Expert: James Yee - 8/23/2008

Question
Hello,

I had a couple questions reguarding humidifiers and and hygrometers.  First of all, does it make a huge difference where the humidifier is located within the humidor?  From what I've seen, they are almost exclusively mounted to the lid.  My humidor has a glass-top however and this somewhat detracts from being able to peer in at the cigars stored inside.  If your answer to this makes any difference, my humidifer utilizes humidity beads from Heartfelt Industries instead of the traditional green foam.

Secondly...I just recently recharged my above-mentioned humidifer, it dripped a small amount of water and I believe a drop may have come in contact with the digital hygrometer that was directly below it...first the humidity reading shot up abnormally high, and then disappeared altogether and is only reading temperature.  I have it sitting in front of a fan right now in hopes of drying it out...I guess my question here is, should the thing eventually start functioning again if given the time or is it ruined, and I should just bite the bullet and replace it?

Thank you in advance for any and all information.

~Tyler

Answer
Hi Tyler,

Proper placement of the humidifier in your humidor is definitely important.  It's always best to keep your humidifier in a location that allows an even, unobstructed flow of humidity throughout the entire humidor.  Usually this is underneath the lid but because you have a glass top humidor, you can keep your humidifier at the bottom of the humidor or on the side.  If you have a large, multi-tray humidor, you can also keep humidification units on the trays to improve humidity aeration.  

It's important that you keep your humidifier clear of obstructing cigars or humidor compartments/fixtures (ie: interior drawers, trays, etc.) because any obstructions can localize the humidity in a specific area and put your cigars at risk with over-humidification (or lack of humidification) in some areas.  

Wherever you decide to keep your humidifier, just remember to keep it clear of clutter and it should be OK.

As for your hygrometer, I can't tell what the extent of damage is without looking at the unit so what you should do is let your hygrometer dry out for a couple of days and see if it begins to work properly again.  Digital hygrometers can be extremely sensitive and water contact can permanently damage them.  If the hygrometer isn't back to normal after it has dried out, replace it.

Hopes this answers your questions. As always, if you have any more questions, feel free to just ask.

Regards,
James