Tips For Safely Storing Your Electronics In A Storage Unit

Posted on: 5 July 2016

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If you need a place to store a lot of electronics, you might be considering renting a storage unit. Self-storage units are ideal for this purpose; however, it is important to take the right steps when using a unit for storing electronics. Electronics can get damaged if they are exposed to the wrong things, and damage to electronics can cause several key issues.

What Damages Electronics?

There are two main things that can damage electronics, and these are cold weather and moisture. When electronics get too cold or come in contact with moisture, the following things can happen:

  • LCD screens can freeze. An LCD screen contains liquid. If this liquid freezes, it can damage the device to a point where is will no longer work.
  • Condensation from moisture can cause hard drives to short circuit, and fixing this issue is not easy.
  • Cold weather can cause batteries in electronics to no longer charge or hold a charge.

These are some of the main issues you may experience if you place electronics in a place that gets cold. To prevent these issues from happening, you may want to select a temperature-controlled unit.

What Should You Do Before Placing Electronics In A Storage Unit?

If your only option is to rent a normal unit that is not temperature-controlled, you may want to be selective with what you place in the unit and take a few extra steps to protect your goods. Here are some tips to help you with this:

  • Do not put electronics in the unit that have LCD screens.
  • Remove batteries from all electronics before storing them, and keep the batteries with you.
  • Back up all drives onto disks or other backup systems before placing the items in a storage unit, and keep the backup copies with you.
  • Cover each item with a towel or blanket to prevent moisture from getting inside the actual devices, and you can also use bubble wrap to protect the items from getting damaged.
  • Place the items in boxes on a pallet or something else that props them off the ground to help stop moisture from getting inside your electronic items.

Choosing a temperature-controlled storage unit might cost a little more than a standard unit, but it will also offer more protection for your goods. If you would like to learn more about storing electronics in a storage unit, contact a facility that rents storage units, such as AAA Flying Trolley Self Storage.