Recommendations please

[afranco]

Good morning to all hope everyone doing great. I have a few questions about my build and needing you experts help if you don't mind, i am a newbie so bare with me please. I have a new air aw 280e wineador that I'm getting ready to start building up. The first thing is what digital hygrometers do you all recommend. Second what are you using for humidification devices. Also I've read somewhere that i need fans as well. I prefer battery powered if possible. Looks like I've found the drawers that I'm going to go with already so i have that covered. If i have missed anything please let me know. Again thanks for your help brothers hope to hear back !

[T.G]

For passive humidification I've tried PG solution and credos, gel (like the humicare stuff that CI sells or what Xikar calls "beads" - a gross misnomer), heartfelt beads, boveda packs, even the silica kitty litter and just for grins, a red clay brick that had been soaked in water. The ones that have worked the best, with the least hassle in tightly sealed non-permeable containers (like your wine cooler) at least for me, are the Shilala/HCM beads.

As for hygrometers, I've been quite pleased with the HygroSet (rectangle) adjustable hygrometers.

:2 and YMMV. Different humidors behave differently and may need different humidification sources; for example, the brick worked great in a leaky wood humidor.

Both are available from http://www.hcmbeads.com/

[afranco]

Thanks and what about the batery powered fans ?

[badbriar]

Personally, I do not use fans - see no need. If you decide to go to beads, look at HCM and Heartfelt. Slightly different set-up and method of charging them. Both are great. I have both in my wineador. Have fun!:tu

[Flynnster]

No personal experience with fans here, but I know people use the out air freshener fans. Just don't put the smell good in them. They cycle on and off so they won't be on constantly and you can take the guard off of them to make them smaller

[T.G]

Thanks and what about the batery powered fans ?

:sh

Never had a need for them. Would recommend setting up your humidor and based on humidity readings, then deciding if they are necessary or not.

[shilala]

There's no need for extra fans at all, there's one in your unit already.
It'll run when the unit cools, and it'll do more air stirring than you'll ever need. :tu

[afranco]

Thanks for the info guys. Which one is less maintenance hcm or the heartfelt ?