Storing a computer in a humid garden house

globalds

What a crazy thread

As long as the bag is well sealed and the silica gel sachets are inside , just like mentioned earlier ,then the computer will remain dry.

[Deleted User]

Polythene is water vapour permeable, so even if you manage to seal the bag air tight moisture will still get in, and once the silica gel sachets have become saturated it will condense. So it really depends on how well you can seal the bag, and how long you want to store it for.

Collabora

jack_pott wrote: »

Polythene is water vapour permeable, so even if you manage to seal the bag air tight moisture will still get in, and once the silica gel sachets have become saturated it will condense. So it really depends on how well you can seal the bag, and how long you want to store it for.

I think some people on here dont understand that moisture is always in the air and will get into any packing no matter what, even making a airtight container moisture will already be in the container.

Mr_Toad

A very odd thread.

I can't be the only person thinking that a shed/garden summerhouse is probably the most unsuitable place to store a PC the OP could have thought of!

Collabora

But OP is going to pack and store it in a cold and damp SHED, so no matter how its packed it will get moist, he may as well just stick it in a tank of water. I am well aware of how to pack PCs. their is always moisture in the air, even us humans are made up of 90% water. You can ONLY EVER MINIMISE the effect of moisture. Silica Gel packs will only hold so much moisture before they become useless.

googler

Collabora wrote: »

But OP is going to pack and store it in a cold and damp SHED, so no matter how its packed it will get moist, he may as well just stick it in a tank of water. I am well aware of how to pack PCs. their is always moisture in the air, even us humans are made up of 90% water. You can ONLY EVER MINIMISE the effect of moisture. Silica Gel packs will only hold so much moisture before they become useless.

Yes, and given that there will only be a small amount of moisture in the air when the OP packs it (indoors, not in the shed), the silica gel will have no difficulty suppressing it. Humans may have water in their make-up, but that's irrelevant, unless you can suggest some way in which this water transfers to the inside of the package as the OP packs it.

Where would you suggest further moisture will come from, given the PC will be in a sealed package? There's nothing inside the package that will generate it. It's metal and plastics.

Are you suggesting that a single or double wrapped package with (say) a couple of rubble sacks, and all joints sealed, is actually permeable, and will let moisture in? If so, why?

Collabora

googler wrote: »

Yes, and given that there will only be a small amount of moisture in the air when the OP packs it (indoors, not in the shed), the silica gel will have no difficulty suppressing it. Humans may have water in their make-up, but that's irrelevant, unless you can suggest some way in which this water transfers to the inside of the package as the OP packs it.

Where would you suggest further moisture will come from, given the PC will be in a sealed package? There's nothing inside the package that will generate it. It's metal and plastics.

Are you suggesting that a single or double wrapped package with (say) a couple of rubble sacks, and all joints sealed, is actually permeable, and will let moisture in? If so, why?

In a shed it will be cold and DAMP, moisture will form on the outer packaging this can also cause moisture on the inside of the packaging which can penetrate into a PC (which is not an airtight item) and slowly start to corrode internal components.

It all depends how long it will be stored.

Do you ever see major PC companies store PCs in plastic bags?

The are always stored in cardboard boxes with Polystyrene packing and the room will have dehumidifiers working

shaun_from_Africa

Collabora wrote: »

Do you ever see major PC companies store PCs in plastic bags?

The are always stored in cardboard boxes with Polystyrene packing and the room will have dehumidifiers working

So tell me, why do all major manufacturers and suppliers of computer parts store and ship their items in these:
http://www.antistat.co.uk/product.php/15/static-shielding-bags
These bags are manufactured from polythene.

And more importantly, why can't you simply admit that you may have made a mistake?
You keep stating that moisture will form on the inside of the packaging but provided the packing in done in a warm dry area and a dehumidifier chemical is put inside to absorb the extremely small amount of moisture remaining in the air inside the wrapping, moisture cannot form on the inside.

Collabora

shaun_from_Africa wrote: »

So tell me, why do all major manufacturers and suppliers of computer parts store and ship their items in these:
http://www.antistat.co.uk/product.php/15/static-shielding-bags
These bags are manufactured from polythene.

And more importantly, why can't you simply admit that you may have made a mistake?
You keep stating that moisture will form on the inside of the packaging but provided the packing in done in a warm dry area and a dehumidifier chemical is put inside to absorb the extremely small amount of moisture remaining in the air inside the wrapping, moisture cannot form on the inside.

I have been onto Acer and Dell , they are now going to consult with MSE on how they store their products as it seems they have been doing it wrong for many years.

They store and ship in static bags for SHORT periods of time. but infact if you visit major PC component manufacturer you will find products stored in polystyrene in a sterile anti static area, it is only when they are ready to send then to retailers they will be placed in anti static bags and then they only have a limited shelf life while in the anti static bags.

googler

Collabora wrote: »

They store and ship in static bags for SHORT periods of time. but infact if you visit major PC component manufacturer you will find products stored in polystyrene in a sterile anti static area, it is only when they are ready to send then to retailers they will be placed in anti static bags and then they only have a limited shelf life while in the anti static bags.

I've bought many HDDs in the last few years, and I have never seen an HDD with a 'shelf life' marked on the antistatic bag or the packaging. I've never seen any other PC component with a 'Best before' or 'Open by' date marked upon it.

Perhaps you could tell us how long this 'shelf life' is?