Damp chaser for loose pins

[Clyde Hollinger]

Frank:

Your post brings to mind a situation I came across.  A console piano had
very loose tuning pins and also a plugged-in dehumidifier heat rod
without a control.  I think it was winter, but I'm not sure.  I pulled
the plug.  The next time I saw the piano the loose tuning pins had
largely corrected themselves.

If your situation is similar, nothing is lost by waiting until July or
August and see if the pins are tight enough.  If they are still too
loose, you're right -- Dampp-Chaser won't help a bit.  The loose pins
will need to be dealt with in some other way.

If they are tight enough in the summer, then a complete Dampp-Chaser
system may indeed solve the problem by keeping the piano interior at a
high humidity level.  I love Dampp-Chaser systems, but I would hate to
install one only to find it didn't solve the problem.

Clyde Hollinger
Lititz, PA

Frank Cahill wrote:
> 
> In Randy Potter's course, he says that Damp Chaser systems will cure
> loose tuning  pins.  Bear in mind that Randy lives in the center of
> Oregon where humidity can drop to 10% in the winter.  So it's possible
> that what he says will indeed work where he lives. Randy's a straight
> shooter so I have no reason to doubt him.
> 
> Here in VA, humidity hits 90% or more for weeks at a time in the summer.
> Even with Air Conditioning, humidty will be 60-70% inside. Therefore,
> the piano surely gets humid. In the winter, humidity is about 30-35% in
> most homes. So I feel that damp chasers, which maintain 45% humidity,
> won't do a thing for loose pins here in VA.
> 
> Anyone have any observations on this?
> 
> P.S. I'm not knocking Randy, he's a heck of nice guy and has taught me
> alot. This is just something I've been curious about for a number of
> years.
> 
> Frank Cahill
> Associate Member, Piano Technicians Guild
> Northern Va