SILICA GEL vs GRANULE DEHUMIDIFIER: The Real Score

[g_girl143]

I want to know the real score sa SILICA GEL vs GRANULE DEHUMIDIFIER


I have both but initially, I used the Granule Dehumidifer type called Moist Guard. It absorbs moisture WAAAAAAY faster than the silica gel and I needed it coz my room is so humid with the weather lately, it's crazy.


But when I read that Calcium Chloride, one of the ingredients of Moist Guard can cause corrosion to the equipment, I'm panicking now





FYI, I already got my hygrometer at this point, so total expenditure is P914.75 (the hyrgometer cost me P240)


So can anyone tell me the real score between the SILICA GEL and the GRANULE DEHUMIDIFIER? I'd get the rechargeable one, pero ang hirap humanp nun dito sa Cebu. Swerte na nga ako't nakahanap ng hygrometer sa National Bookstore eh

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[pitbull]

just buy the rechargeable type specifically used for cameras and electronics
they are not expensive anyways

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[edison88sia]

There is a chance that the chemicals in the container will spill out if it topples over. It will be very corrosive to your gears.

Secondly, these chemicals may make the environment too dry and the rubber may become brittle with time due to lack of moisture.

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[aperture66]

i just use that Granule Dehumidifer inside my room but never inside a drybox..
try contacting JT photo http://bit.ly/Kie4AD for the rechargeable type maybe they can deliver one for you there in cebu. i bought mine around 400 pesos few years back.

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[g_girl143]

Thanks for your quick responses guys!


I have a few problems with the alternatives though.


Silica Gel absorbs too slowly for me and my room is very humid.


I think I will have to order from DP Online store (thanks much for the referral) but from what a fellow Cebuano reviewed, it absorbs at an average rate and he had to replace the gels once every 2 days, which wad tedious. I'm starting to think though that he got the wrong brand.


The Granule kind seems to work the best, with humidity levels going down in mere minutes. But yeah, it does have a tendency to be overly dry, which was why I opted for the box to be slightly open.


I don't know. A dry cabinet is too expensive for me, but I think I'm just going to add another plastic or bubble wrap around the canister of my dehumidifier. I got a reply from someone that as long as the liquid doesn't get to the equipment, it's all good....


to quote:

Calcium chloride is a type of salt, and yes salt is pretty corrosive, but only when in solution in water and in contact with certain metals.I'm no chemist, but I believe that the salt won't permeate into the rest of the bag. The packaging should be enough to keep the salt in place and away from your equipment.

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[timsam]

Hi g_girl. I've been using granules for 3 years now.  I also asked a chemical engineer whose company imports industrial chemicals and he promises that there's no truth to the fallacy that calcium chloride emits fumes that can damage cameras.  However, the liquid that gathers at the bottom of the container CAN be corrosive and damage camera gear so I just check on it from time to time to make sure that I throw away any excess liquid, wash out the containers very well and dry them thoroughly before refilling with granules and reusing.

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[jfrs]

Hi g_girl. I've been using granules for 3 years now.  I also asked a chemical engineer whose company imports industrial chemicals and he promises that there's no truth to the fallacy that calcium chloride emits fumes that can damage cameras.  However, the liquid that gathers at the bottom of the container CAN be corrosive and damage camera gear so I just check on it from time to time to make sure that I throw away any excess liquid, wash out the containers very well and dry them thoroughly before refilling with granules and reusing.

Thanks alot for info

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[aperture66]

hi, i think the issue with Granule Dehumidifier, though it works faster than silica gel. In the long run, because its too dry (20% RH level)  the lubrication of your body and lens will dry up and might cause problems in the future. I suggest maintaining at at 40% to 50% RH level.

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[g_girl143]

Hi g_girl. I've been using granules for 3 years now.  I also asked a chemical engineer whose company imports industrial chemicals and he promises that there's no truth to the fallacy that calcium chloride emits fumes that can damage cameras.  However, the liquid that gathers at the bottom of the container CAN be corrosive and damage camera gear so I just check on it from time to time to make sure that I throw away any excess liquid, wash out the containers very well and dry them thoroughly before refilling with granules and reusing.

Awesome!!! Finally an answer fro someone who's used this for a while, thank you thank you!


Right now, my granules are starting to turn to liquid but not to the point of there being a pool of water at the bottom of the canister. As a precaution, I went ahead and put the canister in its own plastic covering, then put a double ply of toilet paper on the semi permeable fiber on the top before putting the plastic on again. I find that this slows the drying process remarkably. I went to sleep with a 50-60% humidity rate and woke up to a 40% rate of humidity.

hi, i think the issue with Granule Dehumidifier, though it works faster than silica gel. In the long run, because its too dry (20% RH level)  the lubrication of your body and lens will dry up and might cause problems in the future. I suggest maintaining at at 40% to 50% RH level.

Yup, I'm quite vigilant about maintaining this. I'm just not so sure about my hygrometer though. I think I'll spend a lot more on that one, since I got mine cheap and I'm not so sure if I did the calibrating process well.

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[tejadster]

bakit hindi nalang bumili ng 7k worth na dry cabinet for your gears na worth 100k++

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[g_girl143]

bakit hindi nalang bumili ng 7k worth na dry cabinet for your gears na worth 100k++

Uhm....hehehe, no offense, pero I wouldn't be doing a DIY dry box if I could afford P100K worth of gears. If I had that kind of money, of course I'd go for the 7, maybe 10K dry cabinet.


Taking things slow lang muna, studyante pa kasi, pero this is going to be a career path Maybe not as a full-time photographer, but as part of the advertising and publishing world

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[timsam]

Hahaha. I know what you mean but what I don't like about a dry cabinet is it doesn't work when there's no electricity.  Plus, gaskets and seals to worry about unlike a Lock-And-Lock with just one gasket.

bakit hindi nalang bumili ng 7k worth na dry cabinet for your gears na worth 100k++

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[ment]

Shouldn't be a problem .....

If you use the camera most of the time or from time to time then prolonged storage of gear inside a very dehumidified container is not going to be an issue i guess, kasi from time to time na mo moisten mo naman sa gamit dahil sa humidity ng environment layman thinking lang ako po so pls take this post with a grain of salt.

hygrometer is a good addition that i haven't purchased though

NOTE : I would suggest this container is for room storage of camera and lenses only. and not for transport of gears. Camera bags should be used for that purpose instead put something in between to support and  avoid toppling the dehumidifier.

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[krx]

I use silica gel and it works for me.  My cameras and lenses are used full time so not a biggie.  But when the new lenses arrive, I would like to get me a dry cabinet.   

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[krx]

I just remembered, a photographer based in Baguio once shared a make-shift dry cabinet he made from an old wooden cabinet and a 10 watt light bulb and it worked for him as I remember.

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