Desiccant refill

[My2boys]

Does anyone know where I can get a refill for my desiccant dryer. I have found it local but its a 50 lb bag and its 150$. I don't really need that much and to be honest I don't want to pay that much.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[garrett1812]

Just need silica gel? Hobby Lobby has 5lbs bags for around $15.

And don't forget the 40% off coupon from the newspaper.

 

[jhelrey]

Start buying electronics from Walmart and take the desiccant packets out of the package and then return it.

 

[macattak]

Kitty litter. Same stuff. Cigar smokers use it all the time.

 

[rslaback]

Kitty litter. Same stuff. Cigar smokers use it all the time.

Dessicant and kitty litter are not the same stuff. Unless you have a cat that craps in small plastic beads.

Have you considered drying your existing silica? Throw it on a cookie sheet or brownie pan and bake it in the oven at around 250 for an hour or so.

 

[My2boys]

I didn't know that it could be dried. I will have to try it.

Thanks for the help.

 

[HAP]

TP Tools. $49.00 for a container. It can be re-juvinated in the oven.

 

[kbs2244]

You can make your own Silica Moisture Absorbent Packs
Here's the recipe!

Crystal unscented cat litter (Make sure the only ingredient is Silica sand/water)
Little mesh bags with draw strings (Wal-Mart wedding/craft section)

Make 'em as big or small as you want, and for extra absorbency, grind the crystals to a finer state in a morter, food processor, or in a cloth with a hammer.

Recharge in your oven as per other instructions (I did it at 200 for 30 minutes the two times I felt the need)

It's a HECK of a lot cheaper than buying packs.

 

[macattak]

Dessicant and kitty litter are not the same stuff. Unless you have a cat that craps in small plastic beads.

Have you considered drying your existing silica? Throw it on a cookie sheet or brownie pan and bake it in the oven at around 250 for an hour or so.

Um, yes it is.

 

[rlitman]

There are many kinds of desiccant. Silica gel is but one.
Clay is functional as another. Kitty litter comes in both varieties.
I myself would not use the bead kitty litter as desiccant because it is treated with chemicals to remove odors, that may introduce their own issues. Also, my silica gel is treated with cobalt chloride to indicate the moisture content (turns pink when wet, and blue when dry).

But if your desiccant is in fact silica gel, why not recharge it.
You can bake it at 225F for 3-5 hours in an electric oven (or a gas oven set on convection, as a gas flame introduces moisture that will slow the process), and get out perfectly recharged beads of dryness. Just don't bake any plastic parts along with the beads.

 

[macattak]

There are many kinds of desiccant. Silica gel is but one.
Clay is functional as another. Kitty litter comes in both varieties.
I myself would not use the bead kitty litter as desiccant because it is treated with chemicals to remove odors, that may introduce their own issues.

Litter pearls and Exquisicat have no chemicals to remove odor. 100% silica gel. I was hesitant at first, but the guys on the cigar boards with more money than sense invest thousands of $ on their cigar collections and wouldn't jeopardize their smokes if they thought a scent was going to be imparted into their cigars. I can't think of anything else that would be more susceptible to picking up odors than good cigars.

 

[rodm1]

Mimi Litter
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Mimi-Litter-Cat-Litter-4-lb-Cats/12018928

 

[tcianci]

Another way to dry the silica gel dessicant is in the microwave. I ran a small ultra clean/dry air set up for a lab grade air bearing optical device. When I set up the system, I used an oil free compressor, coalesing filters and a dessicant dryer. Normal operation was to swap out the dessicant with freshly dried material and then dry the moist stuff in the nuke and store it in Tupperware until the next swap.

 

[Andamo]

Look online at a lab supply warehouse and see if they sell molecular sieves. They looks like grains of rice and are used to pull different contaminants from gas and liquid streams. I forget which one is used to pull moisture, either 1A or 4A. They should be able to help with the correct one. Mole sieves are able to be regenerated in a oven over and over again.
Another item that can be used is Drierite. They're bulkier and do the same thing, but are disposable. Drierite is white in color and you can get blue Drierite and put some at the end of your drier. When you see the blue drierite turning from blue to pink, you'll then know the Drierite is spent and needs changed.

 

[My2boys]

Thanks for all the help. I think I'm going to get a cheaper kind, like the kind from hobby lobby or the kitty litter. I have some of the kind that changes color. Think ill mix them together like Andamo suggested so I know when to change it.

The oven trick worked great. I let them sit for a bit and it seemed like nothing would happen. I let it sit a few more mins and checked again and it was as blue as when I first opened the pack.