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Luckily, the threshold for damage is much higher for ammo than it is for humans. Welcome to the valley! Next month it will warm up some more.As a lot of you know I just moved to AZ. My intent was to store stuff in the garage but holy hell it must be 120 degrees in there.
do you guys store ammo in cans and reloading supplies in that kind of heat?
Yes the heat will effect most everything. I have a closet inside the house that I use for the tightly sealed powder bottles. In a different room I store my primers inside a metal container. Brass and projectiles are fine in the garage least wise for me. I used sealed plastic containers because of the critters that are here in the desert. I live close to the wild and have javelin frequently in my front yard. Along with the occasional rattle snake in the back. I can hear the coyotes singing over the back fence and wish they would invite me for their parties. I also have an HOA to contend with. This part of Tucson is mostly developed, I have a golf course near so there is a lot of critters living there.
Be especially careful of anything made of hard plastic even in the garage. I bought hard plastic for some of my networking stuff and left them in the garage. 8 years later they are breaking when I move them or open them, they were never exposed to the sun.
As others have mentioned about evap coolers they can be the death of a lot of products. I do not use them any more.
Welcome neighbor, glad you made it.
Also known as a bomb.In a different room I store my primers inside a metal container.
Powder can definitely be made unstable in high heat found in AZ garages in the summer. Before I air conditioned my garage I recorded temperatures over 130 degrees. I suggest you get a split system air conditioner for your garage. The system can be installed in 1day for under $2,000.00 if you can do most of the work yourself. The final hookup of the coolant lines can be done by an AC tech for under $200.00 if you cannot do that yourself. Do this and you will never regret it.
So ammo is safe. But I think I'll put the components in the spare closet until I figure out how to get the garage cooled off
I installed a split unit air conditioner in my last garage, it cost me under $1,000 & it wasn't too difficult, just drilled a hole in the wall for the hose to run & ran a wire from the circuit box for
the 110 ac. The unit came pre-charged with refrigerant from the factory so all I had to do once it was hooked up was open a valve. Thing is when you open the garage door all the cold air goes out
You did it right. The prices for the split systems have definitely gone up. My $2,000.00 estimate was for a 2 ton split system, electrical separate circuit wiring, prefab ac compressor slab, and a permit. A homeowner needs to get a permit for resale value and to avoid fire insurance problems if something unforeseen happens. Make sure your garage attic is insulated. If not do it yourself as many houses were built in AZ without garage insulation. If the garage door isn't insulated you had better do it or the AC will run a lot more. Also be sure your garage door seals are in good condition. You will be glad you did.
Retired master electrician , electrical contractor , and 3rd generation AZ native.
The cost of using an AC unit vs. an evaporative cooler is less than you would think. The increase of water usage with their corresponding sewer fees greatly reduce any difference. The greater service required for the evaporative cooler also offsets their higher cost. When compared with a new high efficiency split system AC the evaporative cooler electrical power requirements are about equal . In the long run a split system AC unit wins hands down . P.S. a split system AC is also a lot quieter. Hope this helps make a decision.I cheat - the only thing in the garage is the lead pot and lead. When it gets hot enough to melt lead the house will be on fire and I won't worry about doing any reloading. Everything else is in the computer room/reloading room. Converted a TV stand to a single stage press table. Powder is in a double draw WOOD filing cabinet, and primers are stored on the top shelf of the closet behind me when not in use. House has an AC unit, not swamp - I learned a LONG time ago as a wee sprat in AZ that swamps are great for half the summer and useless the other half. AC costs more and is far better if you want actual cool air.