gun safe humidity?

[foxtail207]

I just got my first gun safe and I am wondering what the humidity level should be to keep the guns in the best reasonable environment.

I live in CO and humidity is pretty low and my safe is in a dry basement.

Is humidity below 30 percent adequate? Or, do I need to add means to lower that?

I would assume that 30 percent or less would be adequate, but I want to be sure.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

Under 50 is good.

 

[rcmodel]

70 degrees at 50% humidity is museum quality according to the NRA.

Any lower then that and you risk stock wood shrinkage & checking.

rc

 

[utbrowningman]

Don't know the optimum humidity level but I'd be conerned about safe in the basement. Flood from rain/snow melt, water main break, or water heater failure.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

Gotta a sump pump for those hazards and insurance.

 

[brickeyee]

Temperature excursions leading to condensation are the bigger problem.

Lower humidity helps, but only goes so far if the temperature swings are large enough

 

[foxtail207]

Thanks. I am at 8800 ft. Elevation, so no floods. My basement stays at 45 deg in winter and no more than 65 deg in summer, with very slow changes.

I am thinking of adding a good desiccant or a heater rod... Any pros or cons for either?

BTW ... The humidity in the basement today is about 27, and 47 deg. Temp.

 

[btg3]

The safe should not be thermally shunted to a concrete floor.

Condensation will not occur above the dew point, but most folks use humidity as an approximation.

 

[foxtail207]

Explain please ... "should not be thermally shunted to a concrete floor".

 

[matrem]

I think he means directly contacting? (Not exactly terrible if other precautions are heeded.
Anyway,
I use a heater rod and even though my guns see 70%ish in the summer, as long as inside the safe is warmer than outside, I believe you're fine.

 

[foxtail207]

What would you use to keep the safe off the concrete floor? A rubber mat, or ???

 

[matrem]

Air space, such as 4x4s or steel channel would be far better than a mat.

 

[btg3]

Rubber mat and steel channel would be good thermal conductors, so look elsewhere.
Wood is a good choice.

 

[Ehtereon11B]

My gun safe hovers between 50 and 60% humidity depending on the season. No huge problems with rust but still plan on putting in a Goldenrod for good measure. Plan on putting a thermometer in there as well to compare internal and external dew points.

 

[Flyboy73]

My safe is in the basement. Found some rust, while using a rechargeable dehumidifier unit. Switched to a golden rod and haven't had a issue since.

Brion

 

[brickeyee]

Goldenrods are just a low power heater.


A 25 W bulb in the safe and left on all the time would do as well.

All you need is to keep things warmer than the air to prevent condensation.

 

[GBExpat]

OP, although it sounds like you do not have a moisture issue ...

Be aware that the goldenrod/heater approach does not remove moisture from the air. It increases the capacity of the air in the safe to hold moisture (Relative Humidity) by warming it.

In addition, when you open the safe door and cooler, moister air swirls in, you will not have the potential condensation problems that you would if the little heater were not in the gunsafe.

I use easily rechargeable desiccant units and rod heaters in my two gunsafes. I like to keep the RH no more than 55% (worst case). I also have a small fan in each gunsafe to maintain some air movement since one or both may periodically experience long periods with their doors closed.

Since my basement can suffer from a high RH in summer despite my portable dehumidifier, I also used some self-adhesive foam to seal the doors so that they do not share the basement air. Once I did that I found that I had solved a brief RH Issue that I had during one particularly damp summer a few years back.

 

[berettaprofessor]

The safe should not be thermally shunted to a concrete floor.

I'm a little dense so please explain this to me like I'm a 4th grader. Do you have some evidence other than your own beliefs that dropping the temperature in the face of constant humidity makes rust quicker to form? Because where I was taught, the rate of chemical reactions decreases in concert with temperature decrease.

And a rubber mat is actually a decent thermal insulator.

