Electronic humidifier

ExpendableYouth

I just ordered an electric humidifier for a new cabinet, and was wondering if I should replace the sponge stuff that comes in it with beads or gel. Anyone have an electric humidifier that they use beads/gel in, and if so what kind did you use; or did you just leave the sponge stuff in it. It is going in a 5000 count trunk humidor, figured I wouldn't have to upgrade again. Thanks for you input.

onestrangeone

Both of my electronics came with gel instead of the sponge, there is a tread on this topic somewhere. I seem to remember reading that there were some issues with the sponge's and it was best to change over to the gel. Congrats on the new humi!

ExpendableYouth

Are yours loose, or did you bag them up in nylon or something?

onestrangeone

ExpendableYouth:

Are yours loose, or did you bag them up in nylon or something?

Loose in the tank, they recommend that I change them once a year, and sent enough extra crystals to do so twice. I haven't done so yet, going on two years now, they are still clear and absorbing the water when I refill it so as long as they are working properly I'm going to leave them alone.

jd50ae

I have had the same gel in some of my humidifiers for well over a year and they are still going strong. Not the round bead types but the broken glass type. They have held up better then the round beads by far.

I do love my electric Excel, which goes for months with out re-filling in my "Foot Locker" humidor. I have adjusted it to 68RH and it is constant with no fluctuation.

ExpendableYouth

In the electric humidifier are you still using the sea foam sponge, or did you replace it with the gel kind. Also what brand are you using?

jarubla

jd50ae:

I have had the same gel in some of my humidifiers for well over a year and they are still going strong. Not the round bead types but the broken glass type. They have held up better then the round beads by far.

I do love my electric Excel, which goes for months with out re-filling in my "Foot Locker" humidor. I have adjusted it to 68RH and it is constant with no fluctuation.

Pardon the thread hijack, but when you mention a footlocker humidor, do you mean in the old army gear sense or in a cedar chest sort of way?

I ask as I inherited an old (1950's per the paperwork in it) lane cedar chest when Grandma passed. Been trying to figure out WTF I am going to do with it (already have another for the linens and such). I am thinking it would be kick *** as a humidor. Hoping you might link me to your build here on CCom (or in a separate thread, or in a PM which of course would be less thread-jackerly).

Oh and hat tip to you humans on the gel swap.

-Jay

jd50ae

Search "Foot Locker Humidor" and it will come up, in Google not the forum.

Eventually I swap out all green foam for gel.

jarubla

Yowza, that looks nice. Hat tip for steering me -Jay

jd50ae

jarubla:

Yowza, that looks nice. Hat tip for steering me -Jay

Every once in awhile they show up on Cbid. Got mine for way less.

jgibv

Put me down as another vote for switching the foam out with gel (beads).

Curtpick sent me an electronic humi-care unit he wasn't using anymore ---- he had already switched out the foam.
Not that gel/beads can't mold --- but they're much less likely to than foam. Foam is just asking for trouble.

This is the type of gel beads that Curtpick installed:

jsnake

I have the Cigar Oasis Excel and 2 regular cartridges. Do they make a gel cartridge or do I need to replace it myself? Anyone know of a link with instructions or a video? Mine works perfectly but it isn't even a year old. I still have one cartridge new in the box. 

Gray4lines

jarubla said:

jd50ae:

I have had the same gel in some of my humidifiers for well over a year and they are still going strong. Not the round bead types but the broken glass type. They have held up better then the round beads by far.

I do love my electric Excel, which goes for months with out re-filling in my "Foot Locker" humidor. I have adjusted it to 68RH and it is constant with no fluctuation.

Pardon the thread hijack, but when you mention a footlocker humidor, do you mean in the old army gear sense or in a cedar chest sort of way?

I ask as I inherited an old (1950's per the paperwork in it) lane cedar chest when Grandma passed. Been trying to figure out WTF I am going to do with it (already have another for the linens and such). I am thinking it would be kick *** as a humidor. Hoping you might link me to your build here on CCom (or in a separate thread, or in a PM which of course would be less thread-jackerly).

Oh and hat tip to you humans on the gel swap.

-Jay

Make sure it's Spanish cedar, and not real cedar used in closets and stuff (sounds like it might be).  The latter is too strong of an aroma. Two completely different woods.

ExpendableYouth

Could you line it with Spanish cedar? Or would the normal cedar still over power? @avengethis

Gray4lines

jsnake said:

I have the Cigar Oasis Excel and 2 regular cartridges. Do they make a gel cartridge or do I need to replace it myself? Anyone know of a link with instructions or a video? Mine works perfectly but it isn't even a year old. I still have one cartridge new in the box. 

I think it's a diy job.  Different humidifiers will open a little differently, but I think it's as easy as popping the case open and ripping out the foam and dumping in a gel or bead.

Gray4lines

ExpendableYouth said:

Could you line it with Spanish cedar? Or would the normal cedar still over power? @avengethis

Good question.  It may just depend on how much cedar smell there is.

I walked into a new shop adjacent to a little convenience store where they just built a little walk in. I swear they used the wrong cedar; my eyes were burning after the first minute or so.  Way too strong of a smell.

jarubla

ExpendableYouth said:

Could you line it with Spanish cedar? Or would the normal cedar still over power? @avengethis ;

Interesting concept. The chest is old as all get out and does not have a scent to it when opened (unless dusty is a scent!). 

These could work for lining the old girl:

http://www.amazon.com/Woodcraft-Woodshop-Cedar-Spanish-16/dp/B0032YUTG6/ref=pd_sim_469_5?ie=UTF8&refRID=0W6FESZKSSXTVTWN9244

-Jay

ExpendableYouth

That looks like it would work pretty well if you cut it to size and used some nice finish nails.

jsnake

So for the gel type beads are you guys just busting open the humicare gel jars? Or can you buy them in bulk?

onestrangeone

jsnake said:

So for the gel type beads are you guys just busting open the humicare gel jars? Or can you buy them in bulk?

It's available in bulk, but if you've got an extra jar your not using, why not

avengethis

ExpendableYouth said:

Could you line it with Spanish cedar? Or would the normal cedar still over power? @avengethis

Uhhh why did you tag me in this?  

ExpendableYouth

I don't know why I did that? 

jimmyv723

avengethis said:

ExpendableYouth said:

Could you line it with Spanish cedar? Or would the normal cedar still over power? @avengethis

Uhhh why did you tag me in this?  

ExpendableYouth said:

I don't know why I did that? 

Looks like someone got into Todd's Zaya stash.

ExpendableYouth

I don't drink rum, I'm allergic.

jarubla

<insert Johnny Depp aka Jack Sparrow> "But why's the rum gone?!?"

jarubla

  

http://youtu.be/ybNPAsjqeco