Ideas for keeping a boiler from rusting in a high humidity enviroment

[Seasoned Oak]

Im trying to reduce or eliminate the use of a dehumidifier which is operating for the sole purpose of keeping an off season boiler from rusting. Iv heard of the 100 watt light bulb trick but that seems like an energy waster too.
Does any one have any ideas. If i dont use any form of dehumidification i get a sheet of rust falling from inside the boiler chamber each fall before startup. Im thinking after x number of years my boiler may start leaking.

 

[Lcback]

What I know from my gun hobby.
Guys with safes go through the same thing. Steel frames and barrels rusting.
They use damprid. Closet dry, Dri-rods. And plain ol buckets of silica. Some products can even be recharged in the oven. And change colors when it's absorbed all the moisture it can. Check out options for gun safes. I imagine they will all work for a boiler.

Sent from my LG-D850 using Tapatalk

 

[warno]

When we got our new laser cutter at work it came with bucket loads of dry silica moisture absorbing packs. I took home probably 50 of them and threw them in my boiler firebox, heat exchanger, and ash pan. I've checked on it through the summer and I've noticed nothing going on in there.

 

[mike van]

How about cleaning it in the spring & spraying the inside with canola oil, cooking spray, etc?

 

[velvetfoot]

Maybe it'll be okay with that new heat pump water heater you just got. I've noticed an improvement in moisture on cool pipes and no odor even though the relative humidity might be higher. For example, right now downstairs rh=74% and temp =61, and upstairs it's 72% and 70 deg.

 

[Seasoned Oak]

Maybe it'll be okay with that new heat pump water heater you just got. I've noticed an improvement in moisture on cool pipes and no odor even though the relative humidity might be higher. For example, right now downstairs rh=74% and temp =61, and upstairs it's 72% and 70 deg.

THats what im hoping for, if fact the WH is only a few feet away from the boiler so the dry air thats blowing out the back of the WH should make the area around the boiler drier than the rest of the room. I bumped the dehumidifier up to 75% where it dont run much. I think that dehumidifier was costing me a bundle cuz it ran a lot before. In winter the heat coming off the boiler will assist the WH with making hot water and the wood stove is also nearby and that really overheats the room in winter.