Another heater bar without a control...

[Farrell]

Don't feel alone. 95% - plus DC installations I see down here in Florida are a rod only. Your point #1 is a good one. Perhaps Roger Wheelock from DC might consider such an idea. BTW, I had not heard that he is a "DC muckity-muck". I suppose that is good to know. I'll note it. He seemed like quite a decent fellow to me.

Regarding point #2. Its like so many things related to pianos - if nobody is going to make a profit from a study, who on earth is going to do such a study?

Regarding your reference to improper installations, I think that would be like anything else - if someone installs it wrong and it does not perform as advertised, I hardly think it is the fault of the manufacturer.'

BTW, I'm not terribly biased regarding DC systems. I install only a couple per year. I think they do work quite well however, and recommend them highly. I think their performance graph in their literature suggesting that room humidity swings of 15% to 95% will be tamed by a DC system to keep the piano interior between about 40% to 44% is perhaps pushing the limits of a real-world DC system installation.

Terry Farrell
  
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Matt Wynne" <rustraze@optonline.net>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Saturday, July 27, 2002 9:50 PM
Subject: Another heater bar without a control...


> Well, add one more to the list!
> 
> I can't count the times I've shown up at a new customer's house and found 
> this scenario.  The previous tech installed a heater bar with no humidistat 
> and not even any instructions to the customer to unplug it in the 
> winter.  It even has a label stating not to use without the control.  I'm 
> not a big fan of these systems and I believe that Dampp-Chaser, et.al., can 
> be held liable for damage to pianos caused by misuse of their 
> products.  I'm aware that there is a DC muckity-muck who subscribes to this 
> list so, I put these questions out there:
> 
> 1)  Why don't they manufacture heater bars with keyed plugs that will only 
> plug into a humidistat - not an electrical outlet?  The warning label 
> obviously doesn't cut it.
> 
> 2) Is there any INDEPENDENT study published that backs up the claims that 
> are made regarding these system's supposed beneficial effects on 
> pianos?  When I say independent, I don't mean a study paid for by 
> Dampp-chaser.  The company has a vested interest in the results and would 
> not publish a contrary report.  I also don't mean a study performed by 
> techs who are proponents of the equipment.  They has a similar vested 
> interest as well.
> 
> 
> Any takers?
> 
> Matt Wynne
>