Tube Amp Storage ???

[bokat57]

Hi

How should a tube amp be stored ?

How long can a tube amp be stored before the parts start to degrade ?


Thanks :thmbsp:
Bob

 

[century tek]

I would say to store it any way you see fit. It is usually the capacitors that dry up over time but it takes something like 20 years or so before you should at least have them looked at or changed out if it hasn't been plugged in in 20 years.

 

[Retrovert]

How should a tube amp be stored ?

It should be placed on a shelf at my house where I can keep an eye on it, and hooked up to speakers to ensure the storage is properly working on a daily basis. (I practice ISO 9001 techniques.) If any of the tubes fail during storage I will immediately notify you so you can replace them to maintain proper storage conditions. Note: I do not charge for this service.

Ok, the answer you are probably looking for is that you need to protect it from moisture which can corrode the chassis and cause mildew to grow, and from dust which absorbs moisture and causes spots, corrosion, and other issues. The easiest way is to put electronic equipment (tubes or otherwise) in a thick-walled bag with a small amount of dry dessicant (silica gel, the same stuff used for cat litter) and then seal the bag, making it airtight. The thicker, heavier bags are less permeable to oxygen than the thinner ones. If you use one of the vacuum gadgets that evacuates the bag and then seals it, so much the better.

How long can a tube amp be stored before the parts start to degrade ?

Aside from the electrolytic caps going bad over time, which they'll do anyway over time, nothing else should deteriorate. You might get some minor outgassing from plastics, and oozing out of monomer in insulation, but that's about it.

Properly packed with a dessicant, your tube amp museum should be safe from the ravages of time for many years. It would, of course, be safer at my place where I can keep an eye on it, and where it would be covered by my homeowner's insurance. (Just sayin'.)

 

[gadget73]

If it has modern capacitors, years would not be an issue. Modern caps are a lot better sealed than ones from the 50s and 60s. Dessicant would be a good idea, and it would be a good idea to bring it up slowly on a variac if its been dormant a long time just to make sure the caps re-form properly.

 

[djnagle]

Soak a bath towel in salt water then wrap the amp with it and place it in the back yard in direct sunlight. ....should be fine.

 

[wa2ise]

Keep it in a closet in the house, where it's heated and cooled along with the rest of the living areas. Avoid damp basements, and avoid hot and cold attics.

 

[Dukiedook]

Dehumidifier near a drain helped in my old house in the basement.

 

[cubby01]

Soak a bath towel in salt water then wrap the amp with it and place it in the back yard in direct sunlight. ....should be fine.

Dennis, Sounds like a patina recipe for some of your sculptures.

 

[SPL db]

Soak a bath towel in salt water then wrap the amp with it and place it in the back yard in direct sunlight. ....should be fine.

Now, be nice!

 

[bokat57]

Soak a bath towel in salt water then wrap the amp with it and place it in the back yard in direct sunlight. ....should be fine.

Real Funny ha ha ! btw when do you go back to the north pole and get ready for xmas ?


Thanks All for your Input :thmbsp:
Bob