gun safe dehumidifier

[Five-O]

Hi, how important is a safe dehumidifier? I live in San Jose where humidity is practically non-existent. Should I still have one anyway?
Opinions appreciated.
Thanks
Eddie

 

[rcmodel]

If your area is dry most of the year, and you use A/C in the summer?
No you probably don't need one.
(No experience with the salt sea air in your area though)

Ideal museum storage conditions are 50% humidity at 70 degrees.

If you are comfortable, your guns should be too.

That doesn't negate the need to keep them wiped down with a Rig-Rag, or Silicone cloth, or something every time you handle them.

Some people have toxic sweat that will rust the chrome off a Harley muffler five minutes after they touch it.

Whether you are one of those or not, wipe them down when you handle them and they won't rust.

rc

 

[340PD]

If it is a large gun safe I would put a goldenrod unit in it. Low cost insurance.

 

[Black Butte]

I went to the craft store and got a box of flower drying crystals. This is perhaps the cheapest way to get silica gel. Six pounds of it cost me under $20. I pour the silica in an oven-safe pie dish (aluminum or Pyrex), because it spreads the silica out over a larger surface area. I then place the dish with the silica in my safe to keep it nice and dry. When I notice the indicator in the silica gel turning from blue to pink, I recharge the silica by simply popping the dish in my oven. The indicator in the gel is more heat sensitive than the silica itself, so I keep the temperature relatively low. To recharge it, I usually bake my silica at 275 degrees Fahrenheit for two hours. As I'm letting the dish with the silica cool after it's been recharged in the oven, I put plastic wrap over the dish so the silica doesn't pick up moisture from the ambient air before I place it back in my safe. How often you have to recharge your silica will depend on the humidity in the air, how airtight the seal on your safe is, and how often you open it.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

Get a hygrometer (humidity gauge), put it in your safe and see if you really need it. If humidity is below 50% or so, you likely do not. A wipe down with oil/silicone is all you need...You can get a hygrometer for under 10 bucks in the thermometer section at places like Walmart.

 

[Micro]

I live ina very humid area. And I keep my guns in my safe in my garage.

If you keep your guns in your air-conditioned house during the summer and you take them out into hot, humid air, water will almost instantly condense on them (to some degree). This is less likely to happen if they have been in warm air all along.

Humidty is a problem if your firearm is exposed to a rapid temperature change. Avoid that to the extent you can and you will have few issues due to humidity.

I've run into people that swear you shouldn't leave guns in a safe in the garage in humid areas. But I leave my tools, nails, power equipment, etc in the same garage and experience no problems at all with those. And they aren't wiped down with oil like my guns are. In fact, I've never had a corrosion problem with any of my guns that were kept in my safe in my garage, but I have with guns I constantly bring in and out of my house.

 

[postalnut25]

I use silica Gel in my safe as a dehumidifier. I also wipe them down with Rusty's Rags, which put a nice protective layer on my guns.

 

[Ducman69]

Houston is about one of the hottest and most humid major cities in the US, and I have never had a need for a safe dehumidifier. *knock on wood*

Well oiled guns should be highly resistant to rust in the first place, and most people keep their safe indoors where the air-conditioner will ensure that ambient humidity stays around 45% so its a non-issue IMO.

If I were to keep the safe in the garage or something, then by all means.