funky8884 Posted January 30, 2018 Posted January 30, 2018 Unfortunately my Bass Gear has been kicked out of my office and now the only place I have to store the gear is in my basement, The basement is in very good condition and no signs of damp, The question is what is the maximum humidity and minimum temperature that electrical equipment ( amps / pedals ) can be stored at ? Thanks Quote
Skol303 Posted January 30, 2018 Posted January 30, 2018 You’ll struggle to find any definitive temperatures/ humidity measurements for safe storage; but the general consensus for instruments and audio gear is... Cold: no problem Hot: not ideal Humid: very bad! 2 Quote
chris_b Posted January 30, 2018 Posted January 30, 2018 Band gear is left outside in vans and cars all around the world, so cold and heat shouldn't be a problem. Car stereo systems are always in hot and cold extremes and always work. The only thing I'd suggest would be bad is condensation. As long as there is no damp and you keep the gear covered, you should be OK. Quote
Froggy Posted January 30, 2018 Posted January 30, 2018 (edited) My amp and one of my cabs have pretty much lived in my car for the past year cos I can't be arsed to haul them up and down to my flat every week after rehearsals/gigs. No Ill effects yet. Edited January 30, 2018 by Froggy Quote
knicknack Posted January 30, 2018 Posted January 30, 2018 Surely the bigger question here is Who kicked it out? Quote
funky8884 Posted January 30, 2018 Author Posted January 30, 2018 4 minutes ago, knicknack said: Surely the bigger question here is Who kicked it out? My Wife , she had a fit and wants her office space back, I don't own that much stuff either. Its unfair and I feel cheated Quote
pbasspecial Posted January 30, 2018 Posted January 30, 2018 Maybe you should withdraw 'privileges' until she changes her mind. Oh wait, it doesn't seem to work that way round! 5 Quote
martthebass Posted January 30, 2018 Posted January 30, 2018 Ditch the wife....re-instate the cabs/amp. Simples 1 1 Quote
Nicko Posted January 30, 2018 Posted January 30, 2018 If you are concerned about humidity buy a dehumidifier. Don't under any circumstances try to keep the moisture out by wrapping it in plastic which will simply reduce airflow and trap the moisture just where you don't want it. Quote
Skybone Posted January 31, 2018 Posted January 31, 2018 And get one of those electric, oil filled radiators in there as well, and leave it on a low/mid setting, just to get some warmth in there. The cold attracts moisture build up when there is a heat source added (i.e. you & your amp when you're practicing), but when you leave the room will cool again, causing condensation (relative dew point etc.). Keep the area warm, and it alleviates the moisture build up "issue". That is assuming that you don't have central heating in the cellar. We have one of those radiators in the conservatory, it just keeps the area warm enough for the condensation to be less of an issue. Quote
skidder652003 Posted January 31, 2018 Posted January 31, 2018 Keep my PA in the (unheated) garage, theres some airflow, so no damp, been working ok for years, so long as its dry, I don't think temperature really matters. Quote
Skol303 Posted January 31, 2018 Posted January 31, 2018 On 30/01/2018 at 11:08, chris_b said: Band gear is left outside in vans and cars all around the world, so cold and heat shouldn't be a problem. Car stereo systems are always in hot and cold extremes and always work. Generally true. Heat and cold aren't an issue in the UK, but extremes of heat can cause problems with wooden instruments and electronica gear. For example, it's inadvisable to leave a guitar on the rear parcel shelf of a car on a hot summer's day; or install a rack unit full of tube gear directly in front of a radiator. Common sense obviously prevails in such instances Cold, however, is certainly not a problem. As mentioned above, it's humidity that's the killer. Quote
discreet Posted January 31, 2018 Posted January 31, 2018 On 30/01/2018 at 11:31, funky8884 said: It's unfair and I feel cheated. Simply hide some of your leads or accessories in her office - when she complains, accuse her of stealing them and reclaim the moral high ground. 1 Quote
Japhet Posted January 31, 2018 Posted January 31, 2018 You can get dehumidifier bags on ebay pretty cheap. I sometimes have my gear out in my shed with a blanket over it and a couple of bags under the blanket for good measure. Quote
Norris Posted January 31, 2018 Posted January 31, 2018 Covers for your kit will help. My stuff lives out in the garage and I've never had a problem. My guitarist keeps a hairdryer in the back of his amp and sets it going as soon as we arrive at a gig if there's any sign of condensation, so it has 1/2 hour or so to dry out before he switches it on Quote
Ghost_Bass Posted January 31, 2018 Posted January 31, 2018 Is that office so small that you can't divide it in half and each uses their designated space? Just don't remeber you have to practise when she's working there... even with headphones! Quote
dmccombe7 Posted January 31, 2018 Posted January 31, 2018 (edited) I bought a Hygrometer from Amazon to check humidity around the house and conservatory more so out of curiosity. Would be worthwhile checking the basement first £8.99 could be well spent. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01H1R0K68/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Edited January 31, 2018 by dmccombe7 Quote
goingdownslow Posted January 31, 2018 Posted January 31, 2018 (edited) Can't you keep it at home. Edited January 31, 2018 by goingdownslow Quote
funky8884 Posted January 31, 2018 Author Posted January 31, 2018 17 minutes ago, goingdownslow said: Can't you keep it at home. Hi , sorry I forgot to mention that we both work at home. Quote
discreet Posted January 31, 2018 Posted January 31, 2018 Also this one for anyone on a budget... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B074MR853J/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_DXECAbAHG70M9 Quote
dmccombe7 Posted January 31, 2018 Posted January 31, 2018 24 minutes ago, discreet said: Also this one for anyone on a budget... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B074MR853J/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_DXECAbAHG70M9 Damn i didn't see that one. Too late now. Dave Quote
discreet Posted January 31, 2018 Posted January 31, 2018 9 minutes ago, dmccombe7 said: Damn i didn't see that one. Too late now. Yours is probably better. Quote
dmccombe7 Posted January 31, 2018 Posted January 31, 2018 All i wanted was the basic readings but i can leave it overnight and get Max and Min during any period but that's a bit overkill. You can see the relation with temperature V humidity. Don't really know all the science behind it but apparently when its cold outside circa 0 C and house is warm typically 20 C the humidity is circa 45-48% RH With same house temperature 20 C but outside temperature comes up to 10 C the humidity in the house increased to circa 48-52% but it does seem to go up and down a fair bit. Maybe an expert on BC can explain the science behind all of this. Dave Quote
funky8884 Posted January 31, 2018 Author Posted January 31, 2018 I put this gadget in the basement and this reading is from 20:00 tonight, I don’t have any heating down there yet. Quote
discreet Posted January 31, 2018 Posted January 31, 2018 1 minute ago, funky8884 said: I put this gadget in the basement and this reading is from 20:00 tonight, I don’t have any heating down there yet. I'm no expert, but I'd say it was cold and damp in your basement. 1 Quote
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