The 5 Best Gun Safe Dehumidifiers

There are over 300 million guns in the United States alone. To secure these guns, many owners use gun safes that are specifically designed to store them. There is a reason why gun safes are extremely important. Guns are highly dangerous items. The ammunition in one can be potentially life threatening and should not be used unless one is in a very bad situation. 

Owning a gun requires a sense of responsibility because these weapons can be dangerous even if stored in a safe. Many of the safes used for gun safety purposes mostly protect the guns from people who could do harm with them. They do not necessarily protect the gun itself. Rather, these safes protect the people around the gun. The safes are used to keep the guns away from small children and prevent gun theft. 

However, if you want the gun you stored in such safes to be functioning properly whenever you take it out, then you need to make sure that the internal conditions of the safe are according to the specifications and materials of the gun itself. Different guns have different requirements. As a gun owner and a gun safe owner, you need to be able to control the environment within your gun safe to ensure that the conditions inside do not render it useless.

Normally, the atmospheric conditions within the gun safes are the same as the conditions outside of it. However, when the safe remains closed for a long time, the conditions inside the gun safe can end up a little different as compared to the ones on the outside. These conditions might not affect the items within the safe much in the short term. However, as time goes by the inner conditions might damage the components of the guns inside since guns are made of sensitive materials.

One of the best ways to safeguard the items stored within the gun safe is to use a gun safe dehumidifier that can help you control the atmospheric conditions within the safe to ensure that your guns do not degrade over time and remain still useful when you need them.

The humidity within the safe can cause significant damage to your gun if it is not controlled properly.

Here we will discuss 5 different types of dehumidifiers that are designed for gun safes and can easily safeguard the integrity of the guns, their ammunition, and the safe itself since long-term degradation can also damage the structure of the safe, which is counterproductive.

LOCKDOWN GoldenRod Dehumidifier Rod 

This is an electrical dehumidifier that can be used to control the conditions inside any gun safe. It uses a 120V power supply and utilizes AC supplies as well. The entire system is designed to remove moisture from the gun safe so that the metals used to make the gun do not corrode or rust under constant pressure in humid conditions. 

It has attachable legs for placement, and its cord can be used to run through the back of the safe. This way, the device can be plugged in from the back, and it can be hidden behind the safe to ensure that the aesthetics of the safe are not compromised. It provides total coverage of 100 cubic feet, which means that a safe with a similar volume will always maintain the correct conditions for the guns inside.

Pros

  • It uses a minimum voltage of 110V to 120V for its primary power source.
  • It is small and can be hidden out of sight to maintain the aesthetics of the gun safe setup.
  • 4 sizes are available so you can choose the one that is appropriate for you to utilize the leftover space in your safe.

Cons

  • The small size compromises the heat dissipation of the dehumidifier. It gets too hot to touch at times.

Dry-Packs 750 Gram Silica Gel Canister Dehumidifier

Often an electric dehumidifier can consume relatively too much electricity. This is where natural substances can be used for the dehumidification of the internal atmosphere of the entire gun safe. These objects are mostly referred to as canisters, given that they look like a can of gas. These cans contain special materials and compounds that are dependent on natural chemical reactions to control the surrounding environment of the safe.

The canister has small pieces of silica gel that keep the moisture out of the gun safe, and it contains a large amount of silica gel, about 75gm in total. It has a built-in indicator that will turn from orange to green to indicate the need for reactivation, which can be done in the oven. Instructions for reactivation can be found on the unit. It is electric-free, uses no cords, and is compact and portable. It ensures that the guns, ammunition, and other sensitive materials inside the gun safe are not damaged in any way.

Pros

  • It is smaller than most electrical dehumidifiers, making it easy to move around when needed.
  • It saves the cost of electricity in the long run.
  • It has an orange indicator that alerts the gun safe owner when the canister is to be reactivated or replaced.
  • A large amount of silica gel is provided, so you won’t have to go out looking for silica gel yourself.

Cons

  • It has to be reactivated for long-term use every time the orange indicator changes colour, and the reactivation process may take some time.

Eva-Dry Wireless Mini Dehumidifier

This best safe dehumidifier takes the canister to the next level. It uses a bunch of silica gel balls inside a container. The silica gel absorbs moisture from the air and it can control the environment inside by reducing the humidity of the gun safe itself. It does this without any spills or leaks whatsoever. This dehumidifier is completely renewable and efficient, absorbing up to 4oz. to 6oz. of moisture from the air. Its design is also small and portable so it can fit anywhere you like. In addition, it requires no cords or batteries. The beads turn from orange to green when it needs reactivation.

