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what are you guys doing to fight funky stuff on wicks (tetris?)

personal User

personal User

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Aug 26, 2013
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Last spring, I went with an Avallo Humidifier in the new 173 bottle wineador.
 
Everything has been doing quite nicely. Only issues I have had were that it seemed to take longer than I expected for everything to stabilize. I think this was primarily due to the running time of the unit changing as ambient temperature rose.
 
So, now we are in full blown winter mode, temp and humidity is rock solid stable.
 
I took the canisters and wicks out to clean. The wicks have a small amount of what is some type of funky stuff at the top of the wick (tetris?)
 
Avallo says they are coated with an antifungal and normally last 6 months or so. They are $3 each and $5 shipping. Cost is not as much of a concern as practicality is.  That's at most, one or two cigars.
 
Even so, I'm wondering if there is a simple way of removing funky stuff and continuing to use the wicks safely (or if that is a questionable practice). They look great except for the little funky areas around the top.
 
OTOH, I certainly don't want to mess with getting some type of mold or fungus. Too many cigars in there to risk it.
 
Any thoughts?
 
I dunno. I know some folks use bleach but hell, I can taste it.
 
If they are 'funky' I'd replace them.
 
No bleach, no nothing.  Just fresh distilled water.  NOT filtered water, not drinking water.....distilled water.
 
We used to have those wicks in the humidor at the office at my last job, we would just change the damn things when they go "funky".  They don't really operate as efficiently when funky either.  I would just freshen up those pads, wicks or whatever.
 
Thanks for the input, just ordered more.
 
The tetris is only a little bit of discoloration in small amounts along the top edge that normally sticks out the water when full.
 
Just wanted to make sure I stay ahead of the situation and don't let something funky take hold in there.
 
They're cheap enough to toss them and not have any potential concerns.
 
Those things need periodic changing, I hope you ordered a few extra to keep on hand.
 
Also, when you fill them with distilled water, periodically add a shot of Vodka....it's odorless and helps fight the funk. 
 
ironpeddler said:
Those things need periodic changing, I hope you ordered a few extra to keep on hand.
 
Also, when you fill them with distilled water, periodically add a shot of Vodka....it's odorless and helps fight the funk. 
Click to expand...
 
I used to use Everclear, but the damn stuff seemed to keep evaporating between humidifier fills....... :laugh:
 
Resurrecting an oldie, but I found it necessary.

My Aristocrat is outstanding, I love it, and would recommend them to everyone if they can be purchased. Having said that, I have had a lot of mold issues on the wicks. I don't know if maybe mine holds humidity so well that the fans don't kick on often, therefore the distilled water sits stagnant and fosters an environment for moldy wicks, or maybe the airflow just isn't good enough...not sure. My sticks are all good and RH is rock steady all the time.

At any rate, I've had to replace my wicks about every 3 months in order to really prevent it. Recently I started making my own wine at home and through a wine forum I'm a member of, I learned to add vodka to the airlock when bulk aging so that the water in it doesn't mold and creep down into the wine. So I thought....good idea, why don't I do some of that for my wicks in my humidor. So I added about a shot of Kettle One to each reservoir, maybe more....a nice pour.

Here I am 3 months later....no mold issues. So I did a search here and found this thread...don't know how I missed it before. But for me, the vodka works to keep the mold at bay. So I thought I'd chip in on that one in case others have similar issues.
 
Go to Home Depot and buy a sheet of the stuff and cut your own wicks. Cheaper and when you see something you don't like easy to replace.
 
tone-ny said:
Go to Home Depot and buy a sheet of the stuff and cut your own wicks. Cheaper and when you see something you don't like easy to replace.
Click to expand...

I don't guess I knew it was readily available.....what exactly am I looking for?
 
I used to throw in a little Everclear, but I was told by a chemist buddy of mine that you'd have to use so much liquor to kill the mold that it'd stink to high heaven, and outgas relatively quickly. Then you're essentially back to where you started from.

