Where to buy Silica gel packets?

Silica Gel is only good to use for drying stuff when it is kept in an air tight container, if you keep silica gel open to air then it absorbs moisture till it gets saturated and then it is inactive, it does nothing more till it is reactivated with heat (I use a hair dryer to reactivate Silica Gel). Silica gel kept open to air gets inactive within hours of exposure to high moisture. If you want to see this happening then buy the silica gel which has an indicative dye added, this dye is blue when the silica gel is fresh and active and turns pink when it has become saturated with moisture. Silica gel also has a tendency to break up into very fine crystalline dust when it is handled, this is very abrasive and can cause problems if the dust gets into things like optical drives and fans, the dust is so fine that it will fly around inside the cabinet with the flow from a high RPM case fan.

The way I now protect my computer and monitor from the effects of high moisture and condensation it to gently warm the hardware with a hair dryer from a slight distance and when the hardware feels a bit warm then I start the computer - THIS WORKS FOR ME.

In the mornings I have had problems with moisture/condensation when I have put off my rooms AC before my computer is switched on - so I start the computer at least half an hour before the AC is switched off and I make sure that the CPU-HDD-MoBo temps are over 30C before the doors and windows of the room are opened.

I have done all this for years, but last year on the day Mumbai had the max rain a fan in my case gave trouble so I had to shut my computer and change the fan, this took half an hour, when I switched on the computer there were 2 very loud explosions from my Antec 550w power supply, it had become TOAST !! :(

EDIT: one more thing about Silica gel - you will need lots of silica gel to dry out a container which would hold a Monitor or computer case, but if you put too much silica gel and the moisture level goes below 30% then you could have problems with the hardware, as, too dry an environment can cause dry solder joints problems and create more headaches, for this you have to place a Hygrometer in the container with the silica gel and monitor the humidity levels - ideal is around 50%. I do this "container + hygrometer" thingy for my cameras and other stuff which are high humidity sensitive, you cannot believe how fast fungus grows on camera lenses in a place like Mumbai.
 
Eazy said:
Silica Gel is only good to use for drying stuff when it is kept in an air tight container, if you keep silica gel open to air then it absorbs moisture till it gets saturated and then it is inactive, it does nothing more till it is reactivated with heat (I use a hair dryer to reactivate Silica Gel). Silica gel kept open to air gets inactive within hours of exposure to high moisture. If you want to see this happening then buy the silica gel which has an indicative dye added, this dye is blue when the silica gel is fresh and active and turns pink when it has become saturated with moisture. Silica gel also has a tendency to break up into very fine crystalline dust when it is handled, this is very abrasive and can cause problems if the dust gets into things like optical drives and fans, the dust is so fine that it will fly around inside the cabinet with the flow from a high RPM case fan.

The way I now protect my computer and monitor from the effects of high moisture and condensation it to gently warm the hardware with a hair dryer from a slight distance and when the hardware feels a bit warm then I start the computer - THIS WORKS FOR ME.

In the mornings I have had problems with moisture/condensation when I have put off my rooms AC before my computer is switched on - so I start the computer at least half an hour before the AC is switched off and I make sure that the CPU-HDD-MoBo temps are over 30C before the doors and windows of the room are opened.

I have done all this for years, but last year on the day Mumbai had the max rain a fan in my case gave trouble so I had to shut my computer and change the fan, this took half an hour, when I switched on the computer there were 2 very loud explosions from my Antec 550w power supply, it had become TOAST !! :(

EDIT: one more thing about Silica gel - you will need lots of silica gel to dry out a container which would hold a Monitor or computer case, but if you put too much silica gel and the moisture level goes below 30% then you could have problems with the hardware, as, too dry an environment can cause dry solder joints problems and create more headaches, for this you have to place a Hygrometer in the container with the silica gel and monitor the humidity levels - ideal is around 50%. I do this "container + hygrometer" thingy for my cameras and other stuff which are high humidity sensitive, you cannot believe how fast fungus grows on camera lenses in a place like Mumbai.
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:S :S :S Man...eazy.. i m impressed... but now i m totally confused as to wot to do now ? shud i buy a silica gel or is there any other alternative ?
and plz throw some light on the following thread... i really cant find any solution to the problem...plz help..:Comp3:
http://www.techenclave.com/pc-peripherals/no-display-on-monitor-plz-help-114274.html#post855739
 
Balkazzaar said:
i m facing moisture problems in my PC which are having disastrous consequences on my system....
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Where do u stay??? Somewhere along the coastal line???

And what are the so called disastrous consequences?? :S

Excessive silica gel packets can be harmful as Eazy sir quoted; And dont keep ur cabinet close to the window assuming it might help in better airflow;
 
gannu said:
Where do u stay??? Somewhere along the coastal line???

