Tips for Storing Electronics in Self Storage

Desktops, laptops, tablets, smart phones, chargers, external hard drives, DSLRs, video cameras, audio recorders, TVs, external monitors, printers, modems, routers, cables, power cords, speakers, keyboards—these items are very common now, and many of us have them. In point of fact, we may have multiple devices and accessories, but what to do with them all? It’s quite a struggle for some of us to organize everything. Then there is the fact that some are in disrepair or have sentimental value, but we don’t want  to throw them out. Storing electronics must be done properly, if you want to try to preserve them.

So, we choose to put them in storage units, but no one wants to get their electronics damaged or destroyed when doing so.

Here are some general tips to help prevent such damage when storing electronics.

Water and moisture

Prevent contact with water or too much moisture. Wrap your valuable electronics in plastic to ensure that water, like from a roof leak, can not penetrate and ruin them. Of course, when you place your items in a storage unit, no one assumes that there will be any leaks, but you don’t know precisely, until it starts raining. As the saying goes, “better safe than sorry”, so carefully wrap items in some sort of waterproof covering that has no holes or cracks.

Store items up off the floor, so no water that might enter from outside can touch them. Placing them in a cardboard box on a floor will not work, because water could soak through the cardboard. Putting items on shelves at least two feet off the ground would most likely work better.

Another danger is very humid conditions, because they can result in condensation forming on electronics, which is exactly what you don’t want to happen. A consistent amount of condensation can lead to the growth of mold, or which is obviously unwanted and damaging, as well as the condensation itself.

How do you avoid humidity? If you know your items will be stored in a climate with such conditions, you might want to consider getting a climate-controlled unit. They do cost more typically, but if your electronics are valuable, it may be worth the extra fees.

If that option is not available, you might consider adding some kind of dessicant material to the container you are using to keep electronics in, to absorb some of the moisture. Also, it might be beneficial to periodically check your items to see if they are being impacted at all by moisture.

Dust

Dust can also be a problem, so covering carefully electronics is important for protection. You may also want to visit your unit periodically, and remove dust with a vacuum cleaner.

Rodents

Rodents like rats and mice can chew through electrical wire casings and cables, so they may need to be placed containers thick enough that they can’t get inside. Hopefully, you learned a few ways to store electronics you didn’t know.

When storing electronics, you also don’t want to have difficulties later, so don’t simply throw them all in one box in a very disorganized manner. When you go to retrieve them, they won’t be easy to get out of the box, and the time you have to spend disentangling or separating them might be a waste.

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Image Credit: C J Cowie, CC 3.0, No changes made.