Humidity Problems

[Joel Jones]

> List,
> The band and choir rooms here at UM have extremely low humidity -
> 15-16% RH - lower than the rest of the building.  I always knew tuning
> stability was a problem but now that I am writing down temp and RH every
> time I tune, I've realized it's not just all those bodies coming and going
> in a day.  Last fall we moved an older Baldwin F into the choir room on
> which I had installed new hammer, shanks and flanges. When I tuned it in
> January the regulation - especially hammer alignment and spacing - was all
> over the place, loose screws everywhere, etc.  The piano had also developed
> more false beats and seemed generally harder to tune (I mean it's already a
> Baldwin - give me a break).  The Kawai it replaced was also notoriously hard
> to tune, full of false beats and unstable.
> My questions are:  1)  Benefit everyone in these rooms and install
> 1-2 room humidifiers - or just try to help the pianos with Dampp-Chasers?
> 2)  The piano in the band room is a Yamaha P22.  It gets moved around by
> anyone and everyone regularly - the case shows it unfortunately.  Is there a
> potential problem with water sloshing out of the dehumidifier bucket when it
> is moved?  (I think the bucket would hang in this piano?)  3)  Are the false
> beats a result of the bridges drying out and the pins getting loose?  I
> tried tapping the bridge pins with a set and seating strings - it seemed to
> help some.  Will the get better if the humidity level is brought up?
> Thanks for you help.
> 
> Jeff Stickney, RPT
> University of Montana
> jpage@selway.umt.edu
> 
Jeff, 
Are you certain that these room do not have heating unit humidifiers that
are not working ? Look around for the heating engineer and have him explain
the heating system to you.  This was our problem that the units were turned
off.  Engineer fixed the system. Turned on the humidifiers. Surprise  !
They were using less heating energy with more humidity in the rooms.
    We know what section of our building is served by each unit.  I have a
recording gauge (radio shack) in a room in each section.  Read the numbers
each week and turn in to heating.  Takes 10 minutes to walk around. I know
who has their hand on the screwddriver, and she adjusts  accordingly.
    Beats money for an individual unit that needs a 'water boy'.  Keep in
touch.  There's more to this story ...but enough for now.  Say hi to Ann.
Joel  
-- Joel A. Jones
Senior Piano Technician
1501 Humanities Building
455 North Park Street
Madison, WI  53706
FAX 608 - 262 - 8876
608 - 263 - 1887
http://uwpianos.music.wisc.edu/