How important is climate control in a reloading room?

[rskent]

We have some decent temperature and humidity swings here in Florida. My shop is connected to the house but is not connected to the house AC. I just use a wall banger when I am out there. I store powders out there once they are open. I have lesser used powders that have been out there for years.I have never had any go noticeably bad. I store any unopened powders and primers in the AC.

That being said I have noticed weight changes and inconsistent powder drops with humidity changes. Most of my 223 reloading is done on dedicated tools so my powder drop for 223 never really changes. At one time I was check weighing every load. I would go out, set things up and all my drops would be off one way or the other. So after going down the am I measuring weight or volume rabbit hole. I figured it out. So now if its hot and humid outside I just turn on the wall banger a few hours before I go out to load. I have been doing that for several years now and it seems to help quite a bit. Much more consistent.

 

[bluetopper]

I live in northeast Texas and my reloading room is attached to the garage and I have large trees surrounding it and it's in the shade all day. I keep all my reloading supplies in there, powders, primers, everything. It's heated or cooled only when I'm out there reloading. I have a window unit A/C in the wall and a propane heater inside. I have had no problems with anything.

 

[doubleh]

My reloading room is a well insulated room on one end of my garage. I have seen it from -10 degrees F to 114 degrees here. There is powder and primers from the '70s in there that is still good. I finally put in a window air conditioner two years ago that only gets used when it's really hot and my only heat is a little cataylic heater that's used when a coat isn't really enough. From my experience climate control isn't a big deal and powder and primers are very robust.

 

[Rule3]

I also have a good size shed, framed to current Hurricane code. But it is just aluminum siding. No interior walls or insulation. I just use it as a garden and lawn equipment storage, My powder primers and equipment is in the climate controlled house A/C

In your situation heating or cooling without doing the inside is big waste of money. Any heat or cooling will just leak right out.

You need to insulate walls and ceiling and have interior walls. Probably the floor also. Depending on if it is on slab or it is raised off the ground,

Otherwise rust is your enemy as far as metal equipment, powder can withstand cold but not heat,

 

[lauderdale]

Let me add timers save me some bank$$. I have both wall/floor units for air. Window(1+1 back up and 2 floor. well insulated 16x34 shop W/fans on timers when needed also for aeration/heat. To keep a comfortable temp. year round. Yep 6 scales and the gem pro gets put back as air currents must b off when in use. Good thread! And am down SO. If u insulate make sure moisture don't get behind before u panel. That's not good!.

 

[Nanook]

My loading stuff is in my attached garage. Primers, powder, all stored out there all the time.

I heat it in the winter, and I have an AC out there during the summer, but only run it when I'm out there. Lately, I've been out there quite a bit, since my workshop is also out there.

No problems and it's been around 16 years now. I used to have one of those wall hanging vent free heaters with a fan, but replaced that with a Modine Hot Dawg hanging from the ceiling. It's on a thermostat.

The AC is a window unit, 12000 BTUs. You can hang meat out there when it's on high. LOL

Winters and summers are both brutal in northern IL usually. Hot and humid summers, brutally cold and dry winters. You need a humidifier in winter, and could use a dehumidifier in the summer without AC.