[CAUT] Building humidity now, GREAT!

[Ron Nossaman]

On 1/7/2011 8:46 AM, Gerald Groot wrote:
> My college has 100 pianos that I tune frequently. The majority are tuned
> 4 -6 times a year. Of course, concert work is done a lot more frequently
> than that but, the concert instruments also have Dampp Chasers on them
> which helps tremendously. The pitch and humidity swings are kept to a
> minimum. Otherwise, with the rest of the building, humidity swings were
> horrible!!! In August, it would be 65 %+ RH. October 35 %, December
> 18-28 %. January through March, 14 %-20 %. Of course, tunings are all
> over the place.
>
> These past 18 months, the CFAC (Covenant Fine Arts Center) was closed
> for remodeling. They redid a complete renovation of the entire CFAC. 18
> million bucks worth. Part of the building opened up in October at which
> time the RH averaged 35 %. Granted, it just opened so they were getting
> used to adjusing everything. We encountered the same problems Paul, one
> room was 80 the next was 65 degrees.
>
> Supposedly, they spent quite a bundle on a new HVAC system. This past
> Wednesday and Thursday of this week, it averaged 22 – 26 % RH. One room
> was 19 %. So much for a new HVAC. I think they’re either over rated or
> the people responsible for them do not understood how to operate them. ? J

I tune for a small college that did the same thing. After years and 
years of *extensive* and *repeated* discussion with them on humidity 
control, they put in a new HVAC system at huge expense. A year or so 
later, as the dust settled and they tried to get the thing under 
control, they asked me why the pianos still won't stay in tune. I asked 
them about the humidification system. "Humidity?", they said, like they 
had never heard of such a concept. So no, there was absolutely no 
consideration given to humidity control when the system was installed. 
It never crossed anyone's mind, or if it did, it was considered too 
expensive and was deleted. I suspect that is the case there too.
Ron N