On the recommendation of a trusted friend, I've switched over to using a little colloidal silver in the distilled water. It's the bomb. Never seen the filters last so long, look so clean as time goes on. Solid advice, easy to recommend:

I use nano-silver mixed with my distilled water, and this eliminates any possibility of contracting mold, and keeps the spores from spreading if there is mold introduced to the environment. It is odorless and tasteless, as well as non-toxic...

This will work, 2 ounces per gallon of distilled water. I use it with my aristocrats and my set it and forget it systems, as well as my beads. If I see any mold on recently purchased cigars, I used the same solution to gently wipe down the cigar, it kills any trace of mold...

https://www.amazon.com/Nano-Silver-Colloidal-Ounces-Market/dp/B00DQIEDWY
 
BlindedByScience said:
I used to throw in a little Everclear, but I was told by a chemist buddy of mine that you'd have to use so much liquor to kill the mold that it'd stink to high heaven, and outgas relatively quickly. Then you're essentially back to where you started from.

On the recommendation of a trusted friend, I've switched over to using a little colloidal silver in the distilled water. It's the bomb. Never seen the filters last so long, look so clean as time goes on. Solid advice, easy to recommend:

I use nano-silver mixed with my distilled water, and this eliminates any possibility of contracting mold, and keeps the spores from spreading if there is mold introduced to the environment. It is odorless and tasteless, as well as non-toxic...

This will work, 2 ounces per gallon of distilled water. I use it with my aristocrats and my set it and forget it systems, as well as my beads. If I see any mold on recently purchased cigars, I used the same solution to gently wipe down the cigar, it kills any trace of mold...

https://www.amazon.com/Nano-Silver-Colloidal-Ounces-Market/dp/B00DQIEDWY
Click to expand...

Says that colloidal silver has a metallic taste....any of that transferring? Makes me a tad nervous.

tone-ny said:
You can use this:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Flanders...-in-Hammock-Roll-Case-of-1-HR242402/203143951 or
http://www.homedepot.com/p/24-in-x-...-Air-Filter-Case-of-12-10055-022424/203143742

All you are using it for is as a wick.
Click to expand...

Interesting....I guess just cut to size and wrap around the fan unit......is this what you use?
 
Brickhouse said:
Says that colloidal silver has a metallic taste....any of that transferring? Makes me a tad nervous.
Click to expand...

If you drink the silver right out of the bottle (like some folks do for immune system improvement), yes there's a taste. But 2oz in a gallon....completely tasteless and odorless. I'm telling you, it really works.
 
Hey all, new to the Avallo world. A buddy of mine sold me his custom Triple D. It's got 4 canisters and 2 extra circulation fans. It's cherry wood, with a custom cherry box holding the Accumonitor, which is movable. I have it resting on the top of the unit. The cabinet also has tinted glass in the doors, 4 full pull-out shelves and a full-size pull-out singles shelf.

I had 2 coolidors, so I took every box out and wiped them down with distilled water with a bit of bacteriostat in it, and made sure that none (or relatively few) contaminants got into the new cabinet.

I've done some research now, and I'm currently using silver-infused wicks, which my buddy had. I also read to use some PG in each canister, but Avallo apparently frowns on this, saying it'll create a film on the humidity sensor.

Anybody know what they say about using colloidal silver in the canisters, in solution with the distilled water?

Also, any other tricks to preventing mold? I've never had a cabinet before, and there was some dust/dirt/stuff on some of the boxes lower in my coolers, as well as some stuff I wiped off the cellophane on some older cigars, which were in boxes. No mold smell in my coolers, ever. New cabinet smells strongly of cedar, no off-smells there.

So far I'm loving this cabinet. It was obviously seasoned before I bought it, but I let it sit for 6+ hours at 66% RH (once set up in my house, of course). I also let the temperature even out at 72 degrees before I put cigars in it. I just don't want to risk any contaminants in my whole cigar collection.

-John
 
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