Storing comics in non-climate controlled, high humidity region 1 1

[gnat10001]

Hi Everyone.

Apologies if this has been discussed elsewhere but I've searched and haven't found this topic discussed previously.

I've recently moved to Hawaii and have concerns about storing my comics (both raw and slabbed).

My home is like most here in Hawaii and not climate controlled. 

The temperature here doesn't fluctuate much but the humidity here is usually around 70%.

Looking for suggestions on how to best store my comics in this environment.  I have some Eva-Dry devices on the way but that's all the measures I've taken so far.

Thanks for your insight!

[zzutak]

A rechargeable Eva-Dry unit will be very effective in a small space, like a gun safe (I've used 'em for years).  However, even a dozen or more Eva-Dry units will be quickly overwhelmed in Hawaii.  Think about purchasing a highly-rated portable dehumidifier (for at least the room in which you store your valuable ephemera).  I'm not going to recommend a specific rating agency or brand, but I will note that Google is your friend.  Also, speak with the senior staff at your local home improvement stores (as local experience is usually more accurate than any national rating). 

[gnat10001]

I have a small room/closet that has some small storage and the water heater.  I'll see what the humidity level is in that room and see if the Eva-Dry or a portable dehumidifier would be effective in there.  My only concern in the closet would be the lack of air circulation.

[marvelmaniac]

Welcome To The Boards!!!

https://www.ala.org/alcts/sites/ala.org.alcts/files/content/_MeltzerBkmk16.pdf

https://www.loc.gov/preservation/care/comics.html

https://damprid.com/

https://www.choice.com.au/home-and-living/cooling/dehumidifier/articles/does-damprid-really-work#:~:text=Does DampRid work%3F,half a cup of water."

 

[Pantodude]

On 5/7/2023 at 7:40 PM, gnat10001 said:

I have a small room/closet that has some small storage and the water heater.  I'll see what the humidity level is in that room

Howdy!  And welcome to the Boards!    My concern about the water heater, especially in a small room w/ poor air circulation, is that the room might get too warm, particularly with the door closed.  Keep in mind that a dehumidifier will (often) blow out warm air, which could compound the situation particularly on very humid days when the unit might do double duty.  A dehumidifier also produces water (in a pan/tub) that will need to be emptied periodically, perhaps daily with a decent dehumidifier in a very humid environment.  The unit will turn off once the pan is full until emptied, so you want to also make sure the storage location is not one of those "out of sight, out of mind" kind of places, where the unit might remain off for too long w/o you being aware of it.  If your situation allows, it might be best to find a "normal" room, both in size and air flow, and put a dehumidifier there.   If kids/pets/guests are a concern, you could get a dedicated a dedicated, lockable cabinet, etc., in such a room.   

[Dr. Balls]

I, myself, have never had any luck with the absorbing crystals, etc - I've tried three different types and they never seem to work very well in my environment. When we moved this most recent time, we bought two of these for the basement, one of which is a 500 square foot room for my comics. Plug it in, set it at 50% relative humidity and drain the water out of the pan when it tells you to. Simple, and there is no wondering if it's working. You can feel the difference in the air when it's off to when it's on. Great investment for us, we've had them going on three years and still working fine.

https://www.amazon.com/hOmeLabs-Energy-Dehumidifier-Medium-Basements/dp/B073V9MG3Y?th=1

If you're storing your books in a closet, you might consider leaving the door open into the larger room where you would put the dehumidifier. Or, not storing the books in a closet, and keeping them in the main area where the dehumidifier is. Not sure if that's viable, but like mentioned above - between the heat and possible humidity generated by the water heater, I would not store my comics there.

Edited May 9, 2023 by Dr. Balls

[gnat10001]

Thanks everyone for the feedback.  Sounds like the closed closet with water heater isn't the best idea.  If I decide to store it in a bedroom with a dehumidifier, should I keep the windows and door closed with a fan running for circulation(or can I keep the fan off)?  Electricity costs are high here so really only want to regulate the humidity in one room of the house.

[Dick Pontoon]

A fan is a component of a dehumidifier, you shouldn't need an additional fan. I'm pasting this from the interwebs because I'm too lazy to type it out in my own words:

 

How do all these parts fit together to pull moisture from the air? It's fairly simple, but very effective:

1. A fan collects air from the surrounding area and pulls it into the dehumidifier.
2. As the air passes through, it comes into contact with the dehumidifier's cooled coils. These coils use condensation to pull moisture from the air. The collected moisture remains on the coils and drips into the dehumidifier's reservoir.
3. The dehumidifier reheats the air and exhausts it back into the room.

 

You will need to keep the doors and windows closed, though. Otherwise it would be the same as running an air conditioner with open windows and doors - it won't work.

Most dehumidifiers have a readout showing the RH. I would recommend to not rely solely on the one built into the unit but to buy a cheap hygrometer to monitor the humidity as accurately as possible. Something like this:

https://www.hammondhardware.com/p/springfield-digital-humidity-temperature-monitor-071589039354

 

[MAR1979]

On 5/19/2023 at 12:15 AM, gnat10001 said:

Thanks everyone for the feedback.  Sounds like the closed closet with water heater isn't the best idea.  If I decide to store it in a bedroom with a dehumidifier, should I keep the windows and door closed with a fan running for circulation(or can I keep the fan off)?  Electricity costs are high here so really only want to regulate the humidity in one room of the house.

Make note a dehumidfiers wattage consumption can be more than an energy efficient AC. plus you have to empty them.

IMHO look into it deeper an AC may actually be a less expensive and easier way to go.

Congrats on the move, consider me jelly

Edited May 19, 2023 by MAR1979

[gnat10001]

On 5/19/2023 at 10:50 AM, MAR1979 said:

Make note a dehumidfiers wattage consumption can be more than an energy efficient AC. plus you have to empty them.

IMHO look into it deeper an AC may actually be a less expensive and easier way to go.

Congrats on the move, consider me jelly

So I just got a dehumidifier.  I got it set to 40% humidity and so far it's kept the room between 44% and 48%.  Hopefully that is adequate.

I'll be keeping an eye on the energy costs but it appears to run for a few minutes and then shut off so I hope the costs won't be to bad.  Water collection doesn't appear to be bad as well.  Don't mind if I need to drain it every day or two.  Much better option than needing to sell all my comics.  Plus it will reduce the amount of mold that forms on everything else I'm storing in that room.

Thanks everyone for all the feedback.  Hopefully I've got this figured out now!

[Dick Pontoon]

Running only for a few minutes and shutting off doesn't sound right, especially for a humid area. It should run for a while until it reaches your setting, and then shut off. When the RH goes past the setting, it should come on again.