rusted piano strings

[Ron Nossaman]

> If the entire room environment reaches the dew point...... No, this 
> likely didn't even happen in New Orleans during/after Katrina.

The entire room environment doesn't have to reach the dew 
point, only the strings. That isn't that far fetched when the 
room cools down at night, and both the temperature and 
moisture content of the air rise in the morning before the 
strings catch up. For instance, if the piano was down to 60° 
during the night, and is subjected to 70+° air at 60%RH or 
higher when the heat cycles up and the lid is opened (or cover 
removed), the strings are at or below the dew point of the 
room air. They won't have to actually drip to be damaged, but 
it is an entirely possible situation.


> The only way dew point could be reached on piano strings would be if the 
> room was cold and somehow was rapidly heated AND the humidity was raised 
> to a very high level.

Like turning on the heat and filling the room with people as 
the piano lags 20° behind, or opening the doors to a room air 
conditioned to 73°, and letting in 85° 75% outside air in? 
Again, not that far fetched.


> Now it certainly could happen if maybe the piano was stored in an 
> unheated building in a cold climate and was then moved into a warm room 
> of moderate humidity - then, yes, you could actually have water 
> condensate on the strings.

You don't have to be able to see the water for it to be there, 
and I expect it doesn't take much.

Just an observation from the cheap seats.

Ron N