Question on home safes.

[3catwoman3]

My husband ordered a First Alert home safe from Costco. He didn't read any online reviews. The safe just arrived, and is bigger than he expected. I just read some reviews. 15% 1 star ratings.

Several reviews mention manufacturer instructions advising leaving the safe open for 20 minutes every 2 weeks to decrease moisture accumulation.

Is this a common concern with home safes? It sounds rather odd to me.

[wishstar]

1. Moisture is a concern if contents of safe include jewelry or coins or guns that could tarnish

When I had an airtight safe storing valuables that could be affected by moisture, I used packets that absorb moisture and never had a problem with rusting.

[Chainfire]

5. I put kitty litter in a piece of nylon stocking in my safes

About once a year, I will dump the litter on a baking sheet and dry it out in the oven. It does a good job of keeping the interior dry and fresh. I would be embarrassed if all my money got moldy.

[brush]

2. Odd to me too. I've had a home safe for years never had moisture...

moisture accumulation. Leaving it open kinda defeats the purpose if an emergency happens while it's open.

I do live in a dry area though.

[Jim__]

3. I found this:

From FireFighter

Why do safes gather moisture, mold, and mildew?

Fireproof and waterproof safes are airtight. They keep the bad stuff out but also retain some terrible things!

Everything in your safe (air, wood, paper, items, etc.) likely contains moisture. Over time, moisture vapor may start to form condensation in your safe.

Furthermore, safes are dark and humid spaces – perfect for growing mold, fungus, and mildew!

… But not ideal for protecting your valuables.

[Chainfire]

7. You are spot on in you last sentence. It only takes a few minutes to get into one with

hand-held, battery operated tools. The safes have all of those impressive hardened steel bolts on the doors, but the rest of the safe is generally Sheetmetal and gypsum. I got one free that had been unused for years and the combination long forgotten. I opened it up like a can of beans from the bottom, manipulated the dial from the inside, repaired the bottom and put it back into service. It didn't take ten minutes to get it open, and that was a first attempt at safe busting!

[Salviati]

4. If it's a concern for items you've got in there, you could always include some silica gel packets.

If you don't have any around, they're cheap, and they can be recharged by baking them at ~250 F for 90-120 mins

[Stinky The Clown]

6. If the safe is airtight when closed then it is sound advice. Most fire safes are supposedly airtight

We first got one decades ago. I put in some silver coins in cardboard coin holders closed with staples. After a year or so, the staples were rusted. No harm to the coins, just rusted staples and rust stained holders.

[rsdsharp]

8. Gun safes come with a hole in the back for an electric cord

for a safe dehumidifier rod. They heat up to about 130°, and keep the humidity down in the safe. Or, as others have mentioned, there are silica packs which will reduce moisture, and which can be reconstituted in the oven.

[Earth-shine]

9. People are talking about the silica packs for dehumidification. I use these.

https://www.amazon.com/Packets-Dry-Premium-Silica-Desiccant/dp/B073DJSRTT/ref=sr_1_3