Gun safe humidity

mjcmichigan

mjcmichigan

Handloader
Dec 26, 2016
2,410
373
My new gun safe is In the garage. It has two lockdown dehumidifier rods and it was holding humidity in the low 60% range. They gave me 12” inch rods. Inside the safe is 37” and change.

I saw PEET, makers of the boot dryer, now have a model for gun safes....just to see if it would make a difference, I put the boot dryer in the gun safe with the lockdown rods...over a couple days... humidity is now running 44%. The safe hadn’t been under 58% between sept 15 and Feb 28. Since the boot dryer went in and got below 50% it hasn’t risen above 50% again. I’m finally comfortable with storing guns in it.

Do any of you have a safe in a humid location keep it dry?
Anyone using a 36” golden rod or the PEET dehumidifier for a gun save?

Thoughts?

https://www.peetdryer.com/products/safekeeping-peet


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I used a golden rod in my old Liberty safe and it worked fine. I now have a walk in vault and use a dehumidifier. I run a hose into a drain. So far it's working out just fine.

JD338
 
I use a Golden Rod, but my safe is in a temperature controlled area of my house.

I check it every time I go home to make sure the Golden Rod is still warm... no idea how long they last, or even how long I've had it.... quite a few years, but it still works.

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Also...as I understand it... humidity alone isn't really the thing that causes problems, its when the temp inside the safe gets cool enough for the humidity to condense onto the guns that things go south.

I've never checked the humidity in my safe, but I've never had a gun rust in it.

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Hmmm - I never actually measured the humidity level of my safe or gun cabinet. They both have dehumidifiers but are they working ??
 
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This is how I track humidity in my safe.
A top left is my freezer. Temp and humidity
B top right is my reloading room in basement,
C bottom left gun safe in garage,
Display is my living room.
Outside temp currently 26f

It’s wireless and gives me peace of mind.

Hardware stores and Amazon carry them.

I wish I wasn’t quite so cheap...

I’m agonizing over $40 bucks and feeling bad I got two rods not getting it done.

I guess a good start is replacing the 12” rods with a 36” golden rod, if I still have too much humidity I could add a PEET in the corner.

Boot dryer coming out as I have have boots...lol

Thanks for the input guys!


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An FYI, when the rods were installed, humidity dropped and temp went up just a couple degrees. When we had -5f this winter it was about a week. The garage dropped to 21 and the safe was closer to 26.

So the point about staying above the condensation point is really the key. A couple degrees is all that’s needed.

The run makers in general want safes less than 50% to keep guns rust free. Of course heavy oils makes a difference.


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Lynn,
FWIW, the Golden Rod I put in my Library safe was about 25 years old. It was in my basement which was temperature controlled. I would check it periodically, it was warm to the touch. I never measured temperature or humidity in the safe and I never had any rust on the guns.


In the vault I left the setting at 50% humidity on the Frigidaire unit and everything is good.

JD338
 
BTW, the PEET technology has a 25 year warranty, so not surprised by rods lasting similarly long times.


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Mine do stay well oiled with either CLP or Ballistol... they're in there sometimes up to 3 months without me being home to check on them, but I do give them a wipe down with an oily rag and an oily patch down the barrel every trip home.

My wife likes giving me a hard time about how OCD I am with my guns.... and my truck.

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Just an update. Boot drier still in the safe. Humidity down to 40% in my safe in the garage. Snow melted and frost coming out of the ground, so it’s doing real well. I just received a 36” golden rod. Will swap that with the boot drier later today. I will leave one or two of the 12” lock downs in there with it.


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