dehumidifier for gun safe

gotguns? · March 10, 2009, 07:53 PM

I own a stack-on 24 gun safe and currently have a remington rechargeable dehumidifier for it. The problem is that it needs recharged every week or so. So I am thinking about getting one that plugs into the wall and runs to the inside of the safe. Question is: What is the best way to run it from outside the safe to the inside? Does anyone have any experience with these? Other sugestions are welcome.

sholling · March 10, 2009, 08:04 PM

Most have a hole in the back for that purpose.

guns and more · March 10, 2009, 09:35 PM

Ditto. The hole may be drilled in the steel but not the insulation. My safe came with the goldenrod mounted under the bottom shelf. It takes no room and you can't see it. It came with a bare wire to fish through the hole, then the plug was added. Smart.

hoghunting · March 10, 2009, 10:36 PM

I installed a Golden Rod in mine 23 years ago, and it's still working just fine without any rust on any of my guns.

Te Anau · March 12, 2009, 09:27 AM

These work really good.

http://www.drirod.com/products.html

Creature · March 12, 2009, 09:39 AM

Do you even need a dehumidifier?

A closed door to a safe, even a "breezy" stack-on safe, is going to prevent most of the circulated air coming in from the rest of the room. While not completely air tight, the closed door will do a decent job of preventing that ambient humidity from entering. A medium-sized desiccant pack will dehumidify a stack-on safe quite well.

But like I asked before...do you actually have a humidity problem in your safe? General guidelines: "Iron and steel will not rust if the air in contact with the surface has a relative humidity below 50% relative humidity (RH)."

According to the NRA:
50% humidity at 70 degrees is considered ideal "Arms Museum" storage conditions. Any dryer then that and you could potentially have problems with wood stocks drying out and shrinking / checking over a long period of time.

Buy yourself a good hygrometer and measure the humidity where your safe is located...and measure it a varying times of the day. That will tell you if you really need to be concerned with a dehumidifier / desiccant at all.

In my experience, rust prevention has more to do with regularly wiping down your guns to remove hand oils than it does with humidity control.

That said, I use desiccant because I live near to the ocean. I use "DampRid" which is cheap and readily available at most grocery and hardware stores. It comes in a variety of container sizes and shapes. It works great, but does need to be replenished every so often with new powder.

An alternative is to put a 4 or 7watt incandescent nightlight inside your safe. Works exactly the same way as the grossly overpriced "Dri-Rod" dehumidifier. Provided your safe isn't the size of a walk-in closet, the heat generated from the bulb is just enough to circulate the air and slightly raise the ambient temperature inside your safe, which in turn lowers the relative humidity inside the safe.

I hope this helps....good luck!

Spikeo · July 25, 2017, 05:39 PM

Can't go wrong with a GoldenRod gun safe dehumidifier tbh, plenty of other decent safes out there though - catchthemeasy

Ed4032 · July 25, 2017, 05:41 PM

Zombie post

cdoc42 · August 1, 2017, 06:30 AM

I had a bad experience with a dessicant product (I forget the name) that had crystals in a basket that hung in another plastic bucket. Over time moisture wold be absorbed, dissolving the crystals and drip into the lower bucket. Well, I reach in one day for something and tipped he bucket over. The liquid splashed on my Winchester 101 20-Ga over/under and totally froze the lockup and triggers, making it completely useless. A trip to a gunsmith finally got it back into action. Measure your humidity as suggested. If your home is air conditioned, moisture shouldn't be a problem in the warmer months, and in winter, the air is always dry.....depending on where you live, of course.

adamBomb · August 1, 2017, 07:24 AM

If you want a plug in get a golden rod. Personally, I choose the rechargeable ones. I have three in my safe because I live in a humid area and was recharging every week too when I had just one.

https://www.amazon.com/Improved-Eva-...SAR5NBXV0YNN63

March 10, 2009, 07:53 PM	#1
gotguns? Senior Member Join Date: April 13, 2008 Location: Oakland City IN Posts: 136	dehumidifier for gun safe I own a stack-on 24 gun safe and currently have a remington rechargeable dehumidifier for it. The problem is that it needs recharged every week or so. So I am thinking about getting one that plugs into the wall and runs to the inside of the safe. Question is: What is the best way to run it from outside the safe to the inside? Does anyone have any experience with these? Other sugestions are welcome. __________________ "And what country can preserve its liberties, if its rulers are not warned from time to time, that this people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. ... The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." -Thomas Jefferson

March 10, 2009, 08:04 PM	#2
sholling Senior Member Join Date: May 18, 1999 Location: Hemet (middle of nowhere) California Posts: 4,261	Most have a hole in the back for that purpose. __________________ Proud Life Member: National Rifle Association, California Rifle & Pistol Association, and the Second Amendment Foundation. Annual Member: Revolutionary War Veterans Association (Project Appleseed) and the Madison Society.

