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Last post 16 months ago by koach77. 37 replies replies.
Boveda packs rechargeable?
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pfk985 Offline
#1 Posted: Wed, Sep 17 2014, 7:48 PM EST
Joined: 06-07-2014
Posts: 49
Someone told me he recharges Boveda packs by soaking them in distilled water for 2-3 days. Does anyone know if this works?
cacman Offline
#2 Posted: Wed, Sep 17 2014, 7:57 PM EST
Joined: 07-03-2010
Posts: 12,216
Don't know about soaking them directly in distilled water, but they can be recharged by placing them in a ziplock bag or container with a small glass of distilled water.
dlandri21 Offline
#3 Posted: Wed, Sep 17 2014, 8:01 PM EST
Joined: 07-31-2010
Posts: 334
Soaking them makes them bloat. I would soak a sponge or two and put them in a tupperware container.
delta1 Offline
#4 Posted: Wed, Sep 17 2014, 8:11 PM EST
Joined: 11-23-2011
Posts: 28,784
I've recharged them by putting them in a sealed zíplock bag with moist humidifier pillows and moist paper towels.
bs_kwaj Offline
#5 Posted: Wed, Sep 17 2014, 8:46 PM EST
Joined: 02-13-2006
Posts: 5,214
I've been putting them in a zip lock bag and then pouring a little distilled water in the bag and then sealing it up.

I just leave them in there until I need 'em. By the time I pull 'em out, they feel about the same as when they were new. But.... it's not like they are just sitting in a pool of water. I pour in just enough to do the trick. If I get too much water in there, then the next day I will pour out the excess.

Not sure how many times you can do it. But, it works for me.
Thunder.Gerbil Offline
#6 Posted: Wed, Sep 17 2014, 8:53 PM EST
Joined: 11-02-2006
Posts: 121,359
You can soak them in water, it won't hurt the membrane. The label might fall off, as it did with some I tried it with. Only happened with the white ones though, the newer beige ones the label stayed on. One thing to keep in mind that it's really easy to overcharge the pack by soaking them. It won't hurt it, but it will not operate at the specified humidity until it loses it's excess water and the salt-water ratio falls back into the operating range. IIRC a fully charged small pack weighs 8g and a large pack weighs 60g. If you go over that weight what happens is that the salt solution is too dilute and the pack will just give off humidity until it drops to a saturated solution at the specified weights.
pfk985 Offline
#7 Posted: Wed, Sep 17 2014, 9:33 PM EST
Joined: 06-07-2014
Posts: 49
How many days would you leave them in the ziplock bag?
Philly Jack Offline
#8 Posted: Wed, Sep 17 2014, 10:02 PM EST
Joined: 08-31-2012
Posts: 1,791
Indirect works fine I had three dead ones in my cooler beginning of summer now they recharged and kept my levels fine all summer. So Just throw the dead ones in your humi or cooler and they will slowly recharge any faster recharge I don't know Tupperware and a water source
cacman Offline
#9 Posted: Thu, Sep 18 2014, 12:13 AM EST
Joined: 07-03-2010
Posts: 12,216
pfk985 wrote:
How many days would you leave them in the ziplock bag?

The time will vary depending on your ambient conditions. When I lived on the East Coast with higher humidity it would take a day or two. Now living at a higher elevation with less humidity it takes up to a week. When all the crystals are soft inside, they're ready. Good luck.
ronco Offline
#10 Posted: Thu, Sep 18 2014, 12:45 AM EST
Joined: 03-02-2013
Posts: 43
I have had great success by placing a sponge soaked with distilled water in a tupperware container and throwing one or two dead/dying Boveda packs in there for a few days. The less "dead" they are the better the outcome though.

So I can attest to the fact that yes, you CAN indeed recharge a Boveda pack.
TMCTLT Offline
#11 Posted: Thu, Sep 18 2014, 9:04 AM EST
Joined: 11-22-2007
Posts: 19,733
Have some reactivating as we speak, I used a lrg JIF jar with a smaller JIF lid in the bottom pour a small amount of distilled water in, drop lid in and set packs on top of it. Works flawlessly.

