Dampp-Chaser wattage needed

Cy Shuster cy at shusterpiano.com
Sat Oct 7 22:50:54 MDT 2006


It's interesting, because there are instructions in the sample layout sheets for when a two-tank system is needed; you'd think there would be parallel guidelines for the dry side.  Actually, those sample layout sheets show (as I remember) a minimum of 38 watts per piano, with more rods for bigger pianos.  And none of these layouts deals with extreme environments.

I pull a lot of old silver 25 watt bars with no stats out of old pianos.  Most aren't even plugged in.

I can't help with your sticky situation between customer and dealer, but my distributor (Ruth and Webb Phillips) have always given me excellent configuration advice for special situations.

An independent judge of the system is a data logger like this:
http://www.onsetcomp.com/Products/relative_humidity_guide.html

Put it next to the soundboard for a week (underneath, over a beam), then download the results to your PC and graph 'em.  This will quickly tell you if the system is adequately sized for the environment, and whether the wet or dry side needs reinforcement.

However, the customer bears some responsibility, too.  Having the door open to tropical breezes and the fireplace going is effectively putting the piano on the porch outside.  This is like propping open the refrigerator door, and expecting the milk to stay cold.  There's a reason that some manufacturers still make "tropicalized" pianos.  In Singapore, it's not uncommon to have several hundred watts of rods under the piano, with an undercover, plus a 25-watt rod strapped to a strut on top, *under* a woolen string cover.

--Cy--
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