Damp Chaser in old upright

[Daniel Lindholm]

> You say "most techs say [a Dampp-Chaser system] will ruin it."  Also that
you
> haven't heard a tech that recommends them.  I find that as a real
surprise.  How
> many techs have you discussed this with?
Well, thats not quite true. I was about to add 'except on this list' since
I've heard alot of people recommending them here.

>  That must be in your local area,
Yes of course.

> Humidity control for pianos is most often done with a Dampp-Chaser system.
I
> will agree with you, however, that a humidity-controlled room is a better
option
> for the piano, if you can manage to do it.  In our area (PA) keeping a
room with
> an outside wall at 42% during the winter is inviting condensation and rot
inside
> the walls of your home, if you have organic construction.
I live in an apartment made out of solid concrete :)

> Your statement about the salesmen puzzles me also.  Here they are sold
almost
> exclusively by piano technicians.  I am aware of one music store that
sells the
> components, because one of my clients bought one there.  It was entirely
wrong
> for the piano, so she took it back and I did a correct installation.  What
other
> salesmen are there?
Oh, okay. Here its like the opposit. I've never heard of a dampchaser
installation here. Although I often hear about people having their rooms
regulated. (when I wrote 'selling hard' I meant that they are pushing really
hard for the value of the dampchaser system)

> It appears to me that the advice you've received is a local phenomenon,
not the
> response of piano technicians as a whole.
Yes, perhaps. But the question still remains. Say you live in a place where
the humidity swings from 15% to 50-60%. What I wonder about is if it is
really good to have a close heatsource like that when the humidity is too
high, and a humidifier just as close when you get into the dryer time of the
year.

Perhaps I'm just dont know exactly how the dampchasers humidifier-part
works, but I would guess it warms up something to make the water turn into
gas-form. Thats the part I dont like, since then the air almost reaches 100%
wich makes it very concentrated on some parts of the wood just next to that
device.

Tell me if I am wrong, since I know there's also another type of humidifier
(but those are really expensive and takes alot of space) that you put in
your room. They blend the water into the air, giving an output with the
aprox. relative humidity that you want directly, instead of blowing out
water-steam (that is very concentrated).