Humidipaks can leak, and may damage wood.
This morning I found a mess (see photo) on a shelf in my music room where I had stored about 20 Humidipak envelopes, some in the black cloth pouches.
If this had been inside an instrument or case...
I generally like Planet Waves products. These Humidipaks were over two years old, but they were sitting undisturbed on a shelf and the outer paper envelope apparently just dissolved and leaked, a lot. I don't think the contents are corrosive, but 100% humidity maintained on the surface of wood causes finish damage, warping, blistering and delamination, mold growth, and more.
If I still lived in a climate requiring winter humidification, or summer de-humidification, I would consider Humidipaks. They are convenient, effective, generally not messy, (and expensive). But I'd take the following precautions:
- check frequently in the case or instrument to find trouble early; do not set and forget over the winter or store indefinitely
- if the Humidipak contents crystallize, throw it away and don't try to recharge in a steamy shower room for instance to extend the life and save some bucks; the sharp crystals can cut the paper envelope leading to leakage
- once you open the foil packaging, write the date on the Humidipak and discard it after a year, even if the contents still seem the proper peanut butter or paste consistency; the paper envelope can rot over time and then leak.
There have not been many recent posts about problems with Humidipaks since the improved version was introduced around 2008. I believe all my Humidipaks were the new version.
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