Pros

  • It is small and can be fit into even relatively small gun safes.
  • It can remove all moisture from the gun safe without any spills or leaks.
  • It is safe for pets and children to be around as it is non-toxic.
  • It can last 20 to 30 days without the need to reactivate.

Cons

  • It has to be reactivated once the gel has absorbed all moisture that it possibly can.

LOCKDOWN GunSaver Dehumidifier

This gun safe moisture absorber is one of the most effective devices that can be used to remove the moisture from the gun safe without damaging the contents inside. This dehumidifier is an electrical one that uses a 110V to 120V power supply. It can cover an area of up to 200 cubic feet. It comes with a 6-foot long cord that can be routed and hidden, ensuring that the look of the gun safe is not compromised by the cord.

It comes in 18-inch tubes and 12-inch tubes. The different sizes are for the different types of gun safes available to the general consumer.

Pros

  • Removes moisture to ensure that the metal gun safe does not rust from the inside.
  • It comes in different sizes for different sized safes. 
  • It’s good for utilizing the useless space available in the safe.

Cons

  • Electrical dehumidifiers produce heat and can be uncomfortable for some owners to use.

Hornady Reusable Canister Dehumidifier

The problem with electric dehumidifiers is that they cannot be reused. The Hornady Reusable Dehumidifier can be a gun cabinet dehumidifier and uses a canister design that allows it to control the inner atmospheric conditions and ensure that the moisture, rust, or corrosion does not end up ruining the guns and ammunition inside. 

The canister absorbs the moisture using silica gels that are known to be moisture-loving substances since they are primarily used to reduce the humidity of the surrounding environment. This way, your guns do not rust away when they are stored in a gun safe or cabinet for too long.

It has small design so that it can be fit into any gun cabinet. It has crystals inside that change their colour from blue to pink, meaning they cannot absorb more moisture since their capacity is full. This can be countered by simply placing it inside an oven and recharging it until the colour change reverses.

Pros

  • It comes in a small size so it can fit anywhere you like.
  • It doesn’t require electrical equipment or batteries.
  • It’s good for utilizing the useless space available in the safe.

Cons

  • It covers an area of 50 cubic feet, which is lower in comparison to electrical dehumidifiers.

Buying Guide

A few features are necessary for every safe dehumidifier, regardless of whether it is designed for a gun safe or not. A basic dehumidifier that can also be used as a gun safe dehumidifier should have specific features so that it can be used effectively and allow the gun owners to control the environment inside the safe. These features are:

  • It should filter out different air pollutants such as dust particles, dust mites, mold, and mildew.
  • The air pressure should be levelled according to the outside conditions to ensure that the integrity of the safe is not jeopardized. 
  • It should be small so that it could fit within the safe or around it to ensure that it does not intrude with the function of the safe itself.
  • It should have a powerful system that can last for a long time without getting damaged.
  • It should be relatively quiet and not be a disruptive object in your house or other living spaces.

Many types of dehumidifiers can fulfil the above-mentioned requirements and provide extra features to gun safe owners.

These are only the basic features you need to know about before you go on to buy a completely new dehumidifier. A quality dehumidifier must have extra features such as the ability to last a lifetime without the need for a replacement. 

FAQ 

What is silica gel?

Silica gel is a chemical substance that is very good at absorbing moisture from the air. It can be used to control the conditions of the gun safes to ensure that the guns inside do not get damaged so that, when needed, they will function properly.

How do electric dehumidifiers work? 

The electric dehumidifiers work using electrical solutions that absorb moisture and other pollutants in the air. They require constant access to power sources to ensure that the guns inside the gun safe remain rust-free. 

Why does silica gel change its colours?

Silica gel is extremely sensitive, and when it is placed in a moisture-rich environment, it absorbs the moisture. The moisture, in turn, changes the colour of the gel depending on the type of silica configuration used. In most cases, the colour changes from orange to blue, but other colour configurations also exist.

What is meant by reactivating a dehumidifier canister?

Dehumidifier canisters do not use electrical energy. They use chemical substances such as silica gel which absorbs the moisture from the internal atmosphere of the gun safe. This way, most of the guns are free from rust. When the gel is full, it has reached its highest capacity and is now saturated. Then the absorbed moisture is to be removed. This is done by heating the canister inside an oven at approximately 300F to evaporate all the moisture from inside.

Verdict

Even though electrical dehumidifiers are the best performing devices, their reliability is not as high as compared to the silica gel canisters. These canisters use quality silica gel that can last for a long time before needing to be reactivated. All of the above-mentioned dehumidifiers have their benefits and drawbacks, but each of them plays its part in keeping your guns safe.

In the end, as a responsible gun owner, you need to have a dehumidifier for your gun safe to safeguard everything you have kept inside it.