Question about temp and lowering humidity

[hawkan2580]

I made this cabinet:http://galleries.cigarweekly.com/hawkan2580/album01

Not the best of all jobs but I am a beginner in wood working..I have also done some cosmetic improvements since the pics . The outside wood is a hardwood called silky oak and inside, it's totally clad in spanish cedar with drawers etc made of spanish cedar... doors and lid also have weather strip to seal properly and all hardware is solid brass..
I am running an Cigar Oasis+ in this one (running is hardly the case as it doesn't have to work much at all)

Here in OZ we get really hot and humid summers (I am in the tropical region..) hot enough that aircons for the rooms only take the edge off.. not cool things down to desired cigar storage temperatures.. (62-65f..) the humidity level in the air is nearly always higher than what I want for the cigars (around 70-80% is fairly common in 3 out of 4 seasoms) the only time the cigar oasis actually realy kicks in is if I have left the door shut for extended periods ( a few days or more) or if we are in winter....

Question: Is there a good way of getting a temperature control installed
and is there humidity controll devices that can handle removing excess humidity in a controllable way that would be able to run side by side with the cigar oasis or is the oasis something that I should give up on??

Thanks mates, I would appreciate any suggestion on temp and humidity recommendation

 

[Viper139]

You may be a good candidate for a wine cooler converted to a humidor. The coolers generally take alot of the moisture out of the inside of the cabinet. Then the cooler will take out the excess and the humidifier will work better at putting it back at the right level. Just a thought.

 

[hawkan2580]

You may be a good candidate for a wine cooler converted to a humidor. The coolers generally take alot of the moisture out of the inside of the cabinet. Then the cooler will take out the excess and the humidifier will work better at putting it back at the right level. Just a thought.

Yea, I thought about that but didn't like the huge humidity fluxuation as soon as they go on and off. I am not fanatic about humidity or temp levels.. I am experienced enough to know that fluxuations of a few degrees over a day or five isn't going to make much of a difference as the cedar and leaf etc will function as a buffer.. cigars hold their own humidity and won't change as rapidly as the air.. just didn't like the thought of constantly changing the humidity up and down with about 5% everytime the cooler element goes on.... Also I haven't found a wine frige here that goes high enough in temp.. they are all set too cold and would have to work their ass off to keep that cool.. hence drying out the air a lot.. not just adjusting a little.. but I am open to ideas if anyone knows how to wire up the thermostate so it goes a bit higher than what they originally were supposed to go...

 

[Viper139]

As far as higher temps go that is easy. Plug the cooler int an external thermostat. They can be set much higher. The example I have attached goes up to 80 degrees.

http://www.homebrewers.com/product/500326

 

[gonz]

Hawkan,
Thats a fine looking humidor ya got there. Being full, it should keep pretty stable for you.

I've decided that along with your book, i'm sending you a pound of the crystals i use. Since i'm sending a box down there anyhow. These things, when slightly moistened, do a nice job of sucking out excess moisture, down to about 64% where it stops.

You won't need more than a few ounces in that cabinet, as far as my experiences with these goes... a few teaspoons, when fully moistened, grow quite huge. You'll see. I just hope i can get it to you quickly.

 

[RonC]

You could install a thermoelectric cooling unit inyour cabinet. Be warned they are expensive, and you would also have to insultate the inside of your cabinet. I did that to an Aristocrat cabinet. It works very well. I have some interior photos of cooled cabinets on my site. www.cigarsolutions.com. Look at the cooled 1200 and cooled 2000.

 

[gonz]

I used to mess around with pelts for overclocking computers...
I found they were more trouble than they were worth, considering condensation and power consumption. If i had the electrical background to build power supplies it would possibly be another story.

It's good advice regardless, but i think i'd personally leave it to a professional for installation.

 

[RonC]

I agree. I had the good fortune of buying a complete kit-cooling unit, power supply, temperature control-at a reasonable price, with very good instructions. The actual installation in the cabinet was very easy, and i am not considered handy with tools. The electrocics are the issue, but i had a pro to help me out on that.

 

[Jwrussell]

Hawkan, nice job bro! :smt023
That is one chock full cabinet! Turn that one box around though, that warning on the box is just a turn off! :lol:

So you've looked at the Haier Wine coolers? I thought they cooled down around 65 or so and with Climmax I had heard that the fluctuations were very minor. Need to page Solo...I know this is how he keeps his and he's down in Miami...somewhat like where you are in climate I would guess.

 

[solomr2]

I have a similar problem down nere in S. Florida, hot and humid 90% of the year. But with AC running most of the time my ambient RH in the house is usually in the 40's.

Anyway, long story short I bought a Haier wine cellar 3 or so years ago and converted it to a huidor. Now my smokes sit in 65/65 year round. There are some fluctuations now and then, especially when the weather changes drastically as it has in the past week - cold and damp, but otherwise the rest of the year they are fine and the cigars smoke better than ever.

 

[tubaman]

I'm just throwing this idea out, but what about using a dehumidifier in the room you have your humi in? Maybe that would help stabilize your humidor. Anyone ever try this??