what is a safe storage temperature for arduinos and electronic things  - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: nmmbeginer
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 02, 2015, 02:09:38 pm
content: ok guys so i have a problem. right now my electronic work area is in the basement and i am running out of space. so i thought that i might move to my shed that is in the back yard. but the shed is not climate controlled and so it gets really hot ( like a max of 102 F) in the summer and cold ( below freezing) in the winter. i guess my question is it this an ok place to keep my arduinos and other electronic things or not. right now it dose get a little damp in there but i can fix that by putting the windows on and keeping the door shut.

author: KJDS
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 02, 2015, 02:16:03 pm
content: The temperature won't be an issue. Condensation can be a killer and keeping windows and doors shut won't make any difference to that. You need heating and ventilation to remove moisture.

author: amyk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 02, 2015, 02:32:34 pm
content: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operating_temperature0-70C is the usual "commercial" temperature range that most electronics are rated for, 0-85C is also quite common.

author: Richard Crowley
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 02, 2015, 02:50:25 pm
content: A cheap-n-cheerful solution to the humidity problem is to store boards and components in zipper plastic bags.Keep static-sensitive items in their conductive bags and put the bags inside the zipper bags.

author: Augustus
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 02, 2015, 03:03:07 pm
content: Yeah, and I would add some dried Silica Gel to the zipper bags. You can buy it on eBay or in your local supermarket as Kitty Litter, the premium "crystal" type stuff, its basically pure Silica Gel

author: nmmbeginer
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 02, 2015, 03:04:52 pm
content: ok so in the summer time the heat usually keeps the moisture fairly low. but spring fall and winter is where i may have the problem. so if i keep some heat in there will that work?? and i also like the idea of the ziplock bags.

author: Augustus
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 02, 2015, 03:58:27 pm
content: A heated and well ventilated shed would keep the relative humidity in spring/fall/winter pretty low, even if it's rainy and foggy outside. But it would consume a lot of energy (money...) to constantly heat the shed, of course... I would install a hygrometer, they are not that expensive and give you some useful data on which you can act on...Oh, and the problem with zip-bags or other airtight containers is relative humidity and dewpoint. Just as an example... My room temperature at the moment is ~25°C and the relative humidity reads ~50%. Dewpoint, at these conditions, would be at around ~14°C. What that means: If I seal a component in an airtight container at these conditions and the temperature drops below 14°C, condensation of water will occur inside the container. And that is really bad... Hence the Silica Gel, it is really important, because it keeps the relative humidity inside the container at a low level, regardless of temperature changes...

author: ConKbot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 03, 2015, 12:43:33 pm
content: Are water tight ammo cans available near you? In the US, surplus military ammo containers are available, water/air tight steel containers with a sealing gasket, and a pretty strong latch. A good sized silica packet in an infrequently opened ammo can and the contents will stay dry inside for years.

author: VK5RC
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 04, 2015, 12:37:05 am
content: +1 re silica gel and zip lock bags, but keep the silica gel away from the circuitry as it will be 'wet' and things in contact with it will corrode. If they are left ffo a long time, consider double bagging.

author: CatalinaWOW
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 04, 2015, 01:08:46 am
content: As long as the dew point in the bag is below the temperature it will see there won't be a problem. Take your stuff out to the shed on a cold dry morning, and bag it up. It will do pretty well. But the bags and most containers are not hermetic. Moisture will permeate eventually. The silica gel helps on this, but nothing is forever. If you aren't going to be touching this stuff for years, why keep it? Sell it or give it away and plan on buying whatever the current hot ticket is in five or ten years or whenever.