[CAUT] What to do???

[Fred Sturm]

Hi Paul,
	Your system does seem to be creaky and clunky. I think the norm these  
days is atomizing water through fine nozzles kind of like a spray  
bottle in function, as opposed to using steam (which is probably the  
way they transport heat from a central plant to your building, so they  
are just releasing some to raise RH). In any case, I would talk to  
people about maintaining some minimal standard with what you have -  
say a minimum of 30% RH - as opposed to trying to maintain a narrow  
window. If they can manage that, then you can install humidistats and  
rods in most of the inventory to take care of the high humidity, or at  
least manage it fairly well. It seems to be extraordinarily expensive  
and troublesome to maintain a tight window of RH, and there are good  
mechanical reasons why this is so. But I think most of the expense is  
in dehumidifying (because it requires "generating cold" to remove  
moisture, colder than is needed for temperature control).
	Since you do have some kind of system for adding humidity, it might  
at least be possible to find a fall back position between complete  
replacement of HVAC and just throwing up your hands and living with  
what happens.
Regards,
Fred Sturm
University of New Mexico
fssturm at unm.edu



On Dec 2, 2008, at 7:17 AM, Paul T Williams wrote:

> I have compiled extensive records on the classroom/recital hall with  
> a Steinway D and a Benn harpsichord that had wild (I mean wild)  
> humidity swings in 24 hour periods.  I presented that and  
> still....nothing done.  The director now tells me a new HVAC system  
> will cost $6 million.  At least he and the Dean are talking about  
> it...probably due to my message to the Senior Vice Chancellor (a  
> customer of mine!) about the situation.  He's also now asked me for  
> some alternatives.  I will compile a quote for 70 DC complete units  
> including undercovers.  The other pianos in classrooms and concert  
> halls get moved too much by uneducated piano movers and one piano  
> gets moved around campus for outside music building events (a  
> completely rebuilt Steinway A - 1911).
>
> Do you all think DC will give a discount for that many systems?
>
> Paul

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