If you have your firearms stored in a gun safe at home, you have acted responsibly and as instructed by the law. Although your weapons might be out of reach of unwanted persons; but how about moisture? Guns and its accessories are mostly made of metal and metals are susceptible to corrosion. In order to avoid losing the whole content of your safe, you’ll have to take an extra step to ensure the inside is dry at all times. One common misconception amongst people is the fact that they feel rust is caused by water only. You have to be aware that humid air due to heat or the likes is also capable of causing corrosion in metals, and since your safe is closed about 99% of its total lifetime, moist air is likely to be within it. This is where dehumidifiers come in.
You must have heard of silica gel before, found mostly in new shoes or enclosed packaging. What they do is to absorb the humidity within the shoe ensuring that it is dry at all times there by boosting its shelf life. Dehumidifiers work in the same way but in an advanced fashion. While silica gel only adsorbs the moisture content within the air surrounding it; dehumidifiers suck it in, remove the moisture within the air and blows the dry air back into the room. The water molecules (moisture) absorbed from the air are deposited into a collection tank which can be emptied when full. So you can now see how important a dehumidifier can be to your vault and its contents. Most products require AC power to work although some do not. The right gun safe humidifier to be purchased depends on whether or not, your safe is designed to provide electricity.
Now that you know why you need a dehumidifier in your gun safe, you are probably thinking of the right brand to patronize. Well, there are several out there with various features you can benefit from but it all boils down to cost. You can go ahead and purchase any one of your choice as long as you’ll not feel you are paying too much for a small device. You can find three top gun safe dehumidifier reviews below.
Stack-On SPAD 1500
Stack-On is a popular brand when it comes to the manufacture of gun safes and its accessories. Their SPAD 1500 dehumidifiers happen to be one of the best in the market due to several reasons. The first is the fact that it is rechargeable and cordless. Since they know the device will most likely be used in a safe, and most of them do not come with electricity outlets, they thought it wise to make the product cordless and rechargeable. Another interesting point to note is the fact that the device is capable of working continuously for 6 weeks on one full night of charge. With the humidity gauge situated right at the front of the dehumidifier, you can easily find out its battery life and when to recharge.
Having the capacity to adsorb moisture out of the air 100 feet away from itself, Stack-on SPAD 1500 can be used not just in enclosed boxes, but also in wide areas such as, within a room or a big shelf. This is really incredible for a device that works on battery. Other devices may be able to work as far as 100 feet but their battery life would most likely be unable to last as long as Stack-on’s SPAD. Just one dehumidifier should be okay for your safe but for those who live in climate regions where relative humidity is higher, using two dehumidifiers together within the safe would definitely solve the moisture problem leaving it dry for as long as the battery lasts. Stack-on SPAD 1500 is definitely one of the best, so we recommend to go out there and purchase one!
The Lockdown Dehumidifier Rod
If for some reason you decide Stack-on SPAD 1500 is not for you, then there is another good option. The Lockdown Dehumidifier Rod is 18 inches in length and a popular brand among experts but before you decide to go for it, there are some important information you should know about. The Lockdown Rod works quite differently from other products in the sense that it doesn’t suck in air and blow out; what it does is simply to regulate the temperature within an enclosed area. By keeping the temperature within any enclosed area at an ideal range, it is possible to prevent moisture from building within as relative humidity will be at normal levels. The Lockdown Dehumidifier has quite a good number of advantages compared to others in the market and some of these advantages include:
Simplicity
The device is not just simple, it is also very effective. It is also designed to get hot when needed but not as much as being able to cause fire. Effective in the sense, that the enclosed area within your safe would be at ideal temperature levels throughout the whole time the rod is within. Simple in the sense that it works just like plug and play devices on computers; no need for adjustments.
Easy installation
If you have electricity outlets available, you should probably have no problems going with the Lockdown Rod because you literally have nothing to install. All you have to do is to plug the cord into the outlet and hang the rod on a hook. If however, your safe doesn’t come with electricity outlet within, you’ll need to do a basic installation which involves drilling a small hole where the cord would be passed inside. Depending on the brand of safe you have, the mounting holes can also be used.
Complete satisfaction
The efficacy of the Lockdown Gun Safe Dehumidifier Rod can never be underestimated as can be seen on their review page at Amazon.com. A lot of customers are happy because the rod does its job very well keeping enclosed areas at ideal temperatures to avoid moisture. There’s a high probability that you’ll also be happy after making your purchase and seeing that it actually works.
Cannon SGD57 Silica Gel Dehumidifier
The Cannon SGD57 works in similar fashion to the traditional silica gel desiccant found in most newly purchased products. All it does is simply to suck out moisture from the air surrounding it leaving it dry. Having the capacity to suck out moisture within 57 feet of space, it is ideal for your gun safe and other enclosed areas.
The main feature is its ability to prevent condensation – caused by high humidity levels – on your gun. By keeping your guns free from condensation at all times you prolong thr lifetime and it’ll therefore be able to serve you whenever you need it.
Another feature worth considering is the fact that it has an indicator system signalling you when the silica gel is saturated, meaning that the system needs to be reactivated. In order to reactivate it, all you need to do is dry it in an oven. This enables you to use it again thereby providing you with a lifetime usage. The device is quite simple to operate just like the other two discussed above so it all depends on your preference; what you think works best for you.
Although Cannon SGD57 silica gel dehumidifier‘s working area is not as wide as Stack-on’s SPAD, 57 cu feet is still a large area especially when you make comparisons with other models. This feature makes it ideal for not just your gun safe and other enclosed areas, but also for your rooms keeping the air dry and free from humidity. You could purchase several units and place them in each room within your house thereby protecting your important documents and metals within the house.
Conclusion
From the above information, you can easily see the importance of maintaining dry air within an enclosed area especially when you have important stuff there. Moisture has the capability of destroying a lot of items quite slowly, and although metals are mainly affected, other important objects can also be affected. At times you can visibly see mucor growing on affected items such as papers, woods, walls, plastics and others; with time, they damage the item. Remember that there is every possibility you don’t open your safe in a very long while especially if you don’t use your gun frequently, moisture could easily begin to damage it leaving you with no option but to purchase a new one. Rather than wasting that cash purchasing what you already had, simply take out a fraction and purchase one of the three humidifiers discussed above so that your safe can be free from moisture.
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