Damp Chaser for Square Grand

[Farrell]

Yes, I have some thoughts. By far, the BEST advice (IMHO) - install whole
house humidity control. At least a humidifier. These are low cost and are a
simple operation if you have a forced air heating system. I would recommend
avoiding the water tank in the piano. Any way you look at it, it appears to
me to be a promise of major disaster. Unless of course, you want to consider
cutting BIG holes in the bottom of the piano.

A whole house climate control would be best. Second best - whole house
humidifier (or at least room) and a Dampp-Chaser dehumidifier installed in
the piano. Third choice - Dampp-Chaser dehumidifier installed in the piano
and no humidifier (either in piano or in room or house).  Last choice,
complete Damp-Chaser system. I would rather have a piano out of tune with a
cracked soundboard than a drowned square. (Although, that's how I want to be
buried - in a gutted square, set adrift in the ocean.)

Beyond that, a square grand offers just about the best piano design for
maximum effectiveness of a humidity control system in that it is a closed
box, much like a vertical, but the soundboard is horizontal like a modern
grand. You don't need a whole lot of wattage on the dehumidifier rods
because of the closed box. I put about 200 watts inside the cavity of a
square recently when drying out the soundboard prior to shimming - I'm glad
I checked the temp in there soon after plugging in - it shot up to 120
degrees in NO TIME - and was climbing! Needless to say, I took some rods
out - I only kept one 50W rod inside to dry out the soundboard (although I
did have the hammer slot covered and a blanket on top of the soundboard. I
would consider mounting one 50W rod suspended above the keybed and below the
soundboard near the front of the keys. Mount humidistat perhaps on bottom of
pinblock or immediately to the right of the keybed opening (up as high as
possible). Run wire out any hole, shouldn't be too hard going out hammer
slot. Neatest installation would just be a small hole in bottom of piano to
run wire out (cut wire, run through small hole just big enough for wire,
then re-install plug). Like a modern grand (especially because of the hammer
slot on the square), I would recommend a piano blanket to maximize heating
effectiveness.

Living in Florida, I have never installed the humidifier portion of the
system, so I am no expert on that. If you feel that you want to install a
tank in the piano (oh geeezzzzz, that's just got disaster written all over
it) - the only place I can imagine installing the tank would be to the right
of the keyboard, in that cavity under the bass bridge. I believe Damp-Chaser
makes some type of baffle-type stuff that can disperse the moisture-laden
air around the cavity. I don't know how well all that works. Perhaps, if
needed, (this is a stretch, but maybe as a last resort) you could even
install a micro fan near the tank that kicks on when the humidifier turns
on - something like a little computer fan - even a place like Radio Shack
has them - there are super tiny ones available on the internet.

Well, those are my thoughts. Good luck!

Terry Farrell

----- Original Message -----
From: <Jlovekeys@AOL.COM>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Saturday, June 23, 2001 6:25 PM
Subject: Damp Chaser for Square Grand


> Dear list,  I recently did a tuning for a customer that had a 1870
Chickering
> square grand.  Since they paid $3000 for in ( on Ebay), they would like to
> preserve their investment. I told them I would inquire about the
possibility
> of installing a damp-chaser system.  Does anyone have any experience or
> advise as to what sort of system would be suitable for this beast?  The
piano
> had probably been restrung at some point as  modern tuning pins were
> installed and most were fairly tight, though I tuned it where it was at
about
> 135 cents flat of A440. Any help here appreciated.
> Jim Love
> PTG Associate
> Midland, Tx.