Good cigars appreciate a humid environment. Guns? Not so much.
Firearms tend to accumulate. Well-maintained firearms tend to accrue value. The single best thing anyone can do to take care of your bangsticks is not to leave them in the bottom of a lake after those unfortunate boating accidents. That goes for damp basements or garages, too.
Prudent People of The Gun will protect against humidity in their safes or residential security containers. This goes double if your safe is kept in a garage or basement where excess humidity is routinely present. Eva-Dry makes a great, energy sipping (22.5 watts) dehumidifier that fits nicely inside your gun safe, keeping your valuables and guns nice and dry.
Not only does the Eva Dry – EDV 1100 gently warm the air a few degrees and circulate it, but it actively removes moisture using thermoelectric cooling and drains it into a self-contained water reservoir.
Standing only about eight inches tall and with a 6×4.5-inch footprint, the EDV 1100 lives up to its petite name and doesn’t take a lot of valuable storage real estate.
I’ve got one and I give its performance two thumbs up. It’s simple to use: Plug in the “wall wart” transformer, then plug the DC power supply into the back of the unit. Supposedly it can remove up to 8 ounces of moisture each day. Inside my safe, which is about the size of a walk-in shower, it takes about two weeks to fill the 16-ounce spill-proof reservoir. If I fail to keep up on pouring out the water, it shuts itself off when the tank reaches capacity.
The unit runs quietly, and the only noise comes from a small fan humming. Mine’s been running for two years straight without any problems or issues.
The street price is about $50.
Protect your firearms investments by keeping humidity at bay. In the winter, the unit takes very little moisture out of the air, but that’s understandable with the dry winter air. Without any humidity, the Eva-Dry doesn’t output any warm air (or take any humidity out of the air). For that reason, during the winter, I still use a Golden Rod, but your mileage may vary.
Get one of these Eva-Dry dehumidifiers. You’ll be glad you did and your guns will appreciate it as well.
The unit works in areas of the home that are up to 1,100 cubic feet. It’s effectiveness is measured in gathering approximately 8 oz. of water per day at 86° F and 80% R.H. Additional specifications of the EDV1100 includes: a power adapter of 9V DC 2.5AMP, power consumption of 22.5W, 16 oz. capacity removable water tank and an automatic water level detector switch to indicate tank is full. The unit measures
Specifications — Eva-Dry EDV-1100:
Size: 6″L x 4 ½”W x 8 ½”H
Weight: 2.8 pounds
Origin: Made in the China
MSRP: About $59.95
Ratings (out of five stars):
Quality * * * * *
It works and works well. Two years plus of running constantly? That’s quality enough for me. (That and I’m new here and don’t know how to do a “half-star”, so I rounded up.)
Ease of use * * * *
I simply plugged it into the power tap as I’d already brought power into my safe for the lights and other stuff. You might have to splice the DC cord or splice an extension cord which might make it a ten minute install instead of a one-minute install, but still, plug it in, turn it on and drain it once in a while. If it drained itself I’d give it five stars.
Function * * * * *
Supposedly the unit will dehumidify 1100 cubic feet of space, but I’m a disbeliever. In a closed space inside a gun safe, with minimal air movement, this unit excels. Pulling out several ounces of water is a significant reduction in relative humidity inside. Even on a miserably humid day outside, when I access my safe, the contents are very dry.
Overall * * * * *
If the thing were made in America, it would be perfect. But I’m not going to let perfect be the enemy of good enough. If you have a safe in a basement, garage or otherwise humid environment, buy one of these. If you’re lucky enough to live in a very arid location, you won’t need it.