Hi folks,
Nutshell: I can't seem to get the humidity down in my Aristocrat Mxt 26.5 armoire humidor. I need some help/advice from the jungle. Please read on.
Background & additional information: I bought this beautiful baby in July, got it home and allowed it to stabilize before placing cigars in it, and currently have it at about 50% full. My house was built in the 40s and has fairly poor insulation and windows, but because I'm only leasing I can't make improvements there. The armoire is in an east-facing room that receives shade much of the day. I keep the house cool in the winter/warm during the summer for the sake of reasonable utility bills. The Mxt is insulated, and has three cooling units installed. I have not, repeat, NOT put any water in the humidiers since I brought the puppy home.
Specific problem: I've not been able to establish and maintain a desired RH of 62-64. Since I got the thing home, and regardless of major weather changes and different house thermostat settings, it's always over 70 RH, often going as high as 75 RH. The temp stays fairly steady at 63-65. When I bump the temp up, the RH comes down a little but not enough for me to be comfortable about avoiding a beetle outbreak.
Strategies I've employed to date:
*3 lbs of 65% beads from Heartfelt (no effect)
*Small then large containers of Damp-rid silica products (no effect--this was Bob Staebell's last suggestion, so yes, I've consulted him on this problem)
*I've even gone so far as to air the humi out with doors open, trays extended on particularly dry days when the house ambient RH is in the 30s or 40s for a couple hours at a time (produces a temporary effect that's erased the moment the ambient house RH gets back up to where it normally is, around 60 RH).
Options I'm considering:
*Shooting myself
*Electric dehumidifier installed inside the Aristocrat such as the one listed here
Do any fellow Aristocrat owners have a problem similar to mine, and if so, what have you done to solve this high-RH problem? I'm at the end of my rope, relatively speaking, and really need some fresh thinking.
Nutshell: I can't seem to get the humidity down in my Aristocrat Mxt 26.5 armoire humidor. I need some help/advice from the jungle. Please read on.
Background & additional information: I bought this beautiful baby in July, got it home and allowed it to stabilize before placing cigars in it, and currently have it at about 50% full. My house was built in the 40s and has fairly poor insulation and windows, but because I'm only leasing I can't make improvements there. The armoire is in an east-facing room that receives shade much of the day. I keep the house cool in the winter/warm during the summer for the sake of reasonable utility bills. The Mxt is insulated, and has three cooling units installed. I have not, repeat, NOT put any water in the humidiers since I brought the puppy home.
Specific problem: I've not been able to establish and maintain a desired RH of 62-64. Since I got the thing home, and regardless of major weather changes and different house thermostat settings, it's always over 70 RH, often going as high as 75 RH. The temp stays fairly steady at 63-65. When I bump the temp up, the RH comes down a little but not enough for me to be comfortable about avoiding a beetle outbreak.
Strategies I've employed to date:
*3 lbs of 65% beads from Heartfelt (no effect)
*Small then large containers of Damp-rid silica products (no effect--this was Bob Staebell's last suggestion, so yes, I've consulted him on this problem)
*I've even gone so far as to air the humi out with doors open, trays extended on particularly dry days when the house ambient RH is in the 30s or 40s for a couple hours at a time (produces a temporary effect that's erased the moment the ambient house RH gets back up to where it normally is, around 60 RH).
Options I'm considering:
*Shooting myself
*Electric dehumidifier installed inside the Aristocrat such as the one listed here
Do any fellow Aristocrat owners have a problem similar to mine, and if so, what have you done to solve this high-RH problem? I'm at the end of my rope, relatively speaking, and really need some fresh thinking.