And what are the so called disastrous consequences?? :S

Excessive silica gel packets can be harmful as Eazy sir quoted; And dont keep ur cabinet close to the window assuming it might help in better airflow;
Click to expand...

Where do u stay??? Somewhere along the coastal line???
Click to expand...

i stay in mulund....and i dont think its near the coastal area...

And what are the so called disastrous consequences?? :S
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the disastrous consequences are my frequent resetting of my system due to this problem due to which i fear i can end up crashing my HD...with bad sectors that is...

And dont keep ur cabinet close to the window assuming it might help in better airflow;
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How much closeness are u talking abt ? my computer is atleast at a distance of 9-10 feet from 1 window and abt 4 feet from the other window...
 
Balkazzaar said:
wot to do now ? shud i buy a silica gel or is there any other alternative ?
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The problem is of high humidity and moisture getting deposited on the surfaces of the hardware - the easiest and best way to avoid this is to have the computer on 24/7. If you run the computer all the time then it warms up above the rooms temp and this will keep the moisture out of computer. But if you have a problem with keeping the computer on 24/7 then just before starting the computer warm it for a few minutes with a hair dryer (dont heat it too much or you will have other headaches :) ). This warming with a hair dryer will evaporate any moisture collected on the computers and monitors surfaces and this is what is needed, you must blow the warm air from the hair dryer all over the insides of the computer.

I am not comfortable using a rubber to clean contacts on ram and cards as I feel the rubber will leave a coating on these and create a barrier for good contact, but I may be wrong. What I use is a Staedler fibre glass tip pencil, this has real fibre glass which does not damage the gold layer on the ram contacts and it makes these contacts shiny and new looking. I dont know if you still get these pencils as I got mine many years back from a stationary and office supplies shop.

FYI - Before I started to put the computer on half an hour before the room AC was switched off I used to see drops of water on the surface of the side panels when I put off the AC and opened the doors and windows during Mumbai's monsoon period :O

I have also tried one more solution to the moisture problem and this also worked for me, I kept a Thermal Pad (these are used to warm body parts, get it from a medical store) against the side panel, the thermal pad has a thermostat built in and I used to set this for 40C - this would warm the parts inside the computer about the right temp, I kept it in contact with the cases side panel and under the monitor for about half an hour before starting the computer.
 
Eazy said:
But if you have a problem with keeping the computer on 24/7 then just before starting the computer warm it for a few minutes with a hair dryer (dont heat it too much or you will have other headaches :) ). This warming with a hair dryer will evaporate any moisture collected on the computers and monitors surfaces and this is what is needed, you must blow the warm air from the hair dryer all over the insides of the computer.
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The idea here is to get the mositure off the PC's inside's before it is switched on.

Also i would think being very careful not to touch any of the computers parts with the tip of dryer to avoid any static discharge, not too different from that of a vacuum cleaner.
So what do offices do then, run a dehumidifer & keep it running 24/7 ?

Nah, i think they just run the ceiling fans on full blast to get the same effect.

I'm also tempted to think an AC that does not suck in excess humidity might be oversized for the room + heatload you have.

Eazy said:
I have also tried one more solution to the moisture problem and this also worked for me, I kept a Thermal Pad (these are used to warm body parts, get it from a medical store) against the side panel, the thermal pad has a thermostat built in and I used to set this for 40C - this would warm the parts inside the computer about the right temp, I kept it in contact with the cases side panel and under the monitor for about half an hour before starting the computer.
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i've seen these (or something to the effect) on F1 tires, before a race :)
 
You can't keep anything with airflow through it very dry, if the air itself is moist. Silica gel can help but not for long, unless you're OK with microwaving them every day.

I bought a couple of Zorb-its for my guitars and they work well, but in the rainy season they feel like sponges. They are constant-humidity generators, but work only in closed cases.

Air conditioners make excellent dehumidifiers on their own, and will make a room lose 30% or more moisture in no time at all. A dehumidifier works the other way around, and may be the only option in a very moist environment. If you live in a low-sunlight household damp is always an issue, even in dry months. I've seen highs of 99% indoors in the middle of monsoons.
 
blr_p said:
run a dehumidifer & keep it running 24/7 ?
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I had a GE dehumidifier which I used for about a year, I found it quite impossible to dry the air in the room unless the doors and windows were shut, and when the doors and windows were shut the room got very warm and stuffy as the dehumidifier warms the air and the room was impossible to stay in :( I finally used the dehumidifier in a small bathroom and kept the clothes in that room for drying :)
 
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