to wait and see how they hold up. So far not a speck of rust or corrosion.
 
I was running a Golden Rod, but then decided to move my NAS server to the bottom of the fire safe. Not only does it pump out more heat than the rod, it's now housed in a better container... Humidity doesn't see over 54% last I checked. The server was running 24/7 anyway, so what the hell...
 
I don’t have a great safe. It’s one of those Field & Stream 32 gun safe With holes in the bottom. I installed a 45 watt incandescent light in the safe. It keeps the humidity low and provides light in the safe.
 
Another thing is just to not put a safe where its humid in the first place, or climate control the area with the safe.

I get that for fires a safe is best in the basement, but in living space or similar these things aren't a problem.

If you get water in your basement that area is just nfg for gun storage. If you don't but it's a little humid, maybe consider putting the safe elsewhere or finishing the safe area into a walk in closet with climate control.
 
Like others have said, a good dehumidifier in the basement (set to 50% humidity) and a GoldenRod. Works just fine for me and I haven't had any sort of rust issues
 
Don't use Damp-Rid, the salts can cause corrosion.

This for sure - I had it in a metal clothes cabinet, the Damp-Rid got saturated, spilled (it was amazing how much liquid there was), and caused some corrosion on shelf. If this happened in a gun safe it could be a disaster.

My safe is in a dry room but it can still get humid depending on time of year and whether central AC is running or not. I have a dehumidifier in room, golden rod in safe (20+ years old), and a couple of these silica gel paks:


I still "reactivate" the silica gel paks a couple times a year - I have them mainly as a backup in case the golden rod dies or the circuit trips out without me knowing right away. I do try to check the golden rod every time I open the safe.

This has been foolproof for me over 20+ years, no issues at all.
 
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This for sure - I had it in a metal clothes cabinet, the Damp-Rid got saturated, spilled (it was amazing how much liquid there was), and caused some corrosion on shelf. If this happened in a gun safe it could be a disaster.

My safe is in a dry room but it can still get humid depending on time of year and whether central AC is running or not. I have a dehumidifier in room, golden rod in safe (20+ years old), and a couple of these silica gel paks:


I still "reactivate" the silica gel paks a couple times a year - I have them mainly as a backup in case the golden rod dies or the circuit trips out without me knowing right away. I do try to check the golden rod every time I open the safe.

This has been foolproof for me over 20+ years, no issues at all.

How do you “reactivate” silica gel packs?
 
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