<!doctype html public "-//w3c//dtd html 4.0 transitional//en"> <html> Julia, What was your indication that the humidity was too high?  In summer I could believe it, but it would be quite unusual in December in our location. Here is my general rule of thumb.  If the sluggishness is a problem in the summer but not in the winter, then excessive moisture is likely the problem, and installing a heat bar and control is likely to help.  If the sluggishness is year round, lowering the humidity will not help, and the problem needs to be solved some other way.  Others have already responded with some good advice. Bringing the action to your home to dry it out will be of no benefit if it will be returned again to the same environment.  The piano needs to work where it "lives." Regards, Clyde Hollinger, RPT Alpha88x@aol.com wrote: <blockquote TYPE=CITE>Greetings,             I went to a home where there was a Chickering console piano that the hammers return at a snail's pace after the key is struck. I suggested that the hammer bushings around their center pins may be swelled due to humidity resulting in tightness and friction causing the slow motion return.  He had a heater bar in the piano and I suggested that he plug it in to dry up some moisture. He did. Two weeks later he calls and tells me it only helped allittle and the thing is still unplayable.              I am thinking that the only thing left to do is to bring the action home and put it near a radiator so they dry out, and give each pin a shot of protek. Any other suggestions? thanks, Julia Gottchall, Reading, PA        </blockquote> </html>