If you keep your gun safe in a humid area and don’t use a gun safe dehumidifier, you risk having excess moisture in the air rust your valuable guns. You might find that adding a little silica to your safe is not enough because it gets waterlogged too fast. In that case, it is time to find a good gun safe dehumidifier. This is a very modest investment in a product that can keep your guns dry and protect your investment.
How Do Electric Gun Safe Dehumidifiers Work?
An electric gun safe dehumidifier might be a good solution if you have to store your safe in an area that is very damp or has no other temperature control. For example, many people use these when they keep their safes in the basement or on a porch.
Of course, not all products that are advertised as gun safe dehumidifiers work exactly the same way. But some good ones actually warm up, so they are several degrees hotter than the ambient temperature. This warms up the air around the dehumidifier and inside the safe. The warm air expands, and it forces moisture outside the same and into the surroundings.
What Else Do You Need To Use Your Electric Gun Safe Dehumidifier?
Some factors that will determine your best choice of a gun safe dehumidifier will be the type of safe that you have, the outside environment, access to electricity, and how many guns you have to store. Before you start shopping for a product, think about factors that might impact your choice.
Now you understand that these warming units work because they force moisture outside of the safe. This means there has to be some ventilation inside the safe. Some safes have small vents, and other safes have doors that do not fit very tightly. If your safe is airtight, this type of solution might not be the right one for you.
Some of these dehumidifiers are powered by electricity, so you have to have some way to run the cord to an outlet too. If you only have a tiny hole, you need to have a way to disconnect the large end of your cord to get it through the hole too. Otherwise, you might have to clip off the cord and install a new one, and that will probably be more trouble than it is worth.
Of course, you can also purchase wireless units with rechargeable batteries. This saves you from having to worry about pulling a cord through a tiny home, but you have to remember to keep the battery charged or it won’t do you much good.
Additionally, remember that these units may get hot. It would be best if you had a clear area to set your unit on, so it does not touch the walls or any of the items inside your gun safe.
Also, consider the size of your safe when you are looking for the right unit. Some popular models are long rods, but some are compact square units. The right choice really depends upon the size of your safe and the number of guns you store.
How Much Do These Products Cost?
There are some different solutions that you can try, and your choice will impact the price. You can buy some good products that will do the job in the average gun safe for about $25 to $30 online. This includes electric models with cords and with rechargeable batteries. If you own hundreds or even thousand dollars worth of guns, this is a pretty modest investment to make to keep them dry and in good condition.
If you choose to use a desiccant instead of an electric unit, your initial investment might be a lot lower. You can usually find boxes of this product online for under $10. Just remember that this might not be a long-term solution. If you have to replace the desiccant often, you might end up spending more than you would have spent on an electric unit in a fairly short time. Sometimes, desiccants might last for several months, but in very humid areas, you might have to change them every few weeks.
Should You Invest In A Dehumidifier For Your Gun Safe?
If you have concerns about storing your weapons in a very humid area, an electric or battery-powered unit can help keep your guns dry. This means you will not risk rust or mold. However, if you have a really bad problem with the humidity around the safe, you should know that an inside unit might not protect the outside walls of the safe that much. You might still have problems with rust or mold on the external surfaces.
One solution might be be to purchase a larger dehumidifier to keep the air around your safe dry. This will be more expensive, but it might be the only good answer if you suffer from really bad humidity.