What's the lowest humidity you can get using silica gel?

[GriGri]

Recently bought a small hygrometer from Mustafa and put it inside my dry box.

Realized that it took quite some time for the humidity inside my dry box to reduce and the lowest humidity achieved was only around 56% RH.

I put a glass of silica gel inside the dry box without covering. Could it be because the box is not properly sealed? Or because I have reused the silica gel after reheating them? They are still blue in colour at this moment.

How about you guys who use silica gel?

 

[GriGri]

I have hence sealed the box using masking tape and decide to see what would the humidity be tomorrow.

Current humidity inside the box is 54% RH, maybe it's really the sealing problem... :cry:

 

[Legoz]

Go try thirsty hippo. I use the same setup (box & thirsty hippo). Typically, its about 30-40% RH.
If i open the box for awhile and humidity goes up to 70++... it usually takes about 3-4 hours for it to drop to 50+%.
If left overnight, i will wake up to 40++% in the morning which really is decent for such a setup. And because the box is closed most of the time, the rate at which the thirst hippo degenerate is like forever.... =)

If u are concerned, do get a dry box or cabinet. it will save u alot of sleepless nites.

Regards

 

[GriGri]

Go try thirsty hippo. I use the same setup (box & thirsty hippo). Typically, its about 30-40% RH.
If i open the box for awhile and humidity goes up to 70++... it usually takes about 3-4 hours for it to drop to 50+%.
If left overnight, i will wake up to 40++% in the morning which really is decent for such a setup. And because the box is closed most of the time, the rate at which the thirst hippo degenerate is like forever.... =)

If u are concerned, do get a dry box or cabinet. it will save u alot of sleepless nites.

Regards

Maybe I will try to get a dry cabinet in the future.

After keeping my box sealed for one day, humidity reduced to 48%.

After taking my camera out (15 seconds?), it is now at 52%.

Meanwhile I think this RH level is acceptable.

 

[blive]

Maybe I will try to get a dry cabinet in the future.

After keeping my box sealed for one day, humidity reduced to 48%.

After taking my camera out (15 seconds?), it is now at 52%.

Meanwhile I think this RH level is acceptable.

No worries. Just plan and budget for a dry cabinet. In the meantime, just use your camera regularly, and do some cleaning and maintenance regularly, like once a fortnight or a month. Fungus won't grow so quickly, and only if its not used/maintained properly.

 

[destiny86]

Maybe I will try to get a dry cabinet in the future.

After keeping my box sealed for one day, humidity reduced to 48%.

After taking my camera out (15 seconds?), it is now at 52%.

Meanwhile I think this RH level is acceptable.

yea.. so long is between the range of 45 to 55% is acceptable