Expert: James Yee - 6/25/2010

Question
I have two humidors and nether will go above 60 percent humidity... why?

Answer
Hi George,

There could be many reasons why your humidors cannot create more than 60% humidity.  First, have your humidors been seasoned yet?  If not, seasoning them will allow your humidor to absorb and regulate humidity more effectively.  If you seasoned your humidors a long time ago, re-seasoning them again should improve the humidity level.  If you seasoned them recently, you may need to season them again until the humidity can stabilize around 70%.  (For detailed, seasoning instructions, please search the question archive here at allexperts.com or ask me and I will gladly repost them for you.)

If your humidification units are too small for your humidor, replacing them to a larger sized units or adding an second unit to each humdior will allow them to hold humidity longer.  Also, in very hot and dry regions, humidity is more likely to deplete faster than normal so be sure to monitor your humidification devices on a daily basis and recharge them as soon as they feel dry or when the humidity drops.  You should also keep your humidors in a cool room.  The performance of your humidors can be greatly affected by the surrounding environment so keeping your humidor in a hot room or near major heat sources (such as appliances, incandescent lighting and windows) can cause the humidity in your humidor to evaporate faster.

If you are using electronic humidifiers that allows you to set the desired humidity level, make sure that they are functioning properly.

You should also check your humidors for any construction damage or defects as this cause humidity to leak out.

Lastly, your hygrometers may be giving off improper readings so be sure to salt test them for accuracy.  If you are using digital hygrometers, make sure that the batteries are fully charged and that the hygrometers are properly configured (if applicable).

Hopes this helps.  If you have any more questions, please feel free to just ask and I will be happy to help.

Regards,
James