Expert: James Yee - 3/16/2010

Question
QUESTION: Hi, I just got a thermal electric 18  bottle wine fridge and added one and a half pounds of heartfelt humidity beads. I plugged the drain hole with 100% silicone and added magnetic tape to the door to get a good seal. Temp is between 68F and 70F but humidity won't rise above 59%. I've been messing with it for over a week now and I just can't figure it out. Please help!!

ANSWER: Hi Sam,

You may want to add more beads or upgrade to an electronic humidifier.  For beads, an additional half pound of beads should be enough to generate 70%... if not, keep fine tuning the amount by adding more.  Be sure that the door is fully sealed when closed and that there are no gaps in the seam/hinge at all.  Even a small pinhole gap is enough to let the humidity out.  Adding large Spanish cedar panels to the entire interior will also help as it will absorb and regulate humidity more effectively.

If you switch to an electronic humidifier, it should be easier to maintain 70% humidity.

Hopes this helps!

Regards,
James

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hey James,
What's odd is I turned the wine fridge off and now the humidity is at a perfect 65% and holding. It's a thermal electric unit, so it's not supposed to suck out the humidity right? Now my temp is at 78F. By the way I live in Hawaii, does this have anything to do with it? Oh forgot to mention that I also have a oasis xl digital humidifier in there.

Answer
Hi Sam,

It sounds like there's a humidity leak somewhere inside your wine fridge and when the fridge is turned on, it's forcing the humidity out.  Check for any type of small gap or crack and seal it up with some silicone.

If that doesn't work, try increasing the humidity output on your Oasis humidifier.  With the wine fridge turned on, you lose 6% humidity (you originally mentioned that it couldn't get past 59% with the fridge on) so leave your wine fridge on but increase the humidity output by 6% now and it should now stay at 65%.

Regards,
James