extreme winter weather/DC effectiveness

[David Skolnik]

Hi Barbara -
Here are some of my useless suggestions:
First, get yourself a good hygrometer.  I was using the 
"professional" one from Pianotek (#CMM880) which worked nicely until 
it stopped working.  I believe, however, that the specs Bob has in 
the catalog are not correct.  The company lists that unit as accurate 
+/- 5%, not 3%.  I (finally) replaced it with a somewhat better model 
(Mannix EP8706) which IS listed as +/- 3%, plus, it is "field 
calibratable", with the use of special salts.  All together with 
shipping it was around $170.  A lot, true, but then, instead of 
saying "It felt really dry",  you could say, "Yeah, it was 12%RH, (+ 
or - 3%) , and I'm sure of it because this thing here is really 
expensive".  Of course, you would have to remember to bring it with you.

While I haven't yet employed the undercover, I have not doubt that 
they can make some difference, however, I don't see how they, or 
Damppchasers themselves, can help the finish, the block, the bridges, 
or the action, when you have readings like 12%.  Maybe a vinyl cover, 
in conjunction with an  undercover would help.

Just out of curiosity, let me know how much the April-Aire system costs.

Good luck -
David Skolnik



At 10:47 PM 2/16/2007, you wrote:
>Howdy,
>
>Hope you're all nice and cozy, it's been dang cold here.  I've got a 
>question for you DC experts, I would have called DC themselves, but 
>I didn't get home in time this afternoon.
>
>Early this past fall I regulated a 1920s S&S A and installed a full 
>DC system--but no undercover.  The piano is kept closed and covered 
>when not in use.  The church has AC, though to me it felt 
>humid  (for some reason I didn't have my hygrometer with 
>me).   Anyway, before Christmas I tuned the piano again and it was 
>17 cents low.   Today I tuned it again and it was 14 cents low. 
>Yikes.  The weather here lately has been extremely cold (OK, you 
>nanooks of the north can laugh) and the church was incredibly 
>dry--it didn't register on my not very good hygrometer.  A couple 
>weeks ago, the music director called to tell me that tuning pins 
>were slipping like crazy on the harpsichord I worked on last 
>December.  I thought today that the tuning pins on the piano felt 
>looser than in the past (or was it my imagination?).  AND I noticed 
>that the regulation was off, too.  Geeze.  Apparently the heat is 
>always on in the church--not one of those where it gets turned off 
>and on, and it has felt warm to me the times I've been in there.
>
>So...you get the picture that the place is dry.  Here is the 
>question--how good a job should the DC system be doing in these 
>circumstances?  Is anybody else experiencing this?  The music 
>director said he is filling the DC tank at least once a week.  I 
>even took a look to see if I had plugged things in the wrong 
>place.  Is there anything else I can do, besides put an undercover 
>on?  Can undercovers make a huge difference in a situation where 
>there isn't significant air movement, etc?
>
>I thought about recommending that the church look into a big 
>April-Aire system.
>
>Any suggestions are welcome.
>
>Thanks.
>
>Barbara Richmond, RPT
>near Peoria, Illinois

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