Wayne, As Steinway generally puts is, controlling the whole room is best but not always feasible and when that is the case a DC system is the way to go. If I understand you correctly, you have measured the humidity and have not noticed any lows dipping into the forties during the active season there. If that is the case, a DC dehumidifier only system with under/back covers would prove adequate for the summer performance season. The low winter temperature if kept steady will probably keep a steady humidity profile for the pianos. With a DC system the hygrometer controlled dehumidifier bars will shut off when they are not needed and you don't have to worry about baking the piano. I doubt a full system with humidifier would be properly maintained if the camp is shut down for the winter. You mention they are in a room kept to 50 degrees. I don't know how cold that area gets but it is possible that humidity levels are acceptably high-enough during the winter. Of-course putting a hygrometer in the room that tracks high and low extremes would reveal any problems. Since it is a presumably small room it may be possible to plumb in a low maintenance humidifier if that is needed for the winter. Good Luck, Andrew Anderson At 09:50 PM 8/7/2007, you wrote: >Dear Rebecca and Andrew: >Thank you for replying. When I say the weather is humid around Lake >Champlain., I mean it stays around 60-80% most of the summer in >addition to the hot weather according to my hydrometer. The pianos >are kept in a room for the winter that averages around 50 degrees. >Some techs on this sight say that the pianos need a year-round >stable environment before you would even considera any Damp-Chaser >system. I think the heating bar on their Steinway along with a >hydrometer would work for the time being. What do you think? > >Wayne Williams >----- Original Message ----- >From: <mailto:anrebe at sbcglobal.net>Andrew and Rebeca Anderson >To: <mailto:pianotech at ptg.org>Pianotech List >Sent: Tuesday, July 31, 2007 6:28 PM >Subject: Re: Coastal Dampp-chaser calibration > >Wayne, >Do you have a hygrometer? Giving recommendations without >measurements is like shooting in the dark. Rather ineffective >except for certain movie stars... > >It sounds like the best fit for your needs (provided humidity is >that high consistently) would be DamppChaser's dehumidifier-only >systems that contain heater bars and a hygrometer to control >them. A heater bar without control is piano damage happening every >long period you leave it plugged in. Undercovers and stringcovers >would work together to further protect the piano and make the system >more stabile. > >A full system would require maintenance in the form of adding water >and if the actual measured humidity is lower you may want to go that >way. You would want to use a beeper system as no-one (not even >residential customers) will bother to maintain water levels without >aural stimulation. In an institutional setting that would require >some education as some ignoramus take-charge-types will just unplug >the system rather then deal with it. > >Good Luck, >Andrew Anderson, Artisan Piano > >At 09:46 PM 7/30/2007, you wrote: >>Dear Paul, >>The camp is only open two months of the year. The winters here are >>very long and rugged. All the pianos are stored in a seperate room >>where there is a minimal amount of climate comtrol. >> >>Right now,the 1919 A Steinway is in an uninsulated auditorium for >>the summer. There is a Damp-Chaser heating bar inside. Is this >>sufficient for the summer. The camp also wants dampchasers in a few >>other uprights in the practice rooms in the back of the audtorium. >>I would say that the humidity near Lake Champlain is about 60-80% >>most of the summer. >> >>All the pianos at the camp have been donated, and are old but good >>quality instruments for the most part. Right now they have a 1940's >>vintage Baldwin in great working order but very dirty, and it is >>being stored outside! I told the camp director to get the piano inside ASAP. >> >>Look forward to your advice. >> >>Wayne Williams >>----- Original Message ----- >>From: <mailto:paulrevenkojones at aol.com>PAULREVENKOJONES >>To: <mailto:pianotech at ptg.org>Pianotech List >>Sent: Friday, July 27, 2007 2:43 PM >>Subject: Re: Coastal Dampp-chaser calibration >>Wayne: >> >>You might not have enough information. I certainly don't. What