Best Place To Put A Dehumidifier In A Gunsafe

The one I have says put near top. I have since put several more near the bottom and have concluded they don't work very well with the humidity where my safe is.

Bottom Is where my heated rods are.

I have a golden rod on the floor/ bottom and a ever dry hanging from a shelf in the middle.

Trunk Monkey said:

My humidity meter currently reads 22% but if I can optimize the placement of the EvaDry I want to.

Click to expand...

With the humidity level that low, you don't need a dehumidifier in the safe.

I went a little overboard when putting silica in my safe. I have 3 packs at 900 grams each. I have 2 on the bottom and 1 on top. Also have a Goldenrod knock off along the floor of the safe. Humidity stays right around 45% depending on the season. I don't think the placement matters all that much.

I got a bunch of clay type des pouches from work. I dried them, per instructions on the pouches, in the heat treat oven at work. I've stuffed them everywhere. In the safe, ammo safe, ammo cans, inside zip lock bags of primers...
Only issue is knowing when to re-dry them. They take about 16 hrs at low temp in the oven. I'm not sure I want to do this at home due to cost and possibly safety..
How exactly does the golden rod work in an air tight safe? Do you need desiccant in addition to the heated rod?
Are there any concerns of fire with the heated rods? I'm thinking along the lines of failure, not necessarily contact with combustibles.

I have a Dry Rod Dehumidifier it's a heated rod and the instructions per the manufacturer " It is best utilized when mounting horizontally at the bottom of the safe to work effectively" it keeps my safe a 52% humidity and 71 degrees F . 50% and 70 degrees, I've read and been told this is what you want for a gun safe. Don't know how a desiccant is to be used. I live in Florida near the coast.

Trunk Monkey said:

My safe is currently at 22%

Click to expand...

I guess 22% is ok. Do you know the temp?

Is there an issue with " over drying" if less than about 50%? Wood or leather cracking?
I think museums have similar 50%/70° for storing artifacts. Don't want those mummies getting dry skin!

milemaker13 said:

Is there an issue with " over drying" if less than about 50%? Wood or leather cracking?
I think museums have similar 50%/70° for storing artifacts. Don't want those mummies getting dry skin!

Click to expand...

Yes. The optimum humidity level for a gun safe should be between 48% to 50%. Higher humidity levels could cause rust and corrosion issues with the metals on firearms. Too low of a humidity level and wood stocks and grips could dry out and eventually cracking can occur.

milemaker13 said:

How exactly does the golden rod work in an air tight safe? Do you need desiccant in addition to the heated rod?
Are there any concerns of fire with the heated rods? I'm thinking along the lines of failure, not necessarily contact with combustibles.

Click to expand...

assuming you don't have very high humidity in the room to start with a heater works just fine by itself,

I have never seen a perfectly air tight gun safe but I guess there might be? but even so as long as you did not put wet items in the safe or the the ambient temps did not drop it would still work just fine, the air in the sealed safe would be warmed and lower its relative humidity over what it was outside the safe.

there have been a lot of golden rods sold over several decades, I would not worry about fire in a quaiity branded heater