One of the great fears for anyone with a gun safe is around what will happen to the objects inside it over time. Will they get rusty or will they simply stop working? Too much humidity can turn out to be disastrous for your guns, ammo, and accessories.
The best solution is to use a gun safe dehumidifier (you can find the best ones here) inside it. In this way, you can keep everything inside it as well protected as possible no matter what the weather is like outside.
This is an especially important point if you live in an area with high levels of humidity. However, it is something that everyone should consider doing anyway. So, how will you go about this? The truth is that you just need to follow a few simple steps.
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Choose the Right Model
There are two main types of dehumidifier that are typically used inside safes these days. These are the silica gel and rod models. Both of them carry out the same job but they work in slightly different ways.
The gel models aren’t electrical and can simply be placed anywhere inside the safe. They then go about the task of absorbing any moisture that it is in the air. This is similar to the little packs of gel that are used to keep things like shoes free of moisture while in their boxes.
With the rod type of dehumidifier, this is an electrical device that warms up the air in the safe to a small degree. This gives the same end results as with the silica gel, as it leaves the air drier. They are sometimes known as golden rods.
The one that you choose is really just down to personal preference. Some people find that one method works better than the other for them. There should be no substantial difference in the results that you see whichever you finally choose, though.
Location is everything
As we have just seen, there are a couple of different models to bear in mind. Depending upon which one you choose, you then need to find the best spot in your gun safe for it.
- Silica gel dehumidifiers can be placed pretty much anywhere. Their performance will be unaffected no matter where you place them.
- Rod style dehumidifiers work best when they are placed on the floor of the safe. This allows the heat to rise and take the humidity out of the air as it does so.
- If you are using a rod then you may need to connect it to your home’s electricity supply. Gun safes tend to have a small hole or slit near the bottom that lets you pass the cable through it.
Arrange Your Guns to Allow Airflow
Where you place your dehumidifier is just part of the solution. There is also the question of how you allow the air to flow through the contents of the safe.
Ideally, you will make sure that the guns are well spaced out. This might not be particularly easy to do if you have a lot of guns and your safe isn’t particularly big, though. On the other hand, if you have a big, relatively empty safe then it will be a lot easier to do this.
Of course, if you haven’t yet chosen a safe then you might decide to choose one this is bigger than you really need. This will allow you to leave enough room for the air to flow through your firearms at all times.
How Many Dehumidifiers Should You Use?
When you are looking at installing a gun safe dehumidifier, you will want to consider where one is enough. This really comes down to how big the safe is, how many guns you own, and how humid the air is.
It is a good idea to measure the humidity when the safe is empty, and then do it against after you have installed a dehumidifier. In this way, you can see what difference one of them has made.
Where to Put Your Gun Safe
Let’s not forget that the issue of where you place your safe is another important factor. If you choose a cool, dry spot then this will help you to keep the humidity levels inside it nice and low.
Not everyone can do this, but if you can then it makes sense to spend some time thinking about the ideal location. It will help to take some of the strain off your dehumidifier.
Remember to Carry Out Maintenance
Once you have installed the model that you prefer, you can leave it working away day after day. However you also need to remember that you may need to carry out some maintenance on it at some point.
For instance, the silica gel models need to be dried out or reactivated once they have absorbed as much moisture at they can. This is usually easy to notice, as the beads will change color over time.
The length of time between maintenance checks will vary, largely depending upon the exact model that you use and the humidity levels in your safe. The manufacturer will give you an idea of the length of time you can expect to use it for, but this won’t be exact.
It is a good idea to keep a note telling you when you check whether maintenance is required. You can clearly mark the date on here and stick it onto the side of the safe or somewhere else where it is clearly visible.
Rod style dehumidifiers don’t really need any maintenance carried out on them. However, it is always a good idea to check on it now and then, to ensure that it is still working properly.
Summary
Installing a dehumidifier in your gun safe is actually a very simple process. The more difficult aspect of this is in finding the right model for your needs.
If you do this well then you can look forward to a long life for your firearms, as they will be well protected from the various types of damage that too much humidity can cause over time.
The last question on your list.. do they work!? See below.. Thanks for reading!
