When talking about guns, the first consideration should always be for safety. Keeping firearms and ammunition secure and safe means you need a high-quality gun safe. A gun safe is a secured metal unit designed to withstand attempts to gain entry from unwanted people.

No one can open a reliable safe without using specialized equipment, like a drilling machine, but there is an enemy that is far more dangerous to the contents of your safe, and it is right there in your safe already – moisture. The dark interior paired with a lack of airflow increases how much moisture is in your gun safe, resulting in mold and rust on your guns, ammunition, and the safe itself.

The biggest issue with moisture is that it hastens the formation of rust in the gun safe and on the metal itself. For this reason, you must control the humidity and moisture in the safe.

What Is a Dehumidifier?

A dehumidifier unit helps control the humidity and moisture levels within the air. It works by pulling in the surrounding air and removing the moisture content. The placement of a dehumidifier within a space is vital to its ability to function.

Choosing the Correct Dehumidifier Model

Currently, there are two main types of dehumidifiers you can purchase. The first is electric, and the second is desiccant-based. For electric models, the dehumidifier rod functions using electricity. With desiccant-based models, the unit requires recharging or baking to function.

Choosing the right dehumidifier model means considering your location and the area around the safe. If there is an electrical outlet next to the safe, then an electric model is likely the best choice for you. Go with a desiccant-based model if your gun safe is positioned where getting power to its location is challenging.

A desiccant-based dehumidifier is also better if you are concerned about power outages. However, if you are placing two units in your safe, it is a good idea to use one of each for the best of both worlds.

Where to Put Dehumidifier in Gun Safe

If you want to keep moisture, rust, and mold away from your gun safe, you need to know where to place the dehumidifier within the gun safe. Here is where to place your dehumidifier, depending on which one you use.

Electric Dehumidifier

For maximum efficiency with a square safe, it is best to place an electric dehumidifier on the floor of your safe. It doesn’t matter much whether you put it by the back wall, near the door, or to one side or the other – as long as it is at the bottom.

Most gun safes will have pre-drilled holes in the unit’s floor that allow you to thread the electric cable through so you can get power to the dehumidifier.

However, if you have a tall safe, the best place to put the dehumidifier is against the back wall, halfway up its height. If there are no pre-drilled holes, you can either mount hooks within the safe to hold the dehumidifier and lead the cable to the safe floor or drill holes in the back wall as needed.

Desiccant-Based Dehumidifier

As we said, a desiccant-based dehumidifier is a non-electrical unit that is ideal for safes stored in locations that do not have electrical points nearby. This type of unit has silica gel beads which are used to absorb the moisture in the gun safe. Desiccant-based units need to either be recharged or baked to function.

Desiccant-based humidifiers should be placed in one of two places – either on a shelf as close to the middle of the safe as possible or hanging from a shelf, also in the middle of the safe. Most of these models will have a hook on the back that allows you to hang it from the back wall of your gun safe.

If you don’t have space to place the dehumidifier in the middle of the safe, place one at the top and one at the bottom to remove all the moisture, especially from the corners of the safe.

Why Dehumidifier Placement Is Important

Placing the dehumidifier in the correct spot is critical when getting good performance and results from the dehumidifier. If you are reading this, you will already know where you should be placing the unit, but you may be wondering why. It’s simple – placing the dehumidifier in the wrong place can create uncontrolled humidity within the safe.

Do Dehumidifiers Actually Work in Gun Safes?

Over many years, it has been proven that dehumidifiers in gun safes play a vital role in reducing the humidity and moisture that occurs. Most gun safes are built using iron or steel, which must be kept moisture-free to avoid degradation and rust. Dehumidifiers work well for reducing humidity levels, keeping them at what is considered acceptable.

How Many Dehumidifiers Do You Need?

The answer to this will depend on how big your gun safe is and how many guns you store within it. Most people will use one dehumidifier, but if you have a large safe, two will be sufficient. We highly recommend using a hygrometer so you can monitor the relative humidity level within the safe.

If one dehumidifier can keep the humidity levels acceptable, you don’t need a second one. But if you find the levels are not being maintained, rather be safe than sorry and place a second one in the safe.

Final Thoughts

Humidity is a big problem for gun safes as it means there is water vapor present inside the safe. Metal and steel are vulnerable to humidity, but so are firearms and ammunition. A gun safe is really not safe at all if you do not control the moisture level within the unit.

So when it comes to gun safe safety, you must use a dehumidifier. We have covered everything you need to know about dehumidifiers in gun safes, so all that’s left is for you to order one as soon as possible and place it in your safe as instructed above.