heater bar question

[Clyde Hollinger]

Terry,

If the dehumidifier is installed when the humidity is high, the piano's pitch
will drop as the humidity inside the piano drops to around 42%.

Here in southeast Pennsylvania I can install a partial system between November
and May at the same time I am on location to tune the piano.  In the summer,
though, I need to install the dehumidifier about a month before the tuning to
avoid the risk of undoing my tuning.

Regards,
Clyde Hollinger

pianolover 88 wrote:

> Howdy all,
>
> A customer posed a rather interesting question regarding a heater bar.
> I was there to tune his acrosoic, and noticed that in the past 6 mo. since i
> tuned it last, that the pitch had gone 22C SHARP! So after explaining the
> "pitch adjustment" procedure, and cost (1/2 my tuning fee), I proceeded with
> the tuning. After i was finished i recommended a Heater bar & humidistat,
> since he lives so close to the beach, higher humidity is the only real
> concern, and that a heater bar placed inside his piano, with a humidista,
> would keep his piano much more stable, and far less prone to excessive pitch
> fluctuations. He gladly agreed; But then a thought came over him and he
> asked: "Since you tuned the piano to normal pitch, at the present higher
> humidity, isn't it likely that it will go flat after the bar is installed
> and removes the excess moisture?" Hmmm, good questio, I thought. He didn't
> really seem too worried about it, but just wondered, so I said that in the
> week or two that it'll take before i get the bar & humidistat here and
> installed, the pitch will likely "creep" up a tad, so it should all balance
> out. I did tell him that if he notices any errant notes that may go out
> within a month or two that i would come back and smooth them out, no charge.
> Just wondering how any othe list members would've handled this matter.
> thanks!
>
> Terry Peterson
> Precision Piano Service
> Torrance, CA
>
> _________________________________________________________________
> Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com