Having trouble with Whynter humidor
Scrappyfish
Posts: 6 ✭
in Cigar 101
I just got the 1.5cu ft Whynter humidor 2 weeks ago . I can’t get the humidity below 75. I wiped all the wood down with distilled water as per instruction . Plugged it in let it run for the last week with no heartfelt beads and not water in pan the humidity is 75 . I have not put any cigars in it yet . I checked my humidity gauges with the salt method . They are correct . Even went to Lowe’s and got a different one all reading 75. Anybody have any ideas or solutions.
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Just for fun, answer me this; how did you become convinced that a wineador was the thing to have?
To answer you other question . I needed a bigger humidor , I wanted something that was easy to maintain. My cousin has one that he keeps at our office . He likes his and has no problems with it . So I figured I would try it .
I nearly full humidor is more stable than a nearly empty one.
If you look at the bottom rear you will see a drain hole, you can plug it and see if it makes a difference. I plug mine and haven't had any issues. The only time you don't want to plug the hole is if you see moisture developing inside. Also, do not run the coolidor with a tray of water, that's for seasoning only. Use Boveda packs if you can, or if you prefer use unscented kitty litter or lastly, heartfelt or gel beads. After you add cigars and fill it up you ought to see a change in RH and it will take days to weeks to fully level out. Also try a cooler setting, you will find that temperature will affect the RH value to some extent. I generally use a 66F setting with Boveda on every level and maintain a stable 67-69RH at all times, with it bouncing back after being opened within a couple minutes.
And check your warranty. If you can't get it settled, get a refund or exchange ASAP because coolidor units can be defective from the manufacturer. As a last resort if you can't do that or if it just isn't financially feasible, you can replace the circuit control board relatively cheap, if you know a little bit of soldering and have an hour to spend. You can search the website (from the Whynter sales rep) for replacement parts here: https://ambientstores.com/refrigeration-bar/wine-coolers/
I had mine plugged for a while in my wine fridge, but did see moisture developing so I unplugged the drain hole and put a pack of Heartfelt beads at the bottom to absorb any moisture. This resolved the issue.
https://forum.cigar.com/discussion/3027/the-newbie-welcoming-thread
I am have the opposite problem I Seasoned the humidor and I have six Bovina pads 72% humidity and I have a Cigar Oasis +3.0 and I cannot get it above 60% humidity temperature reads 67° and I have three digital hygrometers plus a Bluetooth Bóveda hygrometer and they cannot go higher than 60% humidity I have about 350 cigars in the wind the door made by Whynter please help
You're mixing an active humidification device with the passive Boveda, and although this can work in certain cases, try to keep in mind that the Boveda will absorb excess moisture and the Cigar Oasis will constantly output moisture. Your settings on the C/O humidifier may be too low or too high, and your Boveda may still be absorbing until they are bloated. It's not a good process to mix the two. Stick with one or the other, have patience, and get it stable. I recommend that you get a solid tupperware item and keep your cigars in there only with Boveda until you can stabilize the Whynter.
Edit - I want to add that you have about 300 cigars. It takes three times as long to humidify cigars than the time it takes for them to lose moisture. By getting the cigars stable at your target 69% before introducing them to your Whynter is critical. I do not recommend using 72% Boveda in NY State.
Also, place the active humidification device at the bottom of the Whynter, it's how they are designed and it will circulate the humidity best from the bottom.
Good luck.
I've got the Whynter CHC-251S and I have the opposite problem. This is supposedly a 400 Cigar capacity cooler. I bought 5 of the 84% RH Boveda 320g packs to season it. You're supposed to take out your cigars and leave the Boveda in the humidor for 2 weeks. I noticed that when the cooler is plugged in and cooling, my humidity won't go up past 55-56% RH. I have to unplug the unit for it to go near 77% (for seasoning). I tried plugging the drain holes underneath the interior fan and on the back of the unit that leads to the drip tray and it makes no difference at all. It's frustrating, especially since the ambient RH in the room is about 60%! Assuming this unit ever finishes seasoning using the Boveda method, there's no way I'm keeping my cubans in there if it won't keep the humidity at least at 69%. If anyone has any insight, I'd greatly appreciate it.
My only other alternative at this point for temperature/humidity regulation, other than shelling out $1,525 for a Redford Lite (overkill I think), would be to use it only as a cooler and keep my cigars in tupperware with the smaller Boveda 69% packs individually.
Have you been able to get your humidity up? If so, how?
Again, 70% is just too high. Rethink your strategy if you want to have success. Also, drawer placement will determine how well humidity migrates inside. This is my Whynter CHC251S, and I keep it well below 68RH at all times, and as close to 65RH as possible.
I also do no panic if the humidity changes slightly, I ride it out and it self regulates. I use Boveda 65's and occasionally will pop in some gel beads along side in the cold season to boost it a bit. Don't sweat the small stuff, it just works this way. If you are always trying to maintain 70RH+ and worried about 1 tick, you're just wasting your damn time.
I don't even have a hydrometer in my winedors. Just 69% bovedas and a bunch of them.
-- Winston Churchill
"LET'S GO FRANCIS" Peter
I have cooler, some crap made wooden humidors boxes and enough bovedas to turn Arizona into the Amazon.
I just ordered 5 more of the 320g Boveda 84% RH packs. I'm thinking perhaps the 5 I already have in there are simply not enough to counteract the humidity loss from the cooling system in such a large unit. Maybe with a total of 10 packs, I can finally see some decent humidity in the cooler. I'll keep everyone posted.
^^^Julio, remember that these units are not like a refrigerator where the cooling system directly affects humidity levels. On the wine cooler, if humidity is affected it is only indirectly as a function of the temperature change.
I thought somebody mentioned you're supposed to use the water tray the unit comes with to season and follow the...instructions. Hrm, anyway I seasoned my Whynter in about an hour maybe less because there's nothing to season aside from a few shelves and a couple drawers. Spraying them down very lightly with distilled water and wiping with a sponge took care of that, then after a few minutes I just popped them into the unit with the tray of water at the bottom, closed the door and plugged it in. Not long after, I added my cigars which were at proper humidity already, took out the tray of water, added Boveda, and went to bed.
Also, I don't like popcorn, the smell of it gives me a headache. Why do I mention it, you may ask? Because it has absolutely nothing to do with anything important at all.
That's the important thing I did learn from Peter a few years ago when I was starting out.....The r in rh stands for "Relative" to temperature....The hotter the temp - the more humidity and the colder - the less humidity.
https://science.howstuffworks.com/nature/climate-weather/atmospheric/question651.htm
Man looks like you're running low brother!
there is a 3rd to the left of those that is slap full also. 1st world problems
-- Winston Churchill
"LET'S GO FRANCIS" Peter
Suuuuure
I’m having the same temp/humidity problem. Whynter 251S and a Cigar Oasis Excel 3.0. Can’t get the humidity down. Lowering the temp reduces the humidity level but now I’m at 59 degrees and humidity is still at 74%.
I think those cigar Oasis things are more for humidors and cabinets than for things that seal tightly like coolers and wineadors. Try pulling it out and just using boveda packs.
Trapped in the People's Communist Republic of Massachusetts.
And why did you choose to forgo Boveda?