So I got some of those metal containers of silica desiccants for use in my safe and where most of my collection is stored. The ones that I got are for something like 3 cubic feet, and they have the little see through window that lets you know when to re-charge them. Question is, how long do they usually last between recharge? Seems to me that they are turning pink like every other week maybe even less...is that normal??
A lot of safes aren't the driest places to store a coin . They let new air in so in answer to your question , do as the directions state , heat them at 300 degrees for a few hours as often as needed . I'd even put a few extra ones in . I have 3 of the same kind in about a square foot Intercept Shield box , and I recharge them about every other week .
I've had one 3 cubic ft one in a 1.8 cubic ft safe and have recharged it once in about 9 months (it's about due according to the little window.
I bought a metal box. It has a silicone seal and hasps that I can tighten to get a snugger, or looser, fit on that silicone snake. It was a former military ordnance storage box (with its own moisture indicator window!), and it originally sold at Sportsman's Guide for 130 bucks about 10 years ago, but I bought it off of a guy on Craigslist for 50 bucks. I WAS going to buy an aluminum one made for military medical kits, but I couldn't find one. This one is perfect, and it's bigger. I keep three desiccant cylinders in it, and I find that I need to recharge them about once every three months.
It will depend on the humidity in your air as to the frequency of recharging the units. You can get it in bulk loose or in cotton bags and dry them out in the mirco wave.
Guess its just the air then. I have one in the safe and one in the area of the safe. I've had to recharge them twice so far and they are already due for a recharge.
WHY NOT GET A SAFE ELECTRICAL DRYER THAT PLUGS IN TO 115V, BUT IT WILL DEPEND ON THE SIZE OF SAFE YOU HAVE. MIDWAY SALES THEM. I HAVE ONE IN MY SAFE, AND HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS FOR OVER 10 YEARS. I DO NO USE ANY DESICCANTS.
When you say "in the area of the safe" what exactly do you mean ? If you mean you are keeping 1 pack outside the safe but near it, then that pack isn't going to do any good for what is inside the safe. It will merely absorb humidity from the all air in your home. According to your profile you live in NJ and the average indoor humidity in NJ over the course of a year is about 70%, so of course it would need recharged very often. As for the one you have inside the safe, what kind of safe, what brand is it ? Is it a Sentry ? I'm asking because that may be part of the problem.
Have it in a closet and I have 2 in the closet 1 in the safe, and yes it is a Sentry. Other stuff outside of safe so thinking it helps a little with that. Maybe I'll just put all 3 in the safe on next recharge...
The safe itself is your problem. Sentry safes are well known for having excessive moisture issues. Sentry even has a warning about it on their web site. You need to get your coins out of the safe and get a different one to keep your coins in.
Some safes have a very small holes, in the bottom or one large one at the very top. The one at the top. The top one is for lifting the safe into hard to get places, and has a screw plug to seal, when not in use.You can feed the electrical line through the hole, and use some clay or sealer to close the open that's left, but that can be removed later. You can use the bottom ones, but these are used to anchor the safe in place. The dryer is placed on the inside of the safe.
