Disklavier

You are great Carol and thank you for the microphone tips a few days 
ago! Steve T

--- In disklavier@yahoogroups.com, "Carol Beigel" <thecarolb@...> 
wrote:
>
> This is my personal opinion about piano climate control systems.  
Every situation is different, so your piano tech can advise you 
better than I can.
> 
> Dampp Chaser makes an excellent piano climate control system.  
Personally, I think every piano that is exposed to hot or humid 
summers needs at least one dampp chaser rod and one humidistat.  
Grand pianos need at least 2 rods installed underneath the 
soundboard.  Never have rods installed that are not controlled by the 
automatic humidistat.  This turns them on when the RH is around 42% 
and turnes them off when not needed.  They cycle on/off many times 
troughout each day! throughout all the seasons.
> 
> I do NOT recommend the humidifier tanks for grand pianos unless 
they are located in high rise apartment buildings or are surrounded 
by baseboard heaters.  Also NEVER put a humidifier tank in a 
Disklavier as I don't believe in mixing water and electricity.  The 
exception is an upright disklavier where the entire climate control 
system can be mounted on the back.
> 
> Most piano technicians would not agree with me about not using 
humidifier tanks.  My reasoning is that the pads in the tanks 
continually need replacement for the system to work properly, and 
frankly, after 5 years this is usually neglected.  Also mold forms in 
the tubes and I really never thought they worked all that well for 
what they cost.  Better to have a humidifier installed on your home 
heating system and have it serviced every year.
> 
> I think these climate control systems work great, protect your 
piano from moisture swings, and are a good value.  It is more 
important to protect your piano from high humidity because the 
soundboard can swell up within a few days and you can see the 
pressure ridges.  This is when the damage is done, but you don't see 
it until the soundboard shrinks during the heating season and those 
pressure ridges become cracks.  Some pressure ridges are normal - 
especially if you really need to look hard to see them!  If your 
piano pitch is over A442 Hz and it was tuned regularly to A440, then 
consider installing the dehumidifers under the board.  Your piano 
tech can do this.
> 
> Over the years I have had many customers argue that their 
grandmother's piano never needed these things and it still plays.  
Fine. After 20 years, these instruments often look they are 40 years 
old; the strings are rusty and the piano action is stiff from taking 
on all the humidity over the years.  There is a mold or whatever it 
is, called vertigris that grows in the felt action centers.  It eats 
the cloth and does not really go away even when treated.  Some feel 
this is a reaction caused by the dye in the clother reacting to a 
parafin treatment at the factory.  Either way it can be prevented by 
not letting your piano sit in high humidity.
> 
> If you think the gray market issue is argumentative, the climate 
control issue is just as bad.  All I know is that humidid areas give 
you peat bogs and rot, and dry areas give you mummies!  For myself, 
my piano is protected again changes in humidity!
> 
> I usually try not to engage in  shameless self promotion, but to 
save bandwidth, I do have complete explanations and pictures of 
climate control systems, baffles, disks, how a piano is tuned, piano 
first aid, and my comments about choosing a new or used 
piano/disklavier and gray market pianos on my website at: 
www.carolrpt.com
> 
> 
> Carol Beigel
> 
> 
>   ----- Original Message ----- 
>   From: wandamusic@... 
>   To: disklavier@yahoogroups.com 
>   Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2007 10:25 AM
>   Subject: [disklavier] Re: gray market pianos... and question 
about moisture control
> 
> 
>   >>snip
> 
>   you are trying to get to the truth. Thanks for looking after us!
> 
>   Can you recommend anything that will actually balance things out 
inside the piano? Telling me to climate control my condo is 
impossible - I simply cannot afford the high bills, which would be 
several hundrerd dollars more a month than I now pay.
> 
>   I did tell the sales person this before buying and I was told 
that Yamaha pianos are built so well that they will withstand these 
changes as long as they are not placed in an area that actually gets 
damp. 
> 
>   Thanks in advance for any help, and thanks for your ongoing 
support to this list! 

> 
>   Blessings,
>   Wanda
>

----- Original Message -----

From: Carol Beigel

To: disklavier@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2007 8:53 AM

Subject: [disklavier] Piano climate control systems for Disklaviers

This is my personal opinion about piano climate control systems. Every situation is different, so your piano tech can advise you better than I can.

Dampp Chaser makes an excellent piano climate control system. ; Personally, I think every piano that is exposed to hot or humid summers needs at least one dampp chaser rod and one humidistat. ; Grand pianos need at least 2 rods installed underneath the soundboard. Never have rods installed that are not controlled by the automatic humidistat. This turns them on when the RH is around 42% and turnes them off when not needed. They cycle on/off many times troughout each day! throughout all the seasons.

I do NOT recommend the humidifier tanks for grand pianos unless they are located in high rise apartment buildings or are surrounded by baseboard heaters. Also NEVER put a humidifier tank in a Disklavier as I don't believe in mixing water and electricity. The exception is an upright disklavier where the entire climate control system can be mounted on the back.

Most piano technicians would not agree with me about not using humidifier tanks. My reasoning is that the pads in the tanks continually need replacement for the system to work properly, and frankly, after 5 years this is usually neglected. Also mold forms in the tubes and I really never thought they worked all that well for what they cost. Better to have a humidifier installed on your home heating system and have it serviced every year.

I think these climate control systems work great, protect your piano from moisture swings, and are a good value. It is more important to protect your piano from high humidity because the soundboard can swell up within a few days and you can see the pressure ridges. This is when the damage is done, but you don't see it until the soundboard shrinks during the heating season and those pressure ridges become cracks. Some pressure ridges are normal - especially if you really need to look hard to see them! If your piano pitch is over A442 Hz and it was tuned regularly to A440, then consider installing the dehumidifers under the board. Your piano tech can do this.

Over the years I have had many customers argue that their grandmother's piano never needed these things and it still plays. Fine. After 20 years, these instruments often look they are 40 years old; the strings are rusty and the piano action is stiff from taking on all the humidity over the years. There is a mold or whatever it is, called vertigris that grows in the felt action centers. It eats the cloth and does not really go away even when treated. Some feel this is a reaction caused by the dye in the clother reacting to a parafin treatment at the factory. Either way it can be prevented by not letting your piano sit in high humidity.

If you think the gray market issue is argumentative, the climate control issue is just as bad. All I know is that humidid areas give you peat bogs and rot, and dry areas give you mummies! For myself, my piano is protected again changes in humidity!

I usually try not to engage in shameless self promotion, but to save bandwidth, I do have complete explanations and pictures of climate control systems, baffles, disks, how a piano is tuned, piano first aid, and my comments about choosing a new or used piano/disklavier and gray market pianos on my website at: www.carolrpt.com

Carol Beigel

----- Original Message -----

From: wandamusic@...

To: disklavier@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2007 10:25 AM

Subject: [disklavier] Re: gray market pianos... and question about moisture control

>>snip

you are trying to get to the truth. Thanks for looking after us!

Can you recommend anything that will actually balance things out inside the piano? Telling me to climate control my condo is impossible - I simply cannot afford the high bills, which would be several hundrerd dollars more a month than I now pay.

I did tell the sales person this before buying and I was told that Yamaha pianos are built so well that they will withstand these changes as long as they are not placed in an area that actually gets damp.

Thanks in advance for any help, and thanks for your ongoing support to this list!

Blessings,
Wanda