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Annual Maintenance..??

BlindedByScience

Proud Father of a Kearney, NE LEO
Joined
Jan 31, 2005
Messages
9,758
Yesterday, I did an annual maintenance job that I'm trying to do on at least an annual basis....though I'm trying to do this a couple times a year. I took every box of cigars in my cabinet out. Each one got opened up and given a good look over, the wonderful smells got enjoyed, and they got put back in the cabinet, in a rotated position (back now in front, etc). The reason I do this is my cabinet is tall, like a phone booth, and the airflow is very directed. By rotating things, the airflow will hit the box differently for a few months. Never had any mold trouble, just makes sense to me when you have "a couple" cigars you want to age.

The humidifier cans got filled (which happens every two or three months), and the wicks in the humidifiers got a close look. Though, since I've been running colloidal silver in my humidifier water, they seem to keep nice and white and have for quite some time. I have replacements on standby, just haven't needed them yet.

The great news is you always find stuff you'd forgotten about or at least hadn't thought about in a while. Always some forgotten treasure waiting to be re-discovered.....:cool:

Pro tip for us Staebell owners.....right after I got my Staebell, I was at Home Depot and found some clear plastic tubing that will fit inside the opening on the Staebell humidifier cans. I bought about three feet of it, and a small nylon funnel. With some effort, I got the tubing stretched over the end of the funnel. Now, when it's time to fill the cans, all I have to do is pull out a couple boxes. Then I can reach in with the tube, put it in opening in the the humidifier can, and pour the water right in the funnel, with the funnel well outside the cabinet. If you spill any water, for any reason, it doesn't go in the cabinet. No spills, no mess, no fuss.

Anyone else have any annual maintenance they do to their cabinets or storage areas...??
 
Very nice Tom! I have 5 Staebels and love them... I too rotate every year, and find treasures as well. Since using the Silver, I have not had any mold issues and the wicks have never been changed after many years, still white and working perfectly... The tubing is a great idea, and I will definitely get this done ASAP
 
Yesterday, I did an annual maintenance job that I'm trying to do on at least an annual basis....though I'm trying to do this a couple times a year. I took every box of cigars in my cabinet out. Each one got opened up and given a good look over, the wonderful smells got enjoyed, and they got put back in the cabinet, in a rotated position (back now in front, etc). The reason I do this is my cabinet is tall, like a phone booth, and the airflow is very directed. By rotating things, the airflow will hit the box differently for a few months. Never had any mold trouble, just makes sense to me when you have "a couple" cigars you want to age.

The humidifier cans got filled (which happens every two or three months), and the wicks in the humidifiers got a close look. Though, since I've been running colloidal silver in my humidifier water, they seem to keep nice and white and have for quite some time. I have replacements on standby, just haven't needed them yet.

The great news is you always find stuff you'd forgotten about or at least hadn't thought about in a while. Always some forgotten treasure waiting to be re-discovered.....:cool:

Pro tip for us Staebell owners.....right after I got my Staebell, I was at Home Depot and found some clear plastic tubing that will fit inside the opening on the Staebell humidifier cans. I bought about three feet of it, and a small nylon funnel. With some effort, I got the tubing stretched over the end of the funnel. Now, when it's time to fill the cans, all I have to do is pull out a couple boxes. Then I can reach in with the tube, put it in opening in the the humidifier can, and pour the water right in the funnel, with the funnel well outside the cabinet. If you spill any water, for any reason, it doesn't go in the cabinet. No spills, no mess, no fuss.

Anyone else have any annual maintenance they do to their cabinets or storage areas...??
I remember seeing the colloidal silver discussion before. Can you remind me what ratio to distilled water you use? Awesome lost by the way.
 
I remember seeing the colloidal silver discussion before. Can you remind me what ratio to distilled water you use? Awesome lost by the way.
A very wise man once told me...:

I use nano-silver mixed with my distilled water, and this eliminates any possibility of contracting mold, and keeps the spores from spreading if there is mold introduced to the environment. It is odorless and tasteless, as well as non-toxic...

This will work, 2 ounces per gallon of distilled water. I use it with my aristocrats and my set it and forget it systems, as well as my beads. If I see any mold on recently purchased cigars, I used the same solution to gently wipe down the cigar, it kills any trace of mold...

http://www.amazon.com/Nano-Silver-Colloidal-Ounces-Market/dp/B00DQIEDWY
http://www.amazon.com/Nano-Silver-Colloidal-Ounces-Market/dp/B00DQIEDWY
 
I have a Staebel also. Thanks for the tip on the nano silver. I use sterile water for irrigation and I've never had a problem, but I like the idea of adding the colloidal silver.
I bought a bottle as soon as Tom brought it to our attention and have to say I’m very pleased with the results. Its probably lengthened the life of my M Plus filters by 3.
 
Hey Tom I had forgotten about this email from Bob. I copied this into my calendar for periodically checking the humidor.

"The only maintenance required is to occasionally change wicks in the humidifier if they develop mold. I would suggest you vacuum out the rear cooling unit fins once a year to clear the dust bunnies out of the fins & fan. A can of compressed air for computers is helpful also in this task. The inside fins usually remain clean.

For the case, an occasional wax or polish & thats it.

The most likely component to fail in the next 5-10 years is the digital control. Each generation of new control that we develop is always backwards compatible, so no worries when it gives out.

Enjoy.
Bob Staebell
1-800-955-1843"
 
Thanks for the mail forward, always good to hear Bob's input.

Very early, I had one fan on one of the coolers quit, but Bob replaced the whole assembly promptly so that wasn't an issue.

I also had my controller go wonky, so it got sent back to the manufacturer who graciously did a full rebuild, even though mine was no longer being made (almost 10 years old). It just quit running the fans for the hydration cans. The guy at Climate Monitor was really cool, and told me the little control relays are often problematic after a half dozen years or so, and he replaces them. Bob has sold upgrades to some of the folks I know with cabinets, so that's an option too. Other thing is Bob uses terminal strips along the back of the cabinet for DC power distribution, and I went through and tightened the screws that cinched the wire connections. Surprising how they'd loosened over time, but my cabinet had been moved three times by that point, so maybe it's not all that surprising. Got over a quarter turn on some of them.
 
Well, The Staebel arrived today. I had to make one adjustment on the set/forget. I noticed the cooling fans running for 8 hours straight even though the temperature was showing 60 degrees. After some deliberation and multiple readings of the packet that came with the unit, i figured out the Temp setting must be low. Hit the proper buttons to show "SP1" hit the left lower button and walla....."50" degree setting was the default temp setting. I made the adjustment up to 68 degrees and all was well at Reuben's Casa de Habanos!

I turned back to this thread b/c i couldnt remember the dilution amount of the colloidal silver to distilled water. Thanks again boys for such great insight, knowledge, and information. Cheers!
 
Well, The Staebel arrived today. I had to make one adjustment on the set/forget. I noticed the cooling fans running for 8 hours straight even though the temperature was showing 60 degrees. After some deliberation and multiple readings of the packet that came with the unit, i figured out the Temp setting must be low. Hit the proper buttons to show "SP1" hit the left lower button and walla....."50" degree setting was the default temp setting. I made the adjustment up to 68 degrees and all was well at Reuben's Casa de Habanos!

I turned back to this thread b/c i couldnt remember the dilution amount of the colloidal silver to distilled water. Thanks again boys for such great insight, knowledge, and information. Cheers!
Are their pics of this new humi somewhere?
 
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