March 12, 2009, 09:27 AM	#5
Te Anau Senior Member Join Date: June 17, 2004 Location: Somewhere south of the No Posts: 3,824	These work really good. http://www.drirod.com/products.html __________________ "Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it." --American author Mark Twain (1835-1910)

July 25, 2017, 05:41 PM	#8
Ed4032 Senior Member Join Date: January 13, 2010 Location: Texas Posts: 306	Zombie post __________________ Gun control is like stopping drunk driving by making it harder for sober people to drive.

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March 10, 2009, 09:35 PM	#3
guns and more Senior Member Join Date: January 16, 2009 Location: Florida Posts: 101	Ditto. The hole may be drilled in the steel but not the insulation. My safe came with the goldenrod mounted under the bottom shelf. It takes no room and you can't see it. It came with a bare wire to fish through the hole, then the plug was added. Smart.

March 10, 2009, 10:36 PM	#4
hoghunting Senior Member Join Date: March 27, 2006 Posts: 1,559	I installed a Golden Rod in mine 23 years ago, and it's still working just fine without any rust on any of my guns.

March 12, 2009, 09:39 AM	#6
Creature Junior member Join Date: April 8, 2007 Location: Virginia Posts: 3,769	Do you even need a dehumidifier? A closed door to a safe, even a "breezy" stack-on safe, is going to prevent most of the circulated air coming in from the rest of the room. While not completely air tight, the closed door will do a decent job of preventing that ambient humidity from entering. A medium-sized desiccant pack will dehumidify a stack-on safe quite well. But like I asked before...do you actually have a humidity problem in your safe? General guidelines: "Iron and steel will not rust if the air in contact with the surface has a relative humidity below 50% relative humidity (RH)." According to the NRA: 50% humidity at 70 degrees is considered ideal "Arms Museum" storage conditions. Any dryer then that and you could potentially have problems with wood stocks drying out and shrinking / checking over a long period of time. Buy yourself a good hygrometer and measure the humidity where your safe is located...and measure it a varying times of the day. That will tell you if you really need to be concerned with a dehumidifier / desiccant at all. In my experience, rust prevention has more to do with regularly wiping down your guns to remove hand oils than it does with humidity control. That said, I use desiccant because I live near to the ocean. I use "DampRid" which is cheap and readily available at most grocery and hardware stores. It comes in a variety of container sizes and shapes. It works great, but does need to be replenished every so often with new powder. An alternative is to put a 4 or 7watt incandescent nightlight inside your safe. Works exactly the same way as the grossly overpriced "Dri-Rod" dehumidifier. Provided your safe isn't the size of a walk-in closet, the heat generated from the bulb is just enough to circulate the air and slightly raise the ambient temperature inside your safe, which in turn lowers the relative humidity inside the safe. I hope this helps....good luck!

July 25, 2017, 05:39 PM	#7
Spikeo Junior Member Join Date: July 18, 2017 Posts: 1	Can't go wrong with a GoldenRod gun safe dehumidifier tbh, plenty of other decent safes out there though - catchthemeasy

August 1, 2017, 06:30 AM	#9
cdoc42 Senior Member Join Date: March 13, 2005 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 1,687	I had a bad experience with a dessicant product (I forget the name) that had crystals in a basket that hung in another plastic bucket. Over time moisture wold be absorbed, dissolving the crystals and drip into the lower bucket. Well, I reach in one day for something and tipped he bucket over. The liquid splashed on my Winchester 101 20-Ga over/under and totally froze the lockup and triggers, making it completely useless. A trip to a gunsmith finally got it back into action. Measure your humidity as suggested. If your home is air conditioned, moisture shouldn't be a problem in the warmer months, and in winter, the air is always dry.....depending on where you live, of course.

August 1, 2017, 07:24 AM	#10
adamBomb Senior Member Join Date: September 19, 2015 Location: coastal NC Posts: 645	If you want a plug in get a golden rod. Personally, I choose the rechargeable ones. I have three in my safe because I live in a humid area and was recharging every week too when I had just one. https://www.amazon.com/Improved-Eva-...SAR5NBXV0YNN63