Humidity Problem with Beads
I started a 70 quart coolerador a few months ago. It has a thermo-electric cooling unit which is plugged into a temperature control unit. It uses a fan both inside and outside. It is full of boxes, but all of the boxes ore not full. I put 1 1/2 pounds of 65% Heartfelt beads in two bags. It was working fine.
The last time I added water to the beads was April 15. Lately, the RH is running over 70%. I swiched hygrometers and it reads the same with the different one.
I had been planning to switch to 60% beads, anyway, and so did. I added 3/4 ounce of distilled water to each 3/4 pound bag of beads per the directions. The temperature was running about 66*, so I adjusted it up a little. This was yesterday, around 9 am.
I checked it this morning and it's still running over 70%. While the humidity outside is in the mid 80s, it's only about 60% inside the house.
Should I take a hair dryer to the bags of beads? If so, how long do I use it? Till the beads are opaque? Any advice is appreciated. I'm starting to panic a little.
The Saga Continues (for me, anyway)
So, I did what Kevin suggested and let the coolerador air out for about four days. Ambient RH in my house in the low 60s.
Closed it back up and waited a few days before checking it. Back up around 73%.
So, I got frustrated, turned it off, took every box out and opened them up to the room air. Still low 60s. I left them this way for four days. I even laid out the two 3/4 pound bags of beads.
I put it back together again and closed it up and turned it on. Waited a full seven days before checking it. 73% again.
I started to think maybe Heartfelt had mistakenly sent me 70% beads instead of 60% and emailed to ask. No response.
So, I figured if they were 70% beads and I put my 65% beads back in, it should show some change. Three days and still 73%.
F-----g frustrating. Meanwhile my desktop rolls along right at 60%.
The beads do not look wet. They're almost all opaque. So, I was wondering. Are they not working maybe because they need to be a little damp to work? Sort of the way a chamois needs to be damp to dry your car?
Or are the beads overwhelmed and need a hair dryer-ing?
Is it possible the cooling unit is causing a problem? Although everything worked fine for a couple of months.
Help me, please...(grown man breaks down and sobs with face in hands, shaking uncontrolably).....