Note: some that I've added we're pretty much drained of any moisture.... And they came right back in a matter of days
Sneaky greasy Offline
#12 Posted: Thu, Sep 18 2014, 11:28 AM EST
Joined: 09-25-2012
Posts: 80
I let mine soak in an air tight container with distilled water for 3 days. Then let it rest one day in the container without water in it. Works good and have done it twice already.
Douglasmhines Offline
#13 Posted: Wed, Sep 24 2014, 10:16 PM EST
Joined: 09-04-2014
Posts: 10
Is distilled water really that important? I understand if you have issues with hard water, etc. Wouldn't water passed through a reverse osmosis process be as good as distilled? IIRC, RO pulls all mimerals out of the water .... Or, are there other issues i am not takimg into consideration?
99cobra2881 Offline
#14 Posted: Thu, Sep 25 2014, 1:42 PM EST
Joined: 11-19-2013
Posts: 2,472
It might work fine since the packs aren't directly absorbing the water just absorbing moisture as the water evaporates in the container. Now for soaking them that's different, direct contact with the non distilled water might be inviting a visit from the mold fairy. A gallon of distilled water is cheap and will last a very long time.
Douglasmhines Offline
#15 Posted: Thu, Sep 25 2014, 4:09 PM EST
Joined: 09-04-2014
Posts: 10
Good point, didnt think about that. For me it isnt the cost of the distilled water, it is the laziness factor. Now if i could order distilled water omline ...... LOL
pfk985 Offline
#16 Posted: Sun, Sep 28 2014, 5:52 PM EST
Joined: 06-07-2014
Posts: 49
I've had them in a container for a week and they haven't recharged yet. Any suggestions?
hambone71 Offline
#17 Posted: Sun, Sep 28 2014, 7:14 PM EST
Joined: 11-07-2011
Posts: 1,684
I have recharged several perfectly by placing 3 or 4 in large Tupperware with a small, shallow cup of distilled water. I have another 4 recharging as we speak. I left them in there for several weeks because i didn't need them right away. I didn't really check them very often either. They were crunchy when i put them in, a few weeks later they were recharged.
pfk985 Offline
#18 Posted: Sun, Sep 28 2014, 7:42 PM EST
Joined: 06-07-2014
Posts: 49
I have 2 each in separate Tupperware containers with a sponge soaked in distilled water. They are still crunchy . I will continue to leave them in there , I will check them in a couple of weeks.
youngra Offline
#19 Posted: Fri, Oct 3 2014, 12:10 PM EST
Joined: 11-07-2011
Posts: 1,885
cacman wrote:
Don't know about soaking them directly in distilled water, but they can be recharged by placing them in a ziplock bag or container with a small glass of distilled water.


This works great - just did two last week.

RY
Herfing
Palama Online
#20 Posted: Tue, Dec 27 2022, 1:30 PM EST
Joined: 02-05-2013
Posts: 23,680
More of, basically, the same advice.

Will add that I’ve put the packs inside a container with distilled water and at first things were fine but after a few dunks, the outer paper / membrane started to get funky so definitely don’t recommend that method.
clintCigar Offline
#21 Posted: Tue, Dec 27 2022, 1:40 PM EST
Joined: 05-14-2019
Posts: 4,682
Yeah I have not did the dunking method yet either but have had good success with putting them in freezer ziplocs or sealed containers with another smaller container of distilled water to let them recharge "naturally." This method does take a lot longer so u need to have enough to rotate in and out.
Jakethesnake86 Offline
#22 Posted: Tue, Dec 27 2022, 4:47 PM EST
Joined: 12-29-2020
Posts: 4,132
I’ve dunked old hard crunchy ones to bring them back. Figured they were too far gone for just “natural” recharge. I’ve had good luck with adding distilled water right in my humidor in a cup to keep them “charged in there
clintCigar Offline
#23 Posted: Tue, Dec 27 2022, 7:39 PM EST
Joined: 05-14-2019
Posts: 4,682
^Your humidity doesn't get too high when u do that?
Sunoverbeach Offline
#24 Posted: Tue, Dec 27 2022, 8:26 PM EST
Joined: 08-11-2017
Posts: 14,665
I never considered dipping them, what with the paper wrapper and all. Maybe if the were still in the cello
Jakethesnake86 Offline
#25 Posted: Tue, Dec 27 2022, 8:49 PM EST
Joined: 12-29-2020
Posts: 4,132
Clint if you use a small enough amount of water it’ll hold pretty well on the numbers. When I take the water out or if it dries out I’ll begin dropping back down. I don’t know the science here I do know the size of exposed water or sponge will make the difference
Jakethesnake86 Offline
#26 Posted: Tue, Dec 27 2022, 8:52 PM EST
Joined: 12-29-2020
Posts: 4,132
I do the same thing in my desktop with screw on milk caps. The size is what makes it work. How much surface area
Jakethesnake86 Offline
#27 Posted: Tue, Dec 27 2022, 9:06 PM EST
Joined: 12-29-2020
Posts: 4,132
I guess my thought process is like.


