Well, it's morphing into winter here, and my thoughts are turning to the effect that very cold weather has on stereo equipment. Are there any dangers in storing gear in non-heated sheds, etc.?

I haven't had any trouble and I assume that your winters are way dryer than ours. The main problem comes when you take cold gear into a warm house. Condensation builds up and that can cause trouble.

I tend to keep vintage stuff inside during winter. I've had a few pieces go south after storing em in my unheated garage. New York winters are rough on old capacitors. And yeah, I do agree wholeheartedly to watch out when taking stuff inside from the cold. Keep an eye on condensation and wait until it comes up to room temperature before switching it on. This counts for TV's too...

It's a whole lot colder in Reno than in Western Oregon. Best to keep it inside if you can.

I've been keeping less-used gear in an unheated basement for years. we have a dehumidifier to keep it dry down there. doesn't seem to be affecting anything adversely. Then again, unlike an unheated garage (assuming it's above ground) it never gets below the low fifties in the basement.

Also, I run everything periodically. I don't know if not running gear over long periods makes any difference, but it makes me feel better to turn everything on every once in a while.

If you're bringing stuff into a warm house from the cold, maybe try what I've always done with camera gear after shooting outside. Put the item in a plastic bag, draw out as much air as you can and seal it. Open it up and take out the gear after and hour or two to bring it up to temperature. Cuts down on condensation a whole lot.

Besides those parts already mentioned, solder joints, glass, or whatever could loosen or crack. On any given day it could get warmer/colder as parts expand and contract.

If you really have no other choice, I might put them in well insulated boxes or wrapping and hope for the best. I guess the theory is like wrapping pipes for the winter.

And once in the shed, it's too easy to just leave them in there during the summer for the heat cycle.

Like terra1 says.

Look what cold/heat cycle does to roadways. In Reno that's probably a dry low/high of 20°-100°. I'd keep them in a more temperature regulated environment.

If yhere is no other choice I would not only use the plastic bag ides exressed above but put a small pack of dessicant in the bag. That way if you bag it in a humid environment the dessicant will dry it out. Sorry, telco term I believe the stuff is called silica gel or summat like that.

My Sansui 771, Dynaco A25s and Sony cd lives in the garage year round (last 5 years) and still woks fine. I have had tunes well below 0 F. I agree condensation is the enemy of electonics.

Uriah

If you're bringing stuff into a warm house from the cold, maybe try what I've always done with camera gear after shooting outside. Put the item in a plastic bag, draw out as much air as you can and seal it. Open it up and take out the gear after and hour or two to bring it up to temperature. Cuts down on condensation a whole lot.

No need to put it in a bag, just let it sit and acclimate, putting it in a bag simply traps the moisture in the bag. I use my cameras a lot in the winter.

In regards to storing equipment in unheated spaces, if it's a garage, I can't think of any problems that might cause, cold temps will not damage your gear as far as I know. If it's in an unheated basement, then you have issues with humidity maybe.

We don't have a humidifier in the house so in the winter it's a bit dry, I could bring an amp in from my garage on a -10 day and there would be no condensation issues it's so dry.

My biggest problem has always been taking stuff from our refridgerated house (we set our AC at 70) outside in the nice humid Iowa summers.

If I may add my possibly worthless suggestion: What about powering up the eqpt while still out in the shed and warming it up above the dewpoint before bringing it in to the warmer and more humid house? Aside from the remote possibility that tubes would break, I can't see any serious side-effect... or did I miss the point altogether?

One nice thing about the Reno area is that humidity is really low. Not Arabia-esque, but probably 20-40% year round. I work on garage doors and openers, and we certainly see a higher gdo electronics failure rate during the winter.

My Pioneer SX-780 runs the sound system at a lighthouse museum. During the winter the museum section is closed down and is unheated. This is the second year it has been stored this way, and I haven't noticed any problems. However, I do take the auto-repeat cassette deck out of the building and store that in my home.

Happiness is ..A warm amplifier on a cold night...And an even warmer little lady friend...:naughty:

Happiness is ..A warm amplifier on a cold night...And an even warmer little lady friend...:naughty:

Oh yeah!

:banana:

Another benefit of some cover: I don't know what kind of shed you have, but I always picture the dusty grungy components I get with cobwebbed crumpled dead spiders bugs, mites, and mice urinated PCBs were from storage in sheds or under their trailer.