problem with humidity

[onenuttynurse]

I love reading the great tips on this forum. I am from washington and purchased a little humidor, 3 levels, holds approx 75 cigars. So I am thinking, I am a nurse and save lives for a living, i should be able to figure out a simple humidor Right....Wrong.... This is for some friends, and i thought i would set it up for them while they are away. So heres my delima.......I seasoned the humidor, salt tested the analog hygrometer which never has rose about 40%. So i then came back to the forum and purchased a digital hygrometer and tested that one. Reading 60%. So i seasoned the humidor again, did the test again, put the hygrometers in there and have waited a week. Now this is with madeline crystals(70) and a foam charged humidifier as suggested to me by my local cigar shop sitting in the empty humidor. ...However, here we sit,,,humidity is now 61% and has not moved for several days. Temp is around 69-70%. If i even open that door for a second it plumets down to around 50%. I did the dollar test which failed miserably and showed no resistance.....If i though the heartfelt industry crystal would work better than the madeline crystals i would go for that as well, but i am suspicious of the seal........How about weather stripping it. It is going to be sitting out for others to enjoy so i want to make sure it looks nice...

1. Do i start all over from the very start.

2. Send the humidor back as the seal seems to be lacking?

3. Or stick to what i know best, saving lives.........

Any input would be greatly appreciated......

[nhcigarfan]

I look at weather stripping as a last resort for a humi you can't return or have some kind of attachment to.

In this case. I would return it.

Also keep in mind that when it is full of cigars the cigars themselves will help to stabilized RH fluctuations.

But it sounds like the seal is poor and you shouldn't have to fix it.

Try cheaphumidors.com or tampahumidor.com they both sell quality stuff and stand by their products.

Also, there should be a little dial on the back of the analog model. It allows you to calibrate it. Take the madeline product, put it in a zip lock back with the digital and the analog. Then after 24 hours, turn the knob on the analog to match the digital. Now presuming your digital is working right, your analog will now be approximately within the variable range of the digital.

[onenuttynurse]

well i will certainly give it a whirl. The digital hygrometer i got seems a little cheap.Are they all the same. one the back it says it could be off by 5% which seems like a lot to me......Thanks.....

[nhcigarfan]

5% is a lot. 3% Is average. But anything between 60% to 70% is fine so if you can get it to stabilize around 65% you should be good.

[onenuttynurse]

One more thought...When i looked at it from the side...i swear i can see through the hinges. So i went to the sites you suggested and i see they have the exact same one i have.....i am sure its the seal...i am watching the digital hygrometer in the plastic sac with the crystals and it has already bumped up 4 degress which it never did when it was actually in the humidor itself....Thanks for all your help with this matter.......

[Pendaboot]

5% is a lot. 3% Is average. But anything between 60% to 70% is fine so if you can get it to stabilize around 65% you should be good.

My experience is that hygrometers are all off, and many by more than 5% I trust much more in the feel of the cigars inside. Get a hygro you can calibrate and do it with salt or a calibration kit, but then they will vary as the batteries wear down. Best bet, get a tight humidor, then get humidify beads or a cigar oasis.

[DeeDubya]

I attempted to calibrate a digital hygrometer by using the "salt-test" which should yield 75%RH. After 10 hours in the bag it shows only 62%. Is the hygrometer that far off or is the salt-test unreliable?