how to dry desiccant canisters

[agile_1]

Greetings all.

So I have desiccant canisters that are due for drying. Have not done it before and was wondering how most folks go about it.

I have a convection oven but am thinking it's not optimal for drying out the desiccant. Thinking that grease (not the cleanest oven in town ) might get into them and reduce effectiveness. Also wondering about using the oven after wards.

Probably the best idea would be buy an inexpensive convection toaster type oven.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

 

[natf]

Just lay out the desiccant on a cookie sheet in the oven on a low temperature setting. I keep a 5lb bag of desiccant (buy it in bulk from a craft store for flower drying) on hand to dry out electronics and just pour the desiccant pellets on an aluminum foil lined cookie sheet to dry it out after each use. If you want you can even make little desiccant pouches of your own using coffee filters and some glue and not have to deal with the pellets. There's no harm in drying desiccant that way and when you buy in bulk it's so cheap you don't worry about it.

 

[OfficerObie59]

Canister goes on a cookie sheet with the cap off right into the oven for a few hours at 200-250 degrees. If you have the same dessicant I do, they're blueish/green when saturated and turn orange when recharged. Also, when it's done let it cool off in the oven since taking it out and letting it cool will draw in unnecessary moisture.

The cap has a plastic window on it thus needs to be removed or it will melt.

I also use that time to dry out whatever foodstuffs I may need to--jerky, apple chips, etc. and adjust the temp accordingly. The dessicant goes along for the ride.

 

[Lil Foo]

My canisters are pink in color when saturated... And turn blue when reactivated.

One if them I've recently bought... A 40 gram aluminum, and has "when pink, reactivate 3 hours at 300F" stamped into the top. The other is older and a fair bit thinner (maybe 20 gram) with just a manufacturer stamp.

I reactivated both yesterday... I did 275F for 2 hours, let them sit in the oven for another hour after turning the oven off, and both turned a dark blue in the center circular window.

I've never heard of a need to remove the window, and mine do not melt with what I do to reactivate. I also place them right on the wire rack of the oven... No cookie sheet.

.

 

[agile_1]

Just lay out the desiccant on a cookie sheet in the oven on a low temperature setting. I keep a 5lb bag of desiccant (buy it in bulk from a craft store for flower drying) on hand to dry out electronics and just pour the desiccant pellets on an aluminum foil lined cookie sheet to dry it out after each use. If you want you can even make little desiccant pouches of your own using coffee filters and some glue and not have to deal with the pellets. There's no harm in drying desiccant that way and when you buy in bulk it's so cheap you don't worry about it.

I have the packaged type. Little alluminum boxes about 3"x1.5"X.5". Buying in bulk is probably the way to go but I have a few of these and will try recycling them at least a couple times.

My canisters are pink in color when saturated... And turn blue when reactivated.


One if them I've recently bought... A 40 gram aluminum, and has "when pink, reactivate 3 hours at 300F" stamped into the top. The other is older and a fair bit thinner (maybe 20 gram) with just a manufacturer stamp.


I reactivated both yesterday... I did 275F for 2 hours, let them sit in the oven for another hour after turning the oven off, and both turned a dark blue in the center circular window.


I've never heard of a need to remove the window, and mine do not melt with what I do to reactivate. I also place them right on the wire rack of the oven... No cookie sheet.

I have similar cannisters. Small metal packets with a little plastic window so you can check the color. Guess I will be trying the oven method.

Canister goes on a cookie sheet with the cap off right into the oven for a few hours at 200-250 degrees. If you have the same dessicant I do, they're blueish/green when saturated and turn orange when recharged. Also, when it's done let it cool off in the oven since taking it out and letting it cool will draw in unnecessary moisture.


The cap has a plastic window on it thus needs to be removed or it will melt.


I also use that time to dry out whatever foodstuffs I may need to--jerky, apple chips, etc. and adjust the temp accordingly. The dessicant goes along for the ride.

I have a different type - blue when charged, pink when saturated. The only thing I was a little leery of, was contaminating the desiccant with grease from the oven. At 275 it should be ok. I definitely won't be doing any cooking while the desiccant is in there.