Choosing The Right Humidor Humidifier
Those who smoke cigars, take their cigars seriously. For many,
it is an indulgence in which they relish; a time to relax or
reflect, celebrate or seal the deal. Whatever times or occasions
one chooses to celebrate with a cigar, there is one thing they
all have in common; their cigars must be fresh or the experience
just isn't worth it.
Keeping Cigars Fresh Humidity control is the primary way to
ensure freshness for cigars. A humidor humidifier - a device
which adds just the right amount of moisture to the air of a
humidor is a must have device for anyone who stores their cigars
for longer than a week. Collectors of fine cigars have invested
a great deal of time and money into finding the finest
manufactured cigars. To simply store those in a wooden box or
jar would never do. These items must be stored in a properly
controlled environment - namely the humidor. Sizes & Styles of
Humidor Humidifiers For a small collection of cigars a small
container will do. Humidity still however needs to be properly
regulated. Depending on the climate in which you live and the
weather conditions, there may be enough humidity in the room
air. That's fine, but the enclosed container must also have the
right conditions.
There are humidifier models designed to create the perfect
atmosphere for any size humidor. Units can be installed in
humidors holding between 25-30 cigars, or for those that hold
100 cigars. Even whole room systems are available for rooms
holding thousands of treasured cigars.
Small, box sized humidifiers can run for several months without
needing to be refilled with enough water to create the right
amount of humidity. This allows you to fill the reservoir and
basically forget about it for a long time.
For large collections - those held in a full room humidor - a
much larger humidifying system is required. These generally hook
up to a continuous water source, much like a household hot water
tank would. Just as you turn on the faucet in your kitchen, the
vaporizer part of the humidifier would turn on when humidity
levels get too low for optimal freshness of the cigars. These
electric pumps use a hepa filter to act as an internal purifier.
The Role of the Hygrometer A hygrometer is the gauge that
determines if there is enough humidity or not produced by the
humidor humidifier. You can have the top, state of the art
humidifier with endless and continuous water supply, but if the
hygrometer isn't working then it is all for naught.
A hygrometer can be either analogue or digital and can work to
control just humidity or temperature and humidity together as in
the digital models. The right combination of both will give you
the best overall results.
It is important to keep hygrometers well calibrated. A quick
check periodically can ensure that you are getting an accurate
reading of the true temperature and humidity. If you fail to
have an accurate reading from the hygrometer, then too much or
too little humidity will destroy your collection.