Can you recommend a good humidifier?

Openwood · Post by **Openwood** » 13 Dec 2007, 12:17

It's for an average-sized living room with 2 radiators on low settings on opposite wall to piano (Yamaha C3). Thanks!

Post by **Barrie Heaton** » 13 Dec 2007, 19:26

A piano life saver is the best option but you will need a tuner to fit it

the other option isPiano Humidifier not as good as a DC and for a grand ideally you will need 3 two for the sound board and one for under the wrest plank you could fit they one under the soundboard the one under the plank is a bit more tricky as you will need to take out the fall

Barrie,

Openwood · Post by **Openwood** » 14 Dec 2007, 09:23

Thanks, Barrie.

sussexpianos · Post by **sussexpianos** » 14 Dec 2007, 19:17

damage to any piano occurs when humidity fluctuates and the wood fibres expand and contract. This movement over time will cause damage and tuning stability problems.
The best option by far is fitting an automatic climate control which will keep the piano at a constant 42%RH. I would recommend a 2 bar system and yes, you need it fitted by a technician. Its expensive, but so is restringing/repinning.

Openwood · Post by **Openwood** » 17 Dec 2007, 08:21

Thanks for the advice. My tuna is swimming round this morning to shout at me for moving into a house fitted with heat-emitting devices and also to give me the bad news about the cost of buying and installing the type of system you mentioned. Looks like bread and water on Christmas Day again.....

sussexpianos · Post by **sussexpianos** » 17 Dec 2007, 09:26

I like soda bread

And leave the water out for a few hours, the chlorine tast goes away.
At least when the system is fitted, it won't go out of tune that often.

Post by **Barrie Heaton** » 17 Dec 2007, 19:50

Get him to fit the under blanket as well works better, a bit of a pain when replacing the pads.

I never fitted a string blanket but the tuners in the USA say a string blanket helps as well

Barrie,

david g · Post by **david g** » 29 Dec 2007, 17:14

When I had my piano reconditioned a few years ago, the restorer recommended a room humidifier. I purchased a Turmix 701 steam humidifier, and it has given excellent service ever since. It works by gently evaporating water from a reservoir, which holds about 7 litres. Even during frosty weather in winter, when the humidity is very low and you really need the humidifier, it keeps my piano room (about 24ft x 18ft x 9ft) at my set value of 50% humidity very satisfactorily.

Make sure that you get a model with a built-in hygrostat so that you can set the required humidity level. If you can keep the doors to the piano room closed most of the time, you will have to refill the reservoir less often.

Using a room humidifier will ensure a uniform humidity throughout the room, which would seem to be an ideal environment for the piano. I have always been worried that while a Dampp Chaser will ensure constant humidity close to the soundboard, it may not be so effective for other parts of the piano which are not so close to the unit.

Incidentally I would avoid humidifiers which work by atomising water, as I have heard that in hard water areas these can leave a white dust as the water dries.

Openwood · Post by **Openwood** » 29 Dec 2007, 21:05

Thank you, David. Can I ask how much it cost?

david g · Post by **david g** » 30 Dec 2007, 00:39

I bought the humidifer in about 2000, the models are probably different now. I can't remember the cost exactly but I think it was about 250 pounds. I had just spent several thousand on the piano, so reckoned it was worth that to keep it in good condition.

I bought the unit at the Air Improvement Centre of 23 Denbigh St London, they are still there and would probably give you good advice in choosing a model to suit the size of your room.

A few thoughts... I think it would be very important to get a model with a built-in hygrostat. Don't place the humidifier too close to the piano. And get a separate and reasonably accurate hygrometer to check the actual humidity value that you get from setting the hygrostat.

This type of unit gets through more water than a Dampp Chaser would, but I feel it is worth it to have a nice even humidity around the piano. However if you need to have the door to the piano room open all day, the humidified air will tend to escape into the rest of the house, and a Dampp Chaser which concentrates all its efforts on the air near the piano might be a solution worth thinking about.

I set the hygrostat to 50%, and in frosty winter weather (such as the cold spell before Christmas) it is gratifying to find a gentle plume of vapour from the unit, and the hygrometer spot on at 50%. In summer I turn off the unit (and clean it), the humidity can rise to 60% or even 65% on occasion. My feeling is that this is not a problem, it's dry weather in winter that is the killer for pianos. If you did feel you need a dehumidification facility as well, that would be something you would get from a Dampp Chaser.

Hope these thoughts are useful! Best of luck with it.

abc1337 · Post by **abc1337** » 07 Jan 2008, 23:17

http://www.jshumidifiers.com/products/S ... etails.htm

As a result of another thread I posted - altavista'd the item mentioned - above is the link for reference...

Is there such a device for internal use on an upright piano...(i refer to the link to the 'life saver' device mentioned above...

I too think summer isn't the issue, although my room will get warm - its the centrally heated room in winter that will need correctling

Openwood · Post by **Openwood** » 07 Jan 2008, 23:21

Thank you for the info - the search continues!