Tower humidor humidification

[mncigarman]

Hi everyone,

Just opened my account here on Botl today! I have been smoking now for 10+ years and have out grown all of my past humidors and finally decided to go for a tower! It should arrive sometime next week. I have looked at many posts regarding humidification and still need some input. I am thinking I will probably do a combination of beads (Heartfelt or HCM) and active humidification. There are three active humidification systems I am looking at: Cigar Oasis Magna (the one that should be released any day now), Avallo Accumonitor, and the Staeball.

The Avallo and Staeball ar quite a bit more expensive than the Cigar Oasis. Being as though I am using beads also is it really worth going with the Avallo or Staeball? I have a Cigar Oasis Ultra in another humi of mine and seem to be fairly happy with it.

I really want to get this right THE FIRST TIME so if anyone has any ideas please comment away.

 

[StogieNinja]

Welcome! Please shoot over to the new member section and post an intro, so we can get to know a little about you! Also add an avatar

I don't have enough experience with large-scale storage, but everyone I know says to go with Staeball.

 

[rdomfoto]

Welcome! Please shoot over to the new member section and post an intro, so we can get to know a little about you! Also add an avatar

I don't have enough experience with large-scale storage yet, so I need a lot of cigars to suddenly land in my mail box .

Welcome! Definitely introduce yourself - you'll find a wealth of information here.

Oh, and Ninja, I fixed that for you.

 

[Clint]

Yes...post up an intro when you have a moment!

My Accumonitor has been flawless for several years, and the customer service is top notch.

 

[mdwest]

no personal experience with accumonitor or staeball.. but I have never heard anyone complain about either...

I currently run an Oasis XL and a Hydra SM in my tower.. if you google, youll see quite a few mixed reviews.. the lower cost active systems like these either seem to be loved or hated.. Ive seen several reports of them lasting a year or so then completely falling apart, etc..etc. and seen an equal number of reports of guys saying they have been running them for several years with no problems..

personally.. I am super happy with my units..

 

[javajunkie]

personally.. I am super happy with my units..

it's good that you can give yourself validation, dave. Ladies love confidence. And diphallic terrata.

 

[StogieNinja]

Dave has multiple "units"? I suppose that does explain a few things...

 

[mdwest]

like a penicorn lol....

 

[mncigarman]

Hi Everyone. I will get over to the intro section later tonight and introduce myself. does anyone know how many HF or HCM beads I will need to use (my humi is 23w X 17.5d X 72h). I assume that since I am only using them for the purpose of absorbing excess moisture (humi is in the basement) I will not need as many as I would if I were trying to achieve two way humidification. Is this correct?

 

[USHOG]

If I was to go to an active humidity system or had a need for it I would use the Avallo Accumonitor. It is a very nice versatile humidity system , My problem is to high of humidity here in Texas with a foam insulated house so I can not use active humidity devices I use Heartfelt humidity beads. My humidor has 36 cubic feet and I use 10 pounds of 65% beads spread through out my humidor. I haven't had to mess with them since last winter and the humidity has remained 67%. I had to get rid of extra water last winter out of the beads as they had soaked up so much water over the previous year. This year they look half white and half clear so I do not think I will have to mess with them at all.

 

[xFreebirdx]

Hi Everyone. I will get over to the intro section later tonight and introduce myself. does anyone know how many HF or HCM beads I will need to use (my humi is 23w X 17.5d X 72h). I assume that since I am only using them for the purpose of absorbing excess moisture (humi is in the basement) I will not need as many as I would if I were trying to achieve two way humidification. Is this correct?

Heartfelt has a calculator to figure out how many beads you'll need.

http://www.heartfeltindustries.com/calculator.asp


.

 

[NCost]

I'd go w/ the accumonitor. Mine has been running flawless for 2+ years now, only ever needs water.

 

[equetefue]

I had an Oasis before and it was inconsistent and crapped out on me after a year or so. Got the Staebell Set and Forget and is great. Has worked flawlessly.

 

[Colbyhuston]

Yes It has multiple units

 

[mncigarman]

Hi everyone, so i had somewhat decided on the HCM beads because of the ammonia absorbing properties. However, I thought of this potential flaw. If HCM beads set their RH to the surrounding environment and my sole purpose for the beads is to absorb any excess humidity (being as though my humidor is in the basement). Maybe I should purchase the heartfelt beads instead since they have a set rH level that doesn't change with the surroundings. Or am I wrong in thinking that if the humidity rises in the humidor and the HCM beads absorb that excess the rH of the HCM beads will be sightly higher than it was prior to the increase?

Sorry for the clumsy wording of the scenario. Hopefully you can understand what i am saying.

 

[sofc]

why is your basement more humid than 70 degrees?

HCM works well. I don't like Heartfelt as much although I have no valid scientific reasoning behind it.
Kitty litter works well enough also.

If it really is that humid regularly, I'm thinking your wood will be damaged if you leave it in the basement.

 

[mncigarman]

why is your basement more humid than 70 degrees?

HCM works well. I don't like Heartfelt as much although I have no valid scientific reasoning behind it.
Kitty litter works well enough also.

If it really is that humid regularly, I'm thinking your wood will be damaged if you leave it in the basement.

According to the chart I attached the average annual relative humidity in Minnesota (where i live) is about 70%. Assuming the chart is correct and also assuming that winter is much drier than summer and that a basement generally is more humid than the rest of the house; I assumed that there would be a good probability that there may be a good opportunity during the summer months that the RH of the basement may be above 65% RH for a some what extended time.



I figured spending Aprox $150 to help protect my $$$$ cigar investment might not be a bad idea... Am I wrong? Should I just use the Auccumonitor that I have on its way and call it good?

 

[NCost]

those numbers are almost spot on with Toledo and I only use my Accumonitor set at 65% year round.

 

[mdwest]

Here's a question (hopefully someone understands the science... I dont..)...

Why foam in the Oasis/Hyra/Humi-Care type systems at all?

Foam only presents a one direction option (you can add RH.. but its not going to absorb "extra" RH or bring humidity down..

And foam is obviously a mold/mildew magnet...

So why not pull all the foam out.. and just fill the tank with DW?

 

[NCost]

One reason is the foam holds water and to raise RH the more surface area that is wet the better. So as you water level gets low there is more foam exposed to the air that is wet, helping w/ RH.
I've never seen moldy foam except when regular tap water was used.