Drying out dessicant sachets

[abmwinnoch]

Hi, does anyone have any suggestions for the best way to dry out the reusable tiny sachets that come with this dessicant cap? https://www.firstlightoptics.com/adapters/astro-essentials-dual-fit-desiccant-cap-red.html

I'm sure that radiators are fine in the winter but now that they are off for the summer, I've tried everything from heating them gently on an induction hob, to leaving them out in the sunlight! Nothing turns those green crystals orange again fast enough to over come the speed they obsorb moisture from the air!

At best I see condensation forming inside the plastic cover, but it doesn't seem to escape fast enough. Any sensible suggestions? Thanks

Edited June 27, 2022 by abmwinnoch
Typo in the url

[Swoop1]

Try keeping them in the airing cupboard or popping them in the oven for a little while on a very low heat or as the oven cools after use?

[Captain Scarlet]

Don't do what I did to a larger bag of silica gel: put it in the microwave for far too long, forget about it and go for a run, only for my wife to discover the bag had caught fire in the microwave! Lucky escape!

Magnus

[StarryEyed]

I had an SBIG 2000 some years ago and it had a metal dessicant plug. To dry out the plug you put it in the oven an baked it.

So you could empty the sachets into some tin foil wrap them up maybe three layers to a similar size poke lots of tiny holes in them with a small sowing needle bake them and reuse them. 

or just buy new ones their cheap. 

 

Edited June 27, 2022 by StarryEyed

[M40]

On 27/06/2022 at 15:59, abmwinnoch said:

Hi, does anyone have any suggestions for the best way to dry out the reusable tiny sachets that come with this dessicant cap? https://www.firstlightoptics.com/adapters/astro-essentials-dual-fit-desiccant-cap-red.html

I'm sure that radiators are fine in the winter but now that they are off for the summer, I've tried everything from heating them gently on an induction hob, to leaving them out in the sunlight! Nothing turns those green crystals orange again fast enough to over come the speed they obsorb moisture from the air!

At best I see condensation forming inside the plastic cover, but it doesn't seem to escape fast enough. Any sensible suggestions? Thanks

I left a green pack on the router for about 2 days with a constant background heat from the device. No change, so I binned them. When I get close to running out, my cunning plan is to buy some more

[Carbon Brush]

Drying out silica gel effectively means a few hours at a little over 100C. I don't remember the exact figures.
If you are going to run your oven, fill it to make the electricity use worthwhile.
However, the conditions often degrade the bag material, or the adhesive sealing the bag.
At lower temperature you drive off only some of the moisture.
A cunning plan to make you buy more!

[UKDiver]

I've been collecting from COVID tests. I have quite a few.