[AK47]

Hey guys,

I'm having a bit of a problem with my humidor. I have a nice 100 count humidor. For a while, I've had about 50 cigars at a time in it. I also have the Oasis XL in the humidor. Recently, I've been going a bit nuts on cigarbid.com and have amassed quite a collection.

Now here's the problem: my humidor isn't holding its humidity. Before, the Oasis XL used to run for a few minutes at a time then shut off when it automatically detects 70 degrees humidity. Now it runs 24/7. I even have a couple humi pillows and a crystal gel humi jar inside as well, and it's still not holding humidity. What gives?

Also, I bought a dozen Boveda packs to see if those will work too.

 

[CigarNut]

That seems like a lot of humidification for a 100 count humidor. I have a couple of bags of beads in my 300 count that work fine.

I would do the following:

• Check the accuracy of your hygrometer. This may seem like a no-brainer, but many hygrometers are not accurate, or if they start out accurate they lose accuracy over time as the battery ages. You can use the salt test or buy a Boveda Calibration kit. This is really a must! If your hygro is not accurate pick up one that is.
• Once you have an accurate hygrometer, put the hygro in your humidor and leave it there, checking it periodically and writing down the RH. If the RH is dropping (or rising) with the ambient RH of your room, then I would check the humidor for leaks.

At this point I would put the cigars in a ziplock or tupperware container until the problem is solved. If you are worried about the RH you can throw a Boveda pack in with them.

If your humidor does not have glass you can try the flashlight test to check for leaks. Put a flashlight in your humi, turned on, humi closed, and check for any light getting through. Anywhere you see light is a leak and needs to be sealed.

To check for leaks in a humidor with glass put your humidor in a plastic bag, seal it up, and again check the hygrometer periodically to see if the RH is constant. Do this for at least 24 hours. If the RH is not constant, then you need to decide if you want to repair your humidor (not as hard as it sounds) or get a new one.

Repairing the humidor depends upon the humi itself. If you have glass the seal around the glass can weaken over time. You can reseal it with some silicone or similar sealant -- you need to remove your cigars for several days while sealing and then airing it out.

Sometimes the wood around the hinges can crack and you can seal that up with glue or putty.

The seal around the lid may also loosen up. You can fix that in a number of ways: masking tape, weatherstripping, etc.

There are also BOTLs out there who will repair humis too. It all depends on your ability and desire.

Good luck and keep us posted!