Dear Richard,
To add to the comments already made about Dampp-Chaser:
The system is designed to automatically cycle from humidifying to
dehumidifying, and works most efficiently when both sides are present,
even where the need is to go primarily in one direction. It is able to
cycle the needed side on sooner if the other side is also working.
And in your specific situation, you also need to lower the humidity during
wet times to that which you can achieve in dry times. For example,
if you can achieve an R.H. of 35-40% during the winter, your
upper end of 55-60% is still a long way off. You can greatly
increase stability by using both sides. I agree that the dehumidifying
wattages can be kept lower.
Dampp-Chaser has a distributor in Norway who would be able
to help you. You can contact the co. at piano@dampp-chaser.com
to get his name. He can help you select exactly what grouping of
components, and what layout, will help you the most.
Good luck, Ruth Phillips>
> Date: Sat, 23 Oct 1999 18:17:16 EDT
> From: Billbrpt@AOL.COM
> Subject: Re: Woahh Der !!
>
> In a message dated 10/23/99 11:54:36 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
> richardb@c2i.net writes:
>
> << Thanks Bill and Susan for the replies. I of course am doing what ever I
> can to
> get the admin. folks to see the seriousness of the situation. The
> maintainance
> folks are indeed overworked, so they are not exactly motivated to see the
> problem.
>
> As far as Dampchaser is concerned... I dont think we will need the
> dehumidfier
> part. We rarely get above 60% humidity at any time of the year. I havent
> seen it
> above 55% inside the building in the last 5 years. The problem is the
winter.
> Last winter it was down to under 25% for over 6 weeks. Pianos kept
dropping
> in
> pitch from week to week, and they started developing all kinds of buzzing
> sounds
> from everywhere.
>
> The first serious victim is a 9 foot Petrof which has a soundboard that
has
> loosened from the rim. Perhaps this will shake them up a bit. We just
> noticed it
> tonite so Monday the fan is going to hit the proverbial sh.. <grin>
>
> Anyways I still would like to know if key bedding these grands is going
have
> to
> be done over again after the humidity comes up again. I'd hate to have to
> put in
> all that work for nothing. I did the Yamaha today, and had to spend about
5
> hours
> regulating and tuning it. Absolutely everything was affected by the drop
in
> humidity.
>
> Richard Brekne
> I.C.P.T.G. N.P.T.F.
> Bergen, Norway >>
>
> Richard,
>
> The piano's regulation is affected by humidity swings just as the tuning
is.
> Over many years it can become somewhat "seasoned" and respond a little
less.
> But you can be sure that if you change the regulation now because dryness
has
> affected it, you will have the equal and opposite problem once Spring and
> Summer return and the humidity climbs.
>
> In my area, which I think may have a climate much like yours, I hesitate
to
> raise or lower pitch and change regulation during extreme conditions.
> Sometimes I must do it, of course but in many other cases I know that I
will
> only create another problem, not solve the first one.
>
> The important thing is to get these pianos on pitch and in good regulation
> during a time when you know that the pianos are not at one extreme or the
> other. Therefore, unless it is an emergency, I would not change the
> regulation of any piano until I knew that it was under more normal
humidity
> levels. The building humidity levels should be corrected and stabilized
for
> at least two weeks. Then, if some regulation needs to be changed, you
might
> expect it to remain stable, as long as the building does, at least until
the
> next humid season.
>
> Considering what you have said, you still need complete Dampp-Chaser
systems,
> not just humidifiers. The idea is to regulate the piano's humidity
between
> the narrowest parameters. 55% is too high even if it is not extreme. If
> your building's humidity sometimes falls into the 20% range, the fact that
> the piano was once in 55% humidity makes that even worse. If you said
that
> the rooms never went above 45%, I would agree that you might not need
> dehumidifiers.
>
> Considering what you said, you may only need 25 watt dehumidifiers, not
the
> most powerful 50 watt type. I still think that you cannot do too much.
> Control the building and install direct, in-piano humidity control in
> addition. You may have to get 220 volt adapters for the systems since
they
> are designed to work on the good old American 110 volt power source.
>
> You may be able to order custom syestems from the company that have heavy
> duty cords and are designed for European power sources. You will still
need
> cord runners in any place where the cord stretches across an area where
> people walk. I also strongly recommend that you find a way to prevent the
> cord from being unplugged. Dampp-chaser may even be able to find the
right
> product for that purpose or even design and manufacture one itself.
>
> I cannot emphasize enough that doing anything half way will result in a
> virtually useless attempt at controlling humidity. You need full systems,
> and you must see that they are always functioning and kept watered.
> Otherwise your attempt at a remedy will be virtually the same as the
> maintenance people's neglect of the humidity controls. If your $400
humidity
> control system is unplugged or it runs dry, it will be no more effective
than
> if you had done nothing at all.
>
> Indeed, the difficulty of *assuring* that a humidity control system in a
> public place will always have power and be properly serviced is an
important
> factor in the decision of whether or not to even purchase and install one.
> If I were in your shoes, I would not entertain the idea of installing
> Dampp-Chaser systems *unless* you are sure that they will be used.
Otherwise
> you will end up having made the recommendation to buy more costly
equipment
> that never had any positive effect. You will also add to the list of
people
> who don't believe that Dampp-Chaser products are effective at all.
>
> I visited a University campus in another state recently which is the
victim
> of the very scenario I have talked about. The faculty all believed that
> "Those Dampp-Chaser things don't do any good". Of course, every one of
them
> was unplugged, dried up and useless. Many had been poorly installed, just
a
> bunch of junk dangling under the piano. Many had the cords damaged.
>
> The administration should understand that you will be initially spending
time
> and money purchasing and installing equipment to stabilize the pianos.
The
> five hours you spent regulating could have been spent installing systems
in 2
> concert grands. If they all decide that these systems would be too
difficult
> to maintain, then they should also expect that you will have to be
changing
> both the pitch and the regulation on your pianos at least twice a year.
>
> Humidity extremes have other destructive effects as you also mention. If
> anyone says something like "I've known pianos that did fine that never had
> all of that", ask if they have ever known pianos that (insert a brief list
of
> all of the problems you are encountering). The pianos that go a whole
> lifetime with little trouble are in stable environments and are only used
> casually. The typical pattern of environmental extremes and wear and tear
on
> an institutional piano are very different circumstances. These
circumstances
> call for much more attention to be paid to the pianos in all respects,
> including humidity control.
>
> Good luck making a difference. You have my permission to show them my
> opinion if you feel it will help.
>
> Bill Bremmer RPT
> Madison, Wisconsin
>
> ------------------------------
>
> End of pianotech-digest V1997 #2084
> ***********************************
>
>
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