are >>the other seasonal conditions? What is the condition of the pianos >>as you find them from summer to summer? Is there any temperature >>and/or humidity control in the facility in which the pianos reside? >> >> >>"If you want to know the truth, stop having opinions" (Chinese >>fortune cookie) >> >> >>In a message dated 07/27/07 13:00:39 Central Daylight Time, >>wwilliams11 at nycap.rr.com writes: >>Hello: >>I mentioned this in another email in regard to the Damp-Chaser product. I >>just tuning a Steinway grand and upright at a YMCA camp that operates only >>two months a year, July and August. The camp is on Lake Champlain in New >>York State, and the camp Director, a music teacher, says the summers are >>very humid. Teh grand alreaddy has a "heating bar". Do the painos, given the >>climate, warrent a complete Damp-Chaser system? >>Wayne Williams >>Schroon Lake, NY >>----- Original Message ----- >>From: "R Barber" <bassooner42 at yahoo.com> >>To: <pianotech at ptg.org> >>Sent: Monday, July 16, 2007 2:36 PM >>Subject: Coastal Dampp-chaser calibration >> >> > The owner has double-paned windows, weather-stripped doors, drapes- >> > generally equipped to protect his niche from the environment, but prefers >> > open windows. There is no central humidity control. There is usually a >> > 24-hour on-shore breeze, so the typical climate will be high RH, >> about 95% >> > of the year. RH ranges between 55-100% daily, but occasionally >> there is a >> > breeze from the off-shore direction when RH drops to 20% or below, >> > sometimes for a few days at a time. >> > I've heard two votes for the wet, and I'm tending in that direction. >> > Thanks for you input! >> > Richard Barber >> > >> >> My recommendation would be to know the typical range of >> relative humidity >> >> (RH) the house (?) experiences. If the house is a old wood >> frame, windows >> >> are often open, no central air or heat, then sure, pick the >> >> "wet"-calibrated Dampp-Chaser humidistat to match the outdoor >> >> environment. But many modern homes are well insulated from their outdoor >> >> environment and RH ranges in them may have little to do with outdoor RH >> >> ranges. Not only are modern homes well insulated from the outdoors (heat >> >> AND humidity), but any home also has it's own humidity sources >> - cooking, >> >> showers, etc. >> >> >> >> IMHO, if you are going to err at all, and being that you plan to install >> >> a full system (are you sure its gets dry in the home?), I would go with >> >> the "normal" humidistat. Another consideration might be if the >> instrument >> >> is old with a sagging soundboard and less-than-tight tuning pins, you >> >> might want the "wet"-calibrated Dampp-Chaser humidistat to help >> the piano >> >> out a bit. >> >> >> >> Also, have you checked to see whether the home has a central humidity >> >> control system? >> >> >> >> Many things to consider. At least the piano is getting a DC system - >> >> always a good thing! >> >> >> >> Terry Farrell >> >> >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> >>> Do you think a "wet"-calibrated Dampp-Chaser would be a wiser choice >> >>> than the standard calibration for a client on a foggy coast? >> >>> Installation to include string cover + undercover, complete >> Dampp-Chaser >> >>> (not just rods), to cover off-shore dry spells. >> >>> >> >>> Thanks, >> >>> Richard Barber >> >>> Santa Clara Valley, CA >> >> >> >> >> >> * Previous message: Coastal Dampp-chaser calibration >> >> * Next message: Coastal Dampp-chaser calibration >> >> * Messages sorted by: [ date ] [ thread ] [ subject ] [ author ] >> >> >> >> More information about the Pianotech mailing list >> > >> > >> > -- >> > No virus found in this incoming message. >> > Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.476 / Virus Database: >> > 269.10.22/922 - Release Date: 7/27/2007 6:08 AM >> > >> >> >> >> >>---------- >>No virus found in this incoming message. >>Checked by AVG Free Edition. >>Version: 7.5.476 / Virus Database: 269.11.0/927 - Release Date: >>7/30/2007 5:02 PM > > >---------- >No virus found in this incoming message. >Checked by AVG Free Edition. >Version: 7.5.476 / Virus Database: 269.11.0/929 - Release Date: >7/31/2007 5:26 PM -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/20070808/e20036d0/attachment-0001.html
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