I have dilemma...I def need humidity control for my 7ft M&H BB....in the belly of my piano, there are 2 player systems, both of which take up all of the room under there, so there is no room for the Damp-Chaser bar, short or long, however, I do have the Damp-Chaser Humidistat. Here is a pic of what I am talking about...I know, there is a LOT of stuff under there..lol





At the moment, I have a nite lite plugged into where the heating rod would normally go, and it has a 15 watt bulb plugged into it. 15 watts for a 7ft Grand is probably doing nothing, and living in the Portland area, there is a lot of humidity, especially in the winter. Does anyone have any suggestions for using something other than the nite lite to help control the humidity? Thanks! GP

Dampp Chaser cautions player piano owners about using the heating bars. The electricity generates heat under the soundboard. Perhaps a room dehumidifier is better for you?

The manufacturers of solenoid based player systems recommend keeping D-C components a certain distance away from the player components, as it increases the potential for overheating.

While I'm a big believer in these systems, it does seem as though your best option would be to moderate the rooms RH. (of course, I was skeptical about fitting two player systems, so what do I know! )

What he/she said...

Wow. That picture looks like something off of the set from the movie Brazil!

LOL...Rich, you know a lot!.....I never thought about trying to de-humidify the whole room...it's pretty large...my living room is what we call a "great room"...in the Pacific Northwest during the 80's when my house was built, they were in vogue. The liv, dining room and kitchen are all open, with only 1 wall separating the din from the kitchen. The ceiling slopes up to at least 20 feet I think...so it's a lot of space to try and de-humidify.

Peter...?? What he/she said?

Grotriman....I think you are right! LOL

GPM -

Even if you DID use a Damp Chaser some how...it only takes care of what is local to it, not the itsy bitsy teeny weeny wood parts in a piano.

I have no idea how to manage the open room concept but surely you can help the situation with a humidifier, ac, and dehumidifier. I do this on a very small space where the rooms are open by doorways but still air does move. And I changed my lifestyle.

AC just came out of the window for the fall/winter/spring and heat will go on in the house (not the room) shortly as our nights are now getting down to the 40's.

Not sure what the Portland weather is like but I am learning - room stablization is the best for the instrument. We are just a side benefit!

Oh, what we do for our pianos!