[CAUT] large and rapid humidity changes!

[Willem Blees]

Richard

Was this picture shown to the higher ups at the university? I can't 
imagine how a HVAC system that produced this kind of atmosphere inside 
a lecture hall could be considered a non emergency problem. The 
effects of this kind of humidity on not only the instruments, but the 
building itself should warrant immediate action. It would seem to me 
that putting a new HVAC system in this building would be much cheaper 
than replacing all the wood, electrical wiring, lights, etc, not to 
mention the audio visual equipment, screens and instruments. 

Wim 


Quoting "rwest1 at unl.edu" <rwest1 at unl.edu>:

> The room Paul is talking about has had problems for years.  The  
> building simply needs a new HVAC system, but it's not high on the  
> university priority list.  The room in question has gotten worse in 
> 
> recent years. The complaints would go in and the facilities people  
> would come over right away.  They were cooperative, but the problem 
> 
> was bigger than a quick fix.  The problem would be okay for awhile, 
> 
> but inevitably return.  I took pictures to prove how bad it got.   
> These were taken in May, just before I retired.  It was so damp it  
> was foggy and water was dripping from the ceiling.  Not good for the 
> 
> pianos or for the electrical stuff either.
> 
> Richard West
> 
> On Nov 27, 2006, at 11:28 AM, Paul T Williams wrote:
> 
> >
> > Hi list,
> >
> > We have a classroom/recital hall with a huge humidity problem.  Has
>  
> > anyone else had this problem:
> >
> > The room seats about 200 and has a Steinway D from the late 70's  
> > and a harpsichord.  The room can change by 30-40% or more in a  
> > day!  Over the T-Day  weekend I put in one of those small  
> > humidistat from Pianotek and it showed a range of 24-80%!!!  Not  
> > only are my tunings worthless for recitals if I tune in the morning
>  
> > and the concert is in the evening (as some days, that is the only 
> 
> > time the room is available),  but it has got to be wrecking havock 
> 
> > on the instruments. It doesn't have a piano life saver system in  
> > it, and I wonder how much it would help with such wild swings.  I 
> 
> > and all the faculty have complained about it (apparantly for years 
> 
> > prior to my getting here this year) and nothing gets done.
> >
> > Can I do more that just cover them and go ahead and put a DC system
>  
> > on it?  They do have thick blanket style covers on them.
> >
> > Sweating to the oldies in Lincoln....
> >
> > Paul
> 
> 


Willem Blees, RPT
Piano Tuner/Technician
School of Music
University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, AL USA