[pianotech] Grey Market Mould

[Albert Picknell]

Hello List

I have a client with a grey-market Yamaha U1H.  I installed a Dampp-chaser a couple of months ago, and now the client is noticing a musty/mouldy smell that seems to be coming from the piano.  Also, when I went to tune the piano a month or so after installing the Dampp-chaser, I noticed some purple-coloured blotches on the humidifier pads.

What I suspect has happened is that the re-introduction of moisture into the piano has re-awakened dormant mould spores that have been there since the piano was brought over from Asia.  My first inclination is to remove the Dampp-chaser, but I'm wondering whether any of you have dealt with a situation like this before, and have found any other effective solutions.

By the way, the client has another piano (non-grey market) in the same apartment, also with a Dampp-chaser in it, that has no problem.

Thanks,
Bert