I purchased a couple of the Heartfelt 65% tubes for my new humidor. They beads seem to be falling apart. I open the humidor and there are small pieces of beads everywhere, plus they don't hold humidity for very long. I spray the tubes so I'm not over soaking them. I open the end cap and look at the beads to see if they need more distilled water and a lot of them look half size.What's up. Is this common.
certexas
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I am a big fan of Heartfelt beads... They provide all my humidification(cooler & humi's).

I get bead dust from the tubes, not from the socks.... I also just open them and add water directly to the beads in the tubes.

No idea about some being "half the size" Besides a few that have split, all mine appear to be the same size.

As far as them holding humidity, my guess is that it is more likely your humidor does not having a great seal....
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Sometimes the beads will crack, but this does not affect their ability to retain or absorb moisture. Keep at least 60% of your beads clear(moist). You can check the seal on your humidor a few ways. If its a solid top you can place a flashlight inside and look for light leaks around the edges. For glass tops take a crisp dollar bill and close the lid with the bill on the edge, if it pulls out easily that is your leak. You can also open the lid a few inches and drop, it should kind of whoosh closed and not slam. Painters tape on the edge will help seal the leaks. :-)
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My humidor has a good seal. I know the process of charging the beads. I just don't like the bottom and shelves of my humidor covered with small pieces, not dust, of beads that fall out of the tubes.
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I never liked the tubes for this reason. Order some of the socks/bags and I think you will be much happier.

Shawn
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Assuming your humidor does have a good seal. Is there a chance you are short on enough beads or you didn't get it seasoned properly....:-)

Put your beads in a locked tight Tupperware with your hygrometer and see how long they hold a charge.....:-)

If you don't like bead dust, get socks or put your tubes in little trays....
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I agree. But if ordering them is not in your plan you can get some pantyhose from the store for less then a dollar. You can also get aquarium bags at your local pet store for a dollar maybe less. Both of those work good too.
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I've kept the beads in pantyhose for years. They work great and make it easy to recharge the beads.
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I've tried both and I find the bags + loose beads to be the better of the two. The tube does tend to have lots of cracked or broken beads.
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I have a pound and a half of beads in my vino in socks and almost another pound in various tubes throughout and I never recharge the tubes by spraying them I just have them as a buffer I guess in case I get a spike after I spray the socks.

The bead dust is a little annoying at first but like said above you could place the tube on a tray or maybe a strip of paper to catch the dust.

Best bet is go to walmart and grab some panty hose and never look back. I've had my beads for about a year and a half and have never had a problem with them.
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