Does silica/dessicant wear out?

[Friday]

I have one of those Canon gun safe canisters full of the crystals..you know, blue when they're dry pink when they're wet.
So when they're pink you cook it in the oven at 325 for 3 hours and they go back to blue. But mine seems to not be going back to a deep blue like when it was new. Do I just need a new one?

 

[Get Off My Lawn]

Tagged

 

[GymB]

I understand, based on reading of silica gel websites, that they do indeed wear out somewhere between 4 and 8 recharges. Based on the source I figure 3 or 4.

 

[BigWaylon]

I understand, based on reading of silica gel websites, that they do indeed wear out somewhere between 4 and 8 recharges. Based on the source I figure 3 or 4.

I'd never thought about it...assumed it would've been many more times than that. I've also been trying to figure out what I was going to use in my safe, and the beads were on my list.

After seeing your reply, I emailed Dry & Dry through Amazon...to ask how many times. This is their reply:

Thank you for your interest in our product and contacting us.

You can reactivate more than 5 times. However the more you reactivate, the effectiveness will be less. We recommend 5 times for reactivation. Some customers told us that they reactivated more than 10 times and still works.

Please, let us know if you need any further assistance.

Thank you and have a nice evening.

 

[Jeppo]

Who knew? I'm glad you asked this.

 

[xtp308]

I have the same kit, thanks for the thread. I've redone mine twice.

 

[Ferrisfan]

I imagine you can use silica cat litter (aka buy in bulk) and recharge it the same way. Has anyone tried that?

 

[Tinman]

I use this from stack on. It's about $20 at tractor supply. The monitor is from home depot $20 also iirc. It gives the high and low for the last 24hrs

 

[Get Off My Lawn]

I have some that's 30 years old and still works like a charm. It was light pink when I put it in the oven, don't let the temp get above 250F!

Be very careful with the blue/pink desiccant, it's coated with cobalt chloride. The orange/green is safe with food stuffs.
Bulk- https://www.amazon.com/DRY-Silicage...d=1537353549&sr=1-5&keywords=silica+desiccant
Bags- https://www.amazon.com/RakrisaSuppl...4935&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=organza+bags&psc=1

 

[BigWaylon]

I have some that's 30 years old and still works like a charm. It was light pink when I put it in the oven, don't let the temp get above 250F!
View attachment 75143
Be very careful with the blue/pink desiccant, it's coated with cobalt chloride. The orange/green is safe with food stuffs.
Bulk- https://www.amazon.com/DRY-Silicage...d=1537353549&sr=1-5&keywords=silica+desiccant
Bags- https://www.amazon.com/RakrisaSuppl...4935&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=organza+bags&psc=1

Do you leave it in that jar in the safe? Or some other method?

I was thinking about adding a shelf just below the two in my safe...and putting a baking sheet full of beads on it. Any reason that wouldn't work?

 

[Get Off My Lawn]

Do you leave it in that jar in the safe? Or some other method?

I was thinking about adding a shelf just below the two in my safe...and putting a baking sheet full of beads on it. Any reason that wouldn't work?

I leave it in the jar, you can see the pink work its way down. I also have the Canon metal can unit in the safe as well. I tried an 8" pie pan, it took up way too much room.
You could use a Mason jar, take out the center of the lid and put a piece of fabric/panty hose to let moisture in and keep the beads contained. One of the silica reviews said he was using Organza bags. You can hang those and not lose valuable shelf space.
https://www.amazon.com/RakrisaSuppl...4935&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=organza+bags&psc=1

 

[Friday]

Well I had an experiment and didn't mean to. I cooked it, but then I got to d****n' around with something else and I forgot about it. It ended up getting cooked about 5 hours, and the crystals went back to the deep blue again. I have one of those oven thermometers so my temp is there. Maybe you just have to bake it for longer than 3 hours.

 

[Get Off My Lawn]

Well I had an experiment and didn't mean to. I cooked it, but then I got to d****n' around with something else and I forgot about it. It ended up getting cooked about 5 hours, and the crystals went back to the deep blue again. I have one of those oven thermometers so my temp is there. Maybe you just have to bake it for longer than 3 hours.

I leave it cooking for more than 3 hours. About an hour in I'll open the oven and glasses fog from the moisture release.

 

[Jeppo]

238 grams per cubic foot? Seriously? That's 1/2 pound +

 

[Get Off My Lawn]

238 grams per cubic foot? Seriously? That's 1/2 pound +

Haha! I didn't notice that. He must hate the word "moist".

 

[Jeppo]

Yeah, I noticed the 8.4 on the scale and realized that's 8.4 oz per cubic foot. I wonder whether they sell it by the ton.

 

[NCLivingBrit]

I've got one from Walmart that looks like a router or something electronic thatthat a folding wall plug. When it turns pink you just plug the whole thing into the wall. I've had it for at least 5 years and it still works fine.

 

[Get Off My Lawn]

Do you leave it in that jar in the safe? Or some other method?
I was thinking about adding a shelf just below the two in my safe...and putting a baking sheet full of beads on it. Any reason that wouldn't work?

Here's the jar a week later, and what's in the Li-On battery pack (3 x 3.7V=11.1V) to run my LED straps around the door.

 

[Gray]

I too have the cannon one. I believe it's 250 for 5 hours.

I've got a couple of the smaller baggie looking ones stashed in several places too.

I just didn't want something electric cooking in my safe all the time. Fire plus the possibility if it turning off and me not knowing until I open the safe to find untold thousands rusting .

 

[llaht]

Eva Dry 500, started with them in 2012 i believe. Have probably three or four in each safe.
Plug into terminal strip to dry out and regenerate... at least 12 hours
Eva Dry says 10 years life
at one time i could buy a 'case' of them on evil bay for i thought a good price.

saw some big tubs of 'damp rid' otherday in wal-satan ... did not see them priced on endcap.
calcium carbonate?
Not sure if i want them in safe. had some smaller ones, the crystals turned to liquid and they are 'spent'... have to pull em out and throw away
run the risk of spillage of the liquid

 

[Mikew]

saw some big tubs of 'damp rid' otherday in wal-satan ... did not see them priced on endcap.
calcium carbonate?
Not sure if i want them in safe. had some smaller ones, the crystals turned to liquid and they are 'spent'... have to pull em out and throw away
run the risk of spillage of the liquid

$1 ea at the everything's a dollar dollar store. liquid can't spill it won't go through the cloth on top.

The silica packs. Anybody tried putting them in the refrigerator for a few days? Not many places dryer than in there.