Air Conditioning

[Farrell]

I would suppose allot has to do with outside humidity (maybe). My home in
Florida consistently has 70% to 75% relative humidity (RH). Even if I turn
the temp down, and the AC runs for a long, long time, RH does not drop below
about 70%. Most homes where I service pianos and have measured (I don't do
it at all homes) range from about 55% to 80% RH. All these RHs are during
the rainy season in the summer.

BUT, my shop, where I typically run the AC constantly during the summer when
I am in there, will go down to about 38% to 42% RH within a half hour of
running the AC. I have a dehumidifier running off a "dry" calibration Damp
Chaser humidistat, which kicks the dehumidifier on at about 48%. That way my
shop stays between 38% and 48% RH all the time.

Why my shop AC runs the RH down to 40% RH quickly, and the house AC does not
get it below 70% RH or so, I do not have a clue. They are the same type of
AC, and both structures are concrete block.

Terry Farrell
Piano Tuning & Service
Tampa, Florida
mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com

----- Original Message -----
From: "Diane Hofstetter" <dianepianotuner@hotmail.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Sunday, August 13, 2000 2:18 AM
Subject: Re: Air Conditioning


> Coming from a cool part of California, I wasn't prepared for the humidity
> readings I kept seeing in my room at the Crystal City Hyatt.  All these
> years I had read that AC took moisture out of the air and here I was
reading
> 78% on my brand new Damppchaser humidistat.  Finally one tech told me that
> in many large buildings such as the hotel or university buildings they are
> using a new type of airconditioning that actually puts moisture back into
> the rooms.  That probably doesn't explain your customer's problem though.
>
> Moisture is a constant problem for us here on the coast and under the
giant
> Redwoods.  Next week I have to go back on a Steinway grand I rebuilt about
> ten years ago; customer complains it is too heavy.  I asked her about the
> damppchaser, she says "Oh, we don't want to bother with that."  It's in an
> unheated, non-insulated summer cabin in the woods  :-(
>
> Diane
>
>
> ----Original Message Follows----
> From: staytuned@idirect.com (John Lillico, RPT)
> Reply-To: pianotech@ptg.org
> To: pianotech@ptg.org
> Subject: Re: Air Conditioning
> Date: Sun, 13 Aug 2000 01:15:06 -0400
>
>  >I think Larry Messerly is both right and wrong. AC does indeed filter
>  >water out of the air, but don't expect uniform results from all AC units
> On Mon, 27 Mar 2000 02:15:54 -0700 "Robert A. Anderson"
> <fndango@azstarnet.com> wrote
>
>  >at all times. I have measured humidity levels between 35% and 55%
>  >approximately in homes in the Summer with AC running. I conclude that
>  >not all units are equally efficient, especially when the air is being
>  >cooled to a greater degree from a high moisture content level.
>  >
>  >Bob Anderson
>  >Tucson, AZ
>
> Rob,
>
> The RH readings I'm seeing this month are about 60% on average (the record
> was 82%) and most are air conditioned environments. I asked a heating
> engineer about this. He said that most central air units are too large for
> the area they cool. When temperature drops too quickly the units shut off
> leaving RH at these high levels.
>
> I long for a good snowfall.
>
> John Lillico, RPT
> Oakville, Ontario
>
>
>
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