Cooler Advice
ENFIDL
Posts: 5,836 ✭
Ok so I have reached my overflow limit and need more space so instead of getting a cabinet I'm being cheap and going coolerdor. This shall be my first coolerdor. I'm eying a 150qt cooler. With that I am planning on humidifying with cat litter, thanks catfish!. Looking for advice as far as little tips and tricks you guys have found to keep your coolers in tip top condition. Things like should I weather strip the inside lip of the lid? Is at 150qt too big? How much litter? How should I store said litter? Do I need a fan(s)? etc
Sorry for so many questions I just want to do this right. Appreciate all the help!
Sorry for so many questions I just want to do this right. Appreciate all the help!
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Comments
Just found one of my Humi at 60....Thinking the same thing.
They're so good that I'd suggest you open it at least 1/week to get some fresh air in. LOL Check out heartfelt's bead calculator ... http://heartfeltindustries.com/calculator.asp ... that's a good place to start, you can probably use less though --- and using more won't hurt. Panty hose or tupperware/cigar boxes without lids work well. Will you be opening it often and rotating the cigars (1/month or more?) If not, yes get fans.
But, FWIW - I open mine up and "rearrange" about once/month and haven't had a problem. I think as long as you're opening the lid to get in "fresh air" and are rotating the boxes with relation to your humidity sources, you'll be fine.
* I have a new address as of 3/24/18 *
Hey E glad that back and around ..... I missed you ...... Maybe not as much as Carlos but I still missed you. If you want to speed the plastic smell removal up go and buy a news paper ...... Ball a bunch of it up and fill the cooler .... Use regular newspaper not the colored adds ...... This will completely remove all odors ..... Works great on old smelly shoes too throw some paper in the shoes and a then into a box and some more paper and after a day or so all lingering odors are gone.
first pic is me putting in my beads. Notice how I place my beads evenly along the perimeter. I also took some duct tape and covered up the drain area. you can try to find a drain plug but you don't need to. tape will do just fine. For the beads I used a combo of mesh bags (lots use pantyhose) and tupperwares. I just cut my toenails. do you like it?
Next is a pic of the finished product. notice I have cedar sheets lined up against the inner walls. I do that as cedar sheets help with regulating humidity. you will also notice I have a fan in there. it's entirely optional. some believe a fan will help more evenly distribute humidity. i disagree as I have tested the humidity in all areas of the cooler without using a fan. I wasted money and bought a fan a few months ago so i figure might as well use it b/c I can't use it on myself. do you like my wood floor?
I know the litter you're using is "odorless".....but those blue-greenies in there made me nervous, which is why I went with Ultra Pet Cat Litter Pearls (Original) Crystal Clear, the 7-Pound Package.
Another thing I noticed was with the larger, all plastic coolers, (anything over 70qt) from Igloo or Coleman, the QC on production/manufacturing falls a bit short. Not all lids "fit" the same.
I checked many, and some had good seals all around (the dollar test) while others had a bad side, or two, with some others even worse, all within the same brand/size configuration.
A gasket does really help to tighten up any air gaps.
Old cigar boxes is a great way to organize your singles/fivers, etc., and get some spanish cedar in there to help with RH regulation.
Finally, use the Heartfelt calculator to determine how many pounds of beads you "need", and then double that amount. There are dozens of ways to store the beads. Having a lot in there helps bring the RH back quickly after you left it open for a few minutes trying to dig out that My Father No. 4 you had buried in there.....