Humidor Troubleshooting

[wrz0170]

That's all I did. I am a complete newbie but read online when I got my humi last week. I wiped down the walls with a paper towel with distilled water, since I didn't have a sponge, added a pretty big vat of distilled water, my 70% RH tall humidipuck, and digital hygro. It went up to about 78% in this configuration, after like 20 hours. I removed the vat of water, and left the humidipuck charged and in overnight, woke up and it was at 74%. Put in my cigars and by that night it was at about 71%. The next day was at 70%, and now is at 68-69%, right where I want it. I'm still keeping an eye on it to make sure it stays at 68-69% and doesn't drop much lower.

I decided to wait three days for a steady reading. It hovered around 66-65% for the past 24hrs, so I took out the shot glass to see if the humi-puck can handle it on it's own and the RH jumped up to 64% fairly quickly. Far cry than the 56-57% readings I was getting. I will give it a day to see if it can remain at this level.

I am pretty sure I did not season it properly. User error.

 

[wrz0170]

Ok. Unfortunately, now I am scratching my head. I need to figure out what I am doing wrong.

As stated earlier, I attempted to re-season my humidor. Put the sticks in a temp coolerdor.

• wiped down walls with distilled water, carefully
• Charged humdi-puck and placed shot glass of water
• Waited 3 days, RH rose to a high of 67, then steadied between 64~65
• waited one day while at the steady RH of 64~65
• Took out shot glass

I had the humi open for about 5 minutes while I recharged the Humdi-puck. Naturally the RH dipped in the low 50s. I put the puck back in and it rose to 64. I figured I was ok because it steadily rose.

I went to work and now it has steadily dropped where it is at 59.
I checked the beads in the puck and most of them are clear with a few white ones.

My first inclination was that I have a defective humi, but if I did, the RH would've dropped earlier.

Maybe I didn't wait long enough for the steady reading?

 

[ORVW]

I have had exactly the same sort of troubles you are describing and also tried re-seasoning my desktop humidor.

Try taking the tray out of the humidor and see what happens. I did this last week and all of a sudden my humidity stabilized and stayed up.

My guess is that the tray somehow interfere's with the air distribution and allows the dryer air to get trapped above the tray while the more humid air stays lower in the humidor. I know it doesn't make alot of sense but it's worth a try.

What was happening to me was that every 3 or 4 days my humidity would drop slowly from around 65% (64 - 67 ) down to the lower 60's ( 61 - 62ish) and I would wet the humidification device (credo) with distilled water until it would raise to just under 70. This would take a couple of days. Iwould then remove the credo and hope that the beads would do their thing. But every time within a few days the humidity would drop again. I was ready to buy a new humidor but decided to try and remove the tray and see if it made a differnce.

So far so good. My humidity stabilized and has not budged since

 

[wrz0170]

I have had exactly the same sort of troubles you are describing and also tried re-seasoning my desktop humidor.

Try taking the tray out of the humidor and see what happens. I did this last week and all of a sudden my humidity stabilized and stayed up.

My guess is that the tray somehow interfere's with the air distribution and allows the dryer air to get trapped above the tray while the more humid air stays lower in the humidor. I know it doesn't make alot of sense but it's worth a try.

What was happening to me was that every 3 or 4 days my humidity would drop slowly from around 65% (64 - 67 ) down to the lower 60's ( 61 - 62ish) and I would wet the humidification device (credo) with distilled water until it would raise to just under 70. This would take a couple of days. Iwould then remove the credo and hope that the beads would do their thing. But every time within a few days the humidity would drop again. I was ready to buy a new humidor but decided to try and remove the tray and see if it made a differnce.

So far so good. My humidity stabilized and has not budged since

Thanks! The last go around, I seasoned it for 5 days and actually shot past the rating of the humidipuck. This was due in part that I put a bowl of water in the lower half and a bowl in the upper. It hovered around 73rh. Made sure the puck was charged, took one bowl out and left it there for a couple of days, with the sticks in. It was steady. I took that one out, now it's in the low 60s. One of three things I can only figure:

1. as you suggested, air flow with the tray
2. cigars are soaking it up
3. defective humidor somehow, but it's not leaking

I may put a bowl back in so the cigars have a chance to get some of that
moisture.

It's being a stubborn bastard, but then again, so am I