Coastal Dampp-chaser calibration

[Farrell]

By stable environment I am talking about a more-or less- consistant temperature. 

With regard to piano tuning stability and long-term environmental piano degredation, reletive humidity is the most important factor.

We are talking here about 85-90 degree summer weather with a similar humidity count. 

That's great. Is the piano outside? If so, then the outside humidity is important. If not, it may not have much to do with the environment the piano is in. You need to have some idea what the relative humidity range is of the piano's indoor environment.

Now, the 50 degree winter storage temp is much kinder, 

Now we are talking about indoor temperature? Is the piano outdoors in the summer and indoors in the winter? Is that why you address outdoor weather in the summer and indoor conditions in the winter?

but a complete system means a humidifier that needs to be tended. This won't happen at the YMCA camp for sure. 

Agree. If no one is available to monitor a humidifer system's needs during the winter, then do not install a humidifier.

Therefore,  my guess is that this situation is similar to the golf course piano. If the piano is kept at 50 degrees during the winter, the summer humidity is the real problem I need to deal with. Would it be best just to dehumidify the pianos in the summer since the winter temp is really no threat to the dryness during the wintertime?

Wayne Williams

No. The best thing is to monitor the RH environment of the piano year-round and then decide what to do. 

The next best thing - and perhaps the most practical - is just put a 50W bar at the rear of the keybed (under the soundboard) and another perpendicular to that (attach to rim brace). Plug both into a DC humidistat and forget about it - that's likely the best you can do. 

Better would be to include a bottom cover. Better yet would be to have an insulated cover for the piano. Better yet would be to evaluate the size-appropriateness of your dehumidification system by plugging an analog clock into the humidistat along with the heater bars to monitor what percent of the time the system runs during periods of high humidity.

Terry Farrell
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