Active Humidification & Water Gel

Sadden · 03-16-2013, 01:51 PM

Hello everyone. I am enjoying my aristocrat quite alot. I am looking at improving the S&F by changing out the wick for some water gel beads. http://www.crystalwaterbeads.com/who...s-choose-color

Some of you are going to ask why.

Well Bob recomends changing the wick out every 3 months. At 15$ ea. thats 60$ a year on wicks. A bag of these costs 20$ and will last presumably several years. Also more surface area is going to mean that the S&F will be able to bring the humidor back up to 65% faster than with just the wick.

So has anyone done this?

We have used them before for decorations. Even just using shitty tap water it took well over a year before they got janky. And that was with twigs and flowers and womanly decorative crap getting moved in and out of them all the time.

AdamJoshua · 03-16-2013, 01:56 PM

I have many questions but I'll let those that know more than a simple country boy like me ask them.

pnoon · 03-16-2013, 01:58 PM

I don't see it as an improvement. You are investing thousands in your cigar collection. And now you're worried about a few dollars more per year to properly maintain them? Sorry, I don't see the logic. And, fwiw, I change the wick in my S&F every 6-9 months and it's just fine.

Does that product even regulate RH to a set point?

Sadden · 03-16-2013, 02:01 PM

Nope. Not supposed to. Just a media to retain water and create surface area.

And im not too terribly worried about the cost. These just seem like a better alternative. More surface area. No standing water. Cheap. I have roughly 400$ worth of HCM beads being made into custom sized bags for my humi. Going to combine passive and active humidification.

Searching here and "other places" i have found several people that have with hydras and such. A small packet of beads seems to oulast the units themselves.

AdamJoshua · 03-16-2013, 02:13 PM

I hit petsmart.com and got fine mesh media bags (made for fishtanks ) for a couple bucks each, they are perfect to hold the beads.

Correction .99 each and they are pretty large.
http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...ductId=2754135

Sadden · 03-16-2013, 02:27 PM

The water gel beads will be going in the Set and Forget unit.
The HCM beads are coming in 4x one pound bags and 6x eight ounce bags.

arlinliss · 03-17-2013, 04:53 PM

Not using water defeats the function of the humidifier.

If you want to use beads, use beads but replacing them in the Humidifier in place of the wick and water is nonsense. By using beads where water was intended you are fooling yourself.

Wick can be bought here and then cut to size.

mithrilG60 · 03-17-2013, 05:37 PM

None of the major active humidification systems use water absorbent gel for a reason, there is no real advantage. The Set-and-Forget and Avallo Acclumator have both been around for a long time, I'm sure if they could have improved their product by the addition of a couple cents worth of crystals over a wick that costs several dollars to buy and produce (their staff cut and glue raw wick material to size) they would have. Just follow the manufacturers instructions about intervals between water and wick replacement and you'll be fine.

03-16-2013, 01:51 PM	#1
Sadden Its only money... Join Date: May 2012 First Name: Colin Posts: 367 Trading: (0)	Active Humidification & Water Gel Hello everyone. I am enjoying my aristocrat quite alot. I am looking at improving the S&F by changing out the wick for some water gel beads. http://www.crystalwaterbeads.com/who...s-choose-color Some of you are going to ask why. Well Bob recomends changing the wick out every 3 months. At 15$ ea. thats 60$ a year on wicks. A bag of these costs 20$ and will last presumably several years. Also more surface area is going to mean that the S&F will be able to bring the humidor back up to 65% faster than with just the wick. So has anyone done this? We have used them before for decorations. Even just using shitty tap water it took well over a year before they got janky. And that was with twigs and flowers and womanly decorative crap getting moved in and out of them all the time. __________________ If you want to party with the boys , be prepared to get up and work with the men the next morning. -Colin

03-16-2013, 01:56 PM	#2
AdamJoshua Article 4 Free Inhabitant Join Date: Jan 2013 First Name: The Other Adam Location: Satellite Beach Posts: 14,787 Trading: (40)	Re: Active Humidification & Water Gel I have many questions but I'll let those that know more than a simple country boy like me ask them.

03-16-2013, 01:58 PM	#3
pnoon YNWA Join Date: Oct 2008 First Name: Peter Location: San Diego Posts: 29,919 Trading: (20)	Re: Active Humidification & Water Gel I don't see it as an improvement. You are investing thousands in your cigar collection. And now you're worried about a few dollars more per year to properly maintain them? Sorry, I don't see the logic. And, fwiw, I change the wick in my S&F every 6-9 months and it's just fine. Does that product even regulate RH to a set point? __________________ Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are. -John Wooden

03-16-2013, 02:01 PM	#4
Sadden Its only money... Join Date: May 2012 First Name: Colin Posts: 367 Trading: (0)	Re: Active Humidification & Water Gel Nope. Not supposed to. Just a media to retain water and create surface area. And im not too terribly worried about the cost. These just seem like a better alternative. More surface area. No standing water. Cheap. I have roughly 400$ worth of HCM beads being made into custom sized bags for my humi. Going to combine passive and active humidification. Searching here and "other places" i have found several people that have with hydras and such. A small packet of beads seems to oulast the units themselves. __________________ If you want to party with the boys , be prepared to get up and work with the men the next morning. -Colin Last edited by Sadden; 03-16-2013 at 02:09 PM.

03-16-2013, 02:13 PM	#5
AdamJoshua Article 4 Free Inhabitant Join Date: Jan 2013 First Name: The Other Adam Location: Satellite Beach Posts: 14,787 Trading: (40)	Re: Active Humidification & Water Gel I hit petsmart.com and got fine mesh media bags (made for fishtanks ) for a couple bucks each, they are perfect to hold the beads. Correction .99 each and they are pretty large. http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...ductId=2754135

03-16-2013, 02:27 PM	#6
Sadden Its only money... Join Date: May 2012 First Name: Colin Posts: 367 Trading: (0)	Re: Active Humidification & Water Gel The water gel beads will be going in the Set and Forget unit. The HCM beads are coming in 4x one pound bags and 6x eight ounce bags. __________________ If you want to party with the boys , be prepared to get up and work with the men the next morning. -Colin

03-17-2013, 04:53 PM	#7
arlinliss Just in from the Storm Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 19 Trading: (0)	Re: Active Humidification & Water Gel Not using water defeats the function of the humidifier. If you want to use beads, use beads but replacing them in the Humidifier in place of the wick and water is nonsense. By using beads where water was intended you are fooling yourself. Wick can be bought here and then cut to size.

03-17-2013, 05:37 PM	#8
mithrilG60 Feeling at Home Join Date: Dec 2008 First Name: Geoff Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada Posts: 733 Trading: (2)	Re: Active Humidification & Water Gel None of the major active humidification systems use water absorbent gel for a reason, there is no real advantage. The Set-and-Forget and Avallo Acclumator have both been around for a long time, I'm sure if they could have improved their product by the addition of a couple cents worth of crystals over a wick that costs several dollars to buy and produce (their staff cut and glue raw wick material to size) they would have. Just follow the manufacturers instructions about intervals between water and wick replacement and you'll be fine.