Have you put your heating on yet?

[umslopogaas]

Its sort of a perverse thought, but I actually wish it would get colder so I could light the stove. All those pistachio nut shells waiting to burn! I'm sure it soon will be.

[VodkaDilc]

I have a dehumidifier - essential for the piano. No mould build-up at all now.

I read your message quickly and began to sympathise, since I also have the piano to think about. Then I saw the 'de' at the beginning. I have the other problem. S and Sons suggested a certain model of humidifier if the measurements were outside the suggested limits. They were (just), but careful use of the radiator thermostats and hanging basic humidifiers on the radiators did the trick last winter (which was, of course, exceptionally wet and mild). I'll be interested to see what happens in the coming months.

Out of interest, Eine Alpen, what humidity measurements do you find suit your piano?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Out of interest, Eine Alpen, what humidity measurements do you find suit your piano?

Using the highest setting was too much according to the Steinway tuner. He recommended the half-setting, where it has remained for the last 8 years.

[David-G]

I read your message quickly and began to sympathise, since I also have the piano to think about. Then I saw the 'de' at the beginning. I have the other problem. S and Sons suggested a certain model of humidifier if the measurements were outside the suggested limits. They were (just), but careful use of the radiator thermostats and hanging basic humidifiers on the radiators did the trick last winter (which was, of course, exceptionally wet and mild). I'll be interested to see what happens in the coming months.

Out of interest, Eine Alpen, what humidity measurements do you find suit your piano?

Humidifiers are required for pianos in frosty weather in winter, when the humidity plunges if you have central heating. Instead of using a humidifier, I turn the heating on only minimally in the room where the pianos are. But I find that a dehumidifier is an excellent way to keep the humidity in the room constant through the year (which is what pianos like). I have mine set to maintain a humidity of 60% (as measured by my probably not-very-accurate meters). In practice I can keep the humidity to between 58% and 61% (dropping to maybe 55% on really frosty nights). This late summer to autumn period generally seems to have a high humidity level. In other rooms in the house the humidity has been 70% on several days recently. The dehumidifier is having to work hard.

[Richard Tarleton]

Bassoons ?

. Bassoon = fagott = firewood? Bassoon clamp? No just free firewood. What used to be known as free perks of the job are now called taxable benfits

[Jonathan]

We put the heating on yesterday for the first time since last spring!

As for the piano, in our old house, it was in a room in which the radiator was never switched on and it was often very cold in there.
However, in this house, the piano is in the dining room (where I am sat) and, although it is not terribly warm, it is comfortable at about 18C. As for humidity, we have never bothered with a dehumidifier for the piano (although the bathroom is another story altogether!) and my piano tuner says that it is fine.

[BBMmk2]

I probably put the heating soon. First though warmer clothing first!!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

However, in this house, the piano is in the dining room (where I am sat) and, although it is not terribly warm, it is comfortable at about 18C. As for humidity, we have never bothered with a dehumidifier for the piano (although the bathroom is another story altogether!) and my piano tuner says that it is fine.

The room where you were sitting was about 18ºC. That's probably a good temperature for a piano soundboard, but extreme changes of temperature and humidity are more damaging to some pianos than others. Your tuner will know which models are vulnerable.

[french frank]

the only wood that burns adequately when freshly cut is Ash but even that will eventually tar up the chimney

I'm surprised that any unseasoned wood burns well. I'd have thought that that was just as bad (worse?) than 'wet' wood which when stored in a shelter where air and and heat can get to it should dry out relatively quickly. I think there is a much lower calorific value to unseasoned logs ...

[gradus]

If you can get it Ash is one of if not the best wood for domestic fires and after a slowish start will flame and give reasonable heat but as ever seasoned is by far the best, to get it going well give as much heat as possible when the fire is lit. Don't buy unseasoned logs (ie dry-stored for less than a year) of any other wood. Last year I bought a half pallet of Hotties and they really are excellent at getting fires to burn hot and bright (I have nothing to do with the company) and I would recommend them to anyone with a wood burning stove, good heat output and reasonable burning times.

[johnb]

Using the highest setting was too much according to the Steinway tuner. He recommended the half-setting, where it has remained for the last 8 years.

I only own a digital piano (Kawaii CA63) but I am curious about the effects of humidity etc on real pianos.

Am I right in thinking that you have the de-humidifier on at the same setting all year round? If so, does it have a built in humidistat (a device like a thermostat but sensitive to humidity rather than temperature)? Of course there are mains plug-in humidistats you can buy - I have one and although it isn't 100% accurate it is within 3 percentage points at 33%, 43%, 75% RH*.

I ask because in my house the RH can vary between 70% in summer to 30% in the depths of winter when the heating is on full blast. So a de-humidifier without a humidistat would be likely to push the winter RH even lower than 30%!

* Last year I "calibrated" the humidistat and two other humidity gauges using saturated solutions of Magnesium Chloride (33%), Potassium Carbonate (43%) and Sodium Chloride (75%). This was in order to check humidity meters for my classical guitar. Yes - I should get out more.

(I am also curious about the Damp Chaser system for piano humidity control - I wonder whether anyone here has used it.)


Edit: Apologies for the off topic post but perhaps a thread about the care of musical instruments might be interesting.

[David-G]

You are quite right johnb; my dehumidifier has a humidistat. This is not calibrated in %, but I have a separate humidity meter (two actually), and they indicate that the humidistat works very well. In recent weeks the humidity in the rest of the house has been up to 70%, as you say, but in the drawing room the dehumidifier has kept it spot on 60%. For much of the year the house humidity seems to be about 60%, and then the dehumidifier doesn't do much.

On frosty nights in winter the humidity can indeed fall to 35% when the central heating is on. I used to have a humidifier in the drawing room to remedy this situation for the pianos, but it broke, and I have not got round to replacing it. Instead I turn down the radiators in the room as necessary to try to maintain the desired 60% humidity. On frosty nights when the humidity falls very low they have to be essentially off to keep the humidity up. I just wrap up warm when I want to play the one piano or the other! I should get round to investigating a new humidifier.

My efforts seem to be well rewarded, as my rather elderly Bluthner stays in pretty good tune from one tuner's visit to the next.

I don't think you need to get out more, by the way. If guitars are as sensitive as pianos, humidity control is very important.

Re Damp Chasers, I understand that these are good when it is difficult to control the room humidity adequately. They essentially create a microclimate for the piano. If you want to read more about this, a search of the Piano World Forums will produce a large number of threads on the subject.

[mangerton]

Thirty or so years ago, I was involved in rewiring a church on the west coast of Scotland. (Two of us, on Saturday mornings, took about three years!) There was a grand piano in the church, and we were concerned about the effects of damp and low temperature. We installed a device similar to this. The heater was placed inside the piano above the strings at the keyboard end. Running costs were minimal, and it did the job admirably.

[Flosshilde]

I've just come back from a week in Athens. While we were swanning around in tee-shirts feeling the heat, the Athenians were wrapped up in padded jackets & offering the 'winter menu' in restaurants.

It's all relative.

[Flosshilde]

I just wrap up warm when I want to play the one piano or the other!

Presumably the exercise involved should warm you up? (but working up a sweat will also increase the humidity?)