 

[franconialocal]

For my gun safe I picked up a refillable can of dehumidifier flakes (usually for your closet) They are cheap, last about 4 months or so, and very easy to "use." I haven't checked what the actual % humidity is, but I've been storing my firearms this way for several years now. I also have a little plug in stick heater but I've never used it. Not a spot of rust anywhere even after months of storage. Just an inexpensive idea. -CF

 

[btg3]

...dropping the temperature in the face of constant humidity makes rust quicker to form

You said that, not me.

the rate of chemical reactions decreases in concert with temperature decrease

True. The rate of chemical reactions decrease with temperature. (whether or not in a concert ) Is your expectation that the basement in question would be cold enough to eliminate the formation of rust? Really?

Okay, a rubber mat can be a decent thermal insulator, but...
1. Don't confuse rubber with foam.
2. If the rubber is dense, it will conduct better.
3. The weight of the safe, likely will compress the mat, making it dense.

My apologies, if any of the above exceeds the requested 4th grade comprehension level.

 

[snuffy]

Camphor.

Or more specifically oil of camphor.

Here's how it works. Put a chunk of solid camphor in your safe, unwrap it first so it is exposed to the air inside. The camphor slowly evaporates, it takes several months for a good sized chunk to disappear. What it does is coat EVERYTHING in the safe with a layer of camphor oil. It's a natural rust preventative.

My dad used some in his imperfectly sealed gun cabinet. He never had a spot of rust on any of his guns. Dad told a friend about camphor's abilities, he had a solid silver serving set in a glass display case. The wife had him constantly polishing it to keep it shiny. Dad gave him a lump of camphor
to put in the case. No more tarnish!

Look for the camphor chunks in a drug store. If you can't find it there, amazon is your friend. That's where I got mine.

Best part is; every time you open the safe, you get a pleasant whiff of camphor. If you DON'T then it's time to renew the camphor lump.
.

 

[JohnBT]

"I also used some self-adhesive foam to seal the doors so that they do not share the basement air. "

That completely defeats a GoldenRod by stopping air circulation. Read the GoldenRod FAQ - that's why the GR goes on the floor, so as the heated air rises it draws air in around the bottom of the door and then pushes it out the top. They recommend a vent on top the safe or closet, etc., but the crack around the safe door will do.

Trust me, I've had a safe in a wet unfinished basement for 15 years. But read the info on the GR site for yourself.

I gave up on dessicants (used along with a GR) after a few weeks because I had to recharge both large containers every 3 or 4 days. Water leaks through the house's 14-inch brick walls from time to time, which just adds to our usual high humidity.

John

 

[berettaprofessor]

You said that, not me

If it is not temperature decrease, then WHY is it bad rust-wise to have the safe on a cement floor....or separated only by some thermal conductive substance?You have never explained why it is bad, you just made a statement that I don't know any of evidence or reasoning to support.

 

[Ehtereon11B]

The stock lining of my safe was terrible when I first got it. Almost a kilogram of silica dessicant later it was still hovering around 80% humidity and the barrels on a few of my long guns were getting rust spots. I added 1/8" weather stripping foam around the lining and the humidity dropped to 52% within 48 hours. Reduce air circulation yes but I have alot less rust.

 

[GBExpat]

That completely defeats a GoldenRod by stopping air circulation.

The GoldenRod company may think that it defeats their stated purpose, but does not defeat my stated purpose. It adds a bit of heat to the inside of the safe.

It increases the capacity of the air in the safe to hold moisture (Relative Humidity) by warming it.

In addition, when you open the safe door and cooler, moister air swirls in, you will not have the potential condensation problems that you would if the little heater were not in the gunsafe.

Y'see, I do not want to draw in outside cooler humid air, I want to warm the air and contents inside of the gunsafe. As I mentioned, before I sealed those doors during that very humid summer period, the RH inside my gunsafes was out of control. Sealing them allowed my goldenrod-type heaters & desiccant units to correct and then maintain a proper inside environment.

I gave up on desiccants (used along with a GR) after a few weeks because I had to recharge both large containers every 3 or 4 days.

If your door was sealed as I suggested, your GR-induced outside2inside convection current probably would not have drawn in all of the moisture with the outside air that then maxed out your desiccants so quickly. I experienced that same issue just prior to sealing my gunsafe doors ... because my desiccant units were sucking up moisture from all of that high RH air being drawn in.