Jar of Water in Piano--Truth or myth?

[David Nereson]

Vinny Samarco wrote:

>Hi Everyone,
>The area of the country I work in is very dry.  Though we talk to many
>people about humidity control, most are not interested in what I have to
>say.
>I recently tuned for a customer who had a very old, but recently rebuilt
>upright.
>The tuner who did the work is one of the best  that I know of.  Supposedly,
>he told this lady to put a jar of water in her piano.
>Now tell me, Will that do any good at all, or do you need some form of
>distilled water or evaporation in the air to make any difference?
>Vinny
>
>_______________________________________________
>pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
>  
>
    I'd say it's insignificant.  Just not enough humidity to do any 
good. After it dries up, of course, it's useless.  In dry parts of the 
country, in order to supply as much humidity as a Dampp-Chaser, you'd 
probably have to put many jars of water under there.  The Dampp-Chaser 
in my old upright here in Denver goes through a tank of water almost 
every week when it's cold and the furnace is running most of the time.  
Even in the summer, when it's more humid, it uses up a tank of water in 
6 weeks or so.  The water is evaporating not only from the surface level 
of the water in the tank, but from the heater bar and pads which wick it 
up.  A jar of water, on the other hand, would probably take a month or 
so (just guessing) to evaporate, but would supply only a small fraction 
of the humidity. 
    I've never seen a piano yet in 25 years where someone remembered to 
keep the jar full of water.  And I think I've only seen one with more 
than one jar of water down there.  Dumb.  Get a Dampp-Chaser.  Or, if 
the soundboard has survived many years with no ill effects, and the 
tuning does not fluctuate wildly with the changing seasons, don't 
install anything -- just leave it.
--David Nereson, RPT 

>
>  
>