Wine cooler as a temp controlled humidor, I'm doing it wrong

[Broken]

I have a smaller wine cooler that I thought would be a good thing to keep my smokes in as the summer is actually getting hot here in Western PA.

I'm doing something wrong, though. Every time the thing kicks on to cool down the temperature it drops the RH to below 50. What do I need to do to get this to stop happening?

I'm using a CigarOasis XL if it matters.

Thanks for any help.

[Mad Dawg]

Been there, done that. What's happening is that when the compressor kicks on, the temperature on the condenser in the back of the cooler drops to near freezing, which causes the moisture in the air inside the cooler to condense out onto the surface of the condenser. That will, as you've observed, drop the RH in a real hurry.

I watched a digital hygrometer through the glass door of my winecoolerdor: it was like a countdown...about a point a second, from 68% to 50% in less than a half minute.

The best way to control that effect is to isolate the condenser from the air inside the wine cooler as best you can. Try taping a sheet of plastic all the way around the condenser. That will definitely help, but you may then find you have problems keeping the temperature in an acceptable range.

Most wine coolers have their temperature sensors back behind the condenser. That being the case, taping plastic over the condenser creates an insulated environment for the temp sensor, so it may kick the unit off too soon.

I eventually solved that problem by using an external temperature controller. You can find those from any home-brewing outfit.

[Broken]

As always, the advice is appreciated.

[Broken]

By the way, is this why the thermoelectric ones work better? Or am I just not understanding the way this works?

[kydsid]

In general? Yes that is why the thermoelectric ones work better. A thermoelectric chiller won't have the huge swings of a compressor version but can still have swings from condensation.

I have two thermo units. Both have a plugged drain and beads. Humidity inside the unit has some swings but when measured inside a box or closed drawer the change is + or - 2%.

If you go thermo or even condenser keep everything inside a box or drawer of some type.

FWIW I have seen both types successfully used as humidors. Compressors just require more work to be stable.



P.S. you can get a 28 bottle edgestar at compactappliance.com for about $200 delivered if you wait for a sale, or as low as a $100 for scratch and dent.