Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/05/05

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Subject: [Leica] Ideal Humidity for storage - or - it ain't the heat, it's the humidity.
From: r.s.taylor at comcast.net (Richard S. Taylor)
Date: Fri May 5 08:01:25 2006
References: <82c9dd70605050548k2a8f2196j607e0cbcce22ba6f@mail.gmail.com> <445B617C.2040704@hemenway.com> <82c9dd70605050743p4b988703k78e3ad7f2db499f@mail.gmail.com>

Living in Eastern MA, I feel your pain.  :-)   I'm suspicious of any 
kind of chemical solution because the interactions between the drying 
materials and film, optical coatings, etc. are not always as well 
known as I'd like them to be.

My solution is the dehumidifier.  I have a room in my basement I can 
close off.  The dehumidifier keeps it below 50% relative humidity all 
year around.  The slides I've had down there for about 30 years now 
still look just fine.

Before the dehumidifier, the room was a mold farm.  ;-)

Dick
Boston MA


>That did cross my ming - I was wondering if those sealable containers de-gas
>and can damage our oh-so precious german glass?
>
>good memory about the Western Mass thing.
>Eric
>
>
>On 5/5/06, Jim Hemenway <Jim@hemenway.com> wrote:
>>
>>Eric:
>>
>>Ouch, Western Massachusetts in July...
>>
>>I don't think that the humidifier will work well for you because you'll
>>need to close the windows in that room for it to be effective, and then
>>you'll be too hot with the windows closed.
>>
>>Why not get one of those large Tupperware type containers with a lid
>>which seals well.  Get some silica gel, put it in your oven to be sure
>>that it's dried out and store it with your sealed gear.
>>
>>Jim
>>
>>Eric Korenman wrote:
>>
>>>  Like a nice little OCD leica user, I am concerned about where I am
>>keeping
>>>  my cameras.
>>>  The correct answer, of course, is strapped from your next and in use :)
>>>
>>>  But I have gear I don't often use. In our our old house we were blessed
>>>  with
>>>  a cool dry basement which I would peak at 50% humidity during the
>>summer.
>>>  Our new basement is a swamp..
>>>  I currently keep my gear on the 3d floor.
>>>  Up there in my home office, it is getting warmer and warmer and the
>>>  humidity
>>>  is climbing.
>>>  I may have to install a dehumidifier.
>>>
>>>  Questions: What is the ideal humidity to store equipment? Or, what
>>humidity
>>>  level should I try to maintain?
>>>
>>>  We do not use AC. We like open windows. But I could install a
>>dehumidifier
>>>  in my home office.
>>>
>>>  Eric
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>>_______________________________________________
>>Leica Users Group.
>>See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>>
>
>_______________________________________________
>Leica Users Group.
>See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information



In reply to: Message from faneuil at gmail.com (Eric Korenman) ([Leica] Ideal Humidity for storage - or - it ain't the heat, it's the humidity.)
Message from Jim at hemenway.com (Jim Hemenway) ([Leica] Ideal Humidity for storage - or - it ain't the heat, it's the humidity.)
Message from faneuil at gmail.com (Eric Korenman) ([Leica] Ideal Humidity for storage - or - it ain't the heat, it's the humidity.)