Silica Gel Packs

[Phil Ryan]

Opened a ten year old Belarus upright piano and found three cloth bags 
of silica gel hanging from the lid hinges resting on the felt silencer 
bar against the tuning pins.  Later found three more "pillows" in the 
bottom of the piano.  They had been there since the piano was new.  When 
I mentioned to the owner of the uselessness of these old bags, she 
stressed that the last two tuners of the piano told her they were still 
beneficial and had been keeping it in tune all these years.  I dutifully 
replaced them in their original places after the tuning and left.  Am I 
nuts? (Be nice)  We used to throw these away at the dealer at prep 
time.  Have times changed?  Are ten year old silica gel sacks still 
viable?  Can they harm a piano, other than falling into the action?

Phil Ryan
Miami Beach