If your bovedas are getting a little light and you add a small open container of water in a sealed container. The water can’t escape so it has to make its way back into the bovedas. Just like a recharge station. As long as it’s a small surface area say a tall skinny shot glass vs an open bowl the bovedas can pick up that excess rather than always losing fluid. So far it’s working here.

In the summer here I’m usually trying to keep moisture out as the humidity gets and stays pretty high. I use my desktop mainly in the summer with no humifivatio or bovedas just the wood box
clintCigar Offline
#28 Posted: Wed, Dec 28 2022, 12:49 PM EST
Joined: 05-14-2019
Posts: 4,682
ThumpUp
I might try that myself.
danmdevries Offline
#29 Posted: Wed, Dec 28 2022, 12:56 PM EST
Joined: 02-11-2014
Posts: 17,365
Don't soak them directly in water.

My primary method is that I have heartfelt beads and Bovedas in my humidors. I saturate the beads and the bovedas take up the excess.

But for recharging Bovedas alone, I take a rubbermaid container and put some mason jar screw rings in the bottom. Put water in about half the depth of the rings. Place Bovedas on top of the rings - don't let them touch water. In a month or so they'll rehydrate.

Once a Boveda is completely depleted/crispy they're done for. I've successfully rehydrated them, but unfortunately they ended up leaking and ruining nearby cigars. Don't let them get that dry.
danmdevries Offline
#30 Posted: Wed, Dec 28 2022, 12:57 PM EST
Joined: 02-11-2014
Posts: 17,365
chit, just noticed this post is 8 years old.

My advice stays the same.
drglnc Offline
#31 Posted: Wed, Dec 28 2022, 2:45 PM EST
Joined: 04-01-2019
Posts: 713
i have been reusing for years. i use the soak method for about 48 hours, then take the out. Wrap in a paper towel for about 2 hours and they are good to go for another 6 months. after a couple years the paper starts to break down but never seems to be an issue but if i see its getting bad i toss and refresh with a new one. only end up buying a few a year and thats with 4 different containers (2 of which are 50gal coolers) and i have a mix of the normal size and the jumbo.

Your Mileage may very...
stogie30 Offline
#32 Posted: Thu, Dec 29 2022, 1:01 PM EST
Joined: 11-10-2011
Posts: 39
They'll reabsorb water but I'd be willing to bet they'll not be as accurate to their specific RH as they originally were since it's all based on the salt amount inside them.
KingoftheCove Offline
#33 Posted: Thu, Dec 29 2022, 1:18 PM EST
Joined: 10-08-2011
Posts: 7,632
stogie30 wrote:
They'll reabsorb water but I'd be willing to bet they'll not be as accurate to their specific RH as they originally were since it's all based on the salt amount inside them.

That is very interesting.
Might need further research here……
Jakethesnake86 Offline
#34 Posted: Fri, Dec 30 2022, 9:09 AM EST
Joined: 12-29-2020
Posts: 4,132
Wonder if you weighed the brand new one. Then weighed them after a recharge. I’m figuring the salt can’t leave the package so maybe if you got them to weigh the same as original they should still be spot on? I’ve got some a few years old that are still keeping my digital hygrometer happy
danmdevries Offline
#35 Posted: Sun, Jan 1 2023, 9:19 PM EST
Joined: 02-11-2014
Posts: 17,365
stogie30 wrote:
They'll reabsorb water but I'd be willing to bet they'll not be as accurate to their specific RH as they originally were since it's all based on the salt amount inside them.


They hold true. Don't know about if you soak em in water but I've reused mine for as long as I've been keeping cigars. Had a couple leak and take out some cigars a while back but other than that my hygrometers read pretty stable
KingoftheCove Offline
#36 Posted: Mon, Jan 2 2023, 11:38 AM EST
Joined: 10-08-2011
Posts: 7,632
danmdevries wrote:
They hold true. Don't know about if you soak em in water but I've reused mine for as long as I've been keeping cigars. Had a couple leak and take out some cigars a while back but other than that my hygrometers read pretty stable

Good to know Dan…..thx.
koach77 Offline
#37 Posted: Sat, Jan 7 2023, 12:33 AM EST
Joined: 11-21-2013
Posts: 1
pfk985 wrote:
Someone told me he recharges Boveda packs by soaking them in distilled water for 2-3 days. Does anyone know if this works?


Yes, I've been recharging mine for the past 4-5 years.

I use a plastic coffee can or a Tupperware-type container. I place humidity beads (in a stocking) and place them in a plastic bowl after soaking them in distilled water in the center of the container. Then the used/hard Boveda packs are placed around the bowl and after 1-2 weeks they have plumped back out to usable state.Herfing
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