Safe dry rod/Golden rod question

[valnar]

I bought my safe, bought the dry rod, and now reading how to install it has me a bit worried. Everything I read says it should be a breathable safe, or one with vents. Well, my gun safe is a typical gun safe. There are no vents. The only hole is the electrical access hole.

Is this condition okay to put a humidifier rod in?

 

[rcmodel]

I'd guess unless it has a refrigerator hermetic seal on the door, it is vented.

rc

 

[heeler]

Valnar,it will be fine.
Until there is a fire that makes the temperature rise way up in a room thus having the fireseal(if it has one,which most do)expand around the door,your safe really is not airtight.

Edit to add...What safe/model/size did you get?

 

[valnar]

Small builder in California called Sun Welding. It's a custom sized Pony Express.

I have another question.

Right now the humidity level in my house and my safe is around 35% up here in cold Northern Ohio. *If* the air my safe is relatively dry, is there still a measurable benefit to using a humidifier rod? IOW, should I run it all year 'round regardless?

 

[rcmodel]

No, I sure wouldn't.

Museum quality storage conditions are 50% humidity at 70 degree's.

Less humidity then that can dry out wood and cause shrinkage and cracking over time.

I have an extensive firearms collection, some dating back 50 years.
I keep the humidity in my home +/- 50% year around.
A/C in the summer, and furnace humidifier in the winter.
I use R.I.G. rust inhibitor grease on a piece of sheepskin, and wipe down a gun every time I handle it.
No Golden-rods or desiccant packs have ever been used.

I have never ever had a speck of rust on anything.

rc

 

[heeler]

On another note I live in the balmy gulf coast region of Texas where humidity is rated above 80% plenty of days.
I only use two Eva Dry 500 rechargeable dehumidifiers and It keeps my safe at around 55-60% humidity inside at all times.
No rust issues at all.
It helps I am sure that the safe is in the house that is climate controlled by central air & heat.

 

[valnar]

I have central air too, although the safe is in the basement. Like I said, it's a dry 35% now. I'm wondering if I should even bother putting in the goldenrod.

 

[JohnBT]

A GoldenRod will not lower the humidity all that much. Really, I'm a big a fan. It will keep the contents of the safe about 2*F warmer than the room air and therefore the moisture in the safe won't condense on the guns.

The GR goes on the floor and the air in the safe rises as it's heated. Picture the damp cool room air being pulled around the bottom edges of the door, heated by the GR on the safe floor, and expanding and rising as it's pushed out around the top of the door. Heated air expands, right?

I used to own a digital meter and obsessed over the temp & humidity everyday for about 6 months. That was 15+ years ago. The safe is in an unheated basement and I can just ignore it.

What's a few cents a month to run one year 'round? And the crack around the door is plenty of ventilation. Close the door on a dollar bill and see how easily it slides around.

John