Humidipak Failures? (Leaking)

[Wild Bill Jones]

There was a post on this a few years ago. At that time I wrote that I had a Planet Waves pack leak inside my Huss & Dalton. Made a mess. Can’t get the material out. Guitar is still ok today. The packs work but I’ll never use them again.

[Sonics]

Originally Posted by Wild Bill Jones

There was a post on this a few years ago. At that time I wrote that I had a Planet Waves pack leak inside my Huss & Dalton. Made a mess. Can’t get the material out. Guitar is still ok today. The packs work but I’ll never use them again.

Have no fear, the new plastic pouch is literally 'watertight'...at all angles, and as demonstrated it doesn't leak...

[3rd_harmonic]

Originally Posted by hearsedriver

Ive read of a few instances of the Humidipak packets leaking causing damage. How often does this actually happen? Anyone here ever experienced this? I really love using them myself. Thanks

I have used them for years and will continue. But...it did happen. Trouble is, I dont know the details of why it happened and whether it was a defect. The guitar was not under my care for a few years and that is when it happened. Maybe they froze and broke..I dont know. Since the two packs were in the little compartment and the guitar was stored upright, the stuff ran down over the guitar. And.. since they were no longer functional, the guitar cracked ... split on top dead center. Pretty sure it is.repairable but the stuff ruined the finish.

[dgt178]

seems some people over complicate things.........I go to my local Dollar Store and buy a couple of 2-pak, old-time cellulose sponges. (not the Scrubee kind)....cut some slits in a sandwich-sized Zip-Lock bag, then moisten the sponges so they're just damp. Put them in the zip-locks, and place them throughout the case.....works beautifully......the key here is to NOT over moisten....the sponge will tell you when to re-moisten (it will get hard).....include a humidistat in the case....E-bay sells then for less than $5 delivered to your mail box...

[gerardo1000]

I use a Nomad humidifier between the strings and a modified Herco humidifier, where I substitute the clay block with a sponge.

[Wild Bill Jones]

I suppose they are “fixed”. A lot of people use them successfully. But for me, it’s the hi-tech wet sponge in the soap dish.

[Rev Roy]

Originally Posted by Sonics

Have no fear, the new plastic pouch is literally 'watertight'...at all angles, and as demonstrated it doesn't leak...

Thanks for posting this. Seems that there are a lot of elephants on here with long memories about leak problems that were rare and solved quite awhile ago. I sympathize with folks who actually experienced leaks. But gotta give D’Addario credit for responding quickly and apparently fixing the problem. I know I’ve been using Humidipaks for the past five years with zero problems. And this year I started rehumidifying them so I can reuse them a couple of times...which really cut down on the cost. So count me as a very satisfied customer...

[musicman1951]

Steve Kovacik, luthier and repairman Martin calls their best, told me to do the soap dish and sponge treatment - so that's what I do.

[lovgren]

I'm a believer in doing what works for you. For me, that's humidipaks plus occasionally an oasis in the winter. They work perfectly. No need to put them in the strings / soundhole. Just leave a pouch up in the headstock area. Simple.

[vintageom]

The only time I personally saw leak damage on a guitar was in 2004 or 2005 when Taylor had one at the factory to fix the black stain inside of the guitar on the back.

They fessed up, they fixed the problem, Taylor continued to advocate for them and and I started using them. Got tired of the daily wetting of sponges.

I have used them continuously since about 2010 with zero leaking in many guitars. I converted 100% to the newest pouches when they came out. Every time I change them, I look inside of them and at each used pouch I am throwing away, zero leaks.

[guitarwebguy]

I’ve been using them with a variety of guitars for 5 years and never had one break, but then I change them frequently.

[nightflight]

Originally Posted by Athens

I would never put anything damp or wet inside any of my guitars.

I had an oasis humdifier leak. Thankfully I caught it right away, but there is a small stain on the inside of my guitar to serve as a reminder.

Also I don't like prying apart strings to fit things between them. Soundhole humidifiers seem to reduce string life a lot. That's my experience. Your mileage may vary.

[drplayer]

I know that many folks--maybe even most--use these with the guitar case standing up or on its side, but the following came directly from a D'Addario Customer Service Rep when I sent an e-mail asking about the shelf life of an unopened system on March 6, 2018:


"Hello,

Thank you for your e-mail.

As long as it has not been opened and they are stored in a neutral place then yes they should be good for that long..

Just remember to please keep the guitar flat (otherwise on its side or upright will cause the gel to pool into one corner and we do not want that) and if walking around with the guitar please take them out until you get where you are going(otherwise they are sitting in there bouncing around hitting the bracing etc…


George Santos’s

Title: Consumer/Customer Service Product Specialist
CR-Fretted, CR-Planet Waves, CR-Evans & Puresound, CR-Pro mark
D’Addario & Company, Inc."

[gmel555]

Have used them for a few years in several guitars, no issues. I believe that at least some (but maybe not all?) of the leaks reported were due to people taking dried out paks and re-hydrating, then re-using them; which is not supported by the mfg'er.

[hamburg325]

Mine leaked corrosive material onto my tuners and permanently scarred them. Will NEVER use them again.