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Hello everyone,

I recently bought a digital piano for my apartment. The room I had to put it in is the same room with my clothes dryer. It is a big room, so isn't as bad as it seems.

If I run the dryer with my balcony door closed, the windows fog up as condensation builds on them, which says that the air is humid. Usually I have the balcony door open and this condensation does not occur.

I was wondering based off this description, if I leave open my balcony door will the condensation effect the digital piano at all, and what can I do to protect it(ie. I may leave it switched off while drying each week and cover it with a sheet).

Doesn't your dryer have a vent to the outside rather than having to just vent into the room? Most of the time you can buy a hose attachment and have it push the air through a vent to the outside.

Even if your DP lacks any wood components, there is felt and possibly glue that could be affected by excessive humidity or extreme changes in humidity.

If the DP is a slab type, you may want to remove it to turn on the dryer, but this can become quite the hassle.

The way it is set up it vents into the room. It is a big room, the dryer is in a small cupboard that opens up into the main room.

I'll take a picture when I am home. The piano is a CA65, so it is made of wood.

When I leave the balcony door open I don't notice any condensation forming anywhere, and haven't had problems with electronics in the past while it is running.

I wouldn't take chances with the CA65.

It is a very bad idea to let a dryer vent into a room/house. For one it is a potential fire hazard and another all the moisture and fine lint particles could lead to mold and respiratory issues.

Yes, if you rent, the landlord should get this resolved and bring it up to code.

With a CA65, you are dealing with wood parts indeed and it's not very mobile, so either resolve the dryer issue or put the piano in another room.

I would worry only if you often leave the balcony door close. The wood is affected by humidity with time. Also metal parts might rust. But only in long term. Many many years.

Since generally people use dryers 1 or 2 hours a day, might not be a big deal.

Just leave door open when dryer is on, and should be fine.

If the door most stay close while using dryer, might be good idea not use the digital piano. Some electronics even say they should not be use with high humidity. Maybe because water can condensate on circuit boards and cause a short?

Good luck.

If you _must_ leave the piano in the same room as the dryer:

. . . Leave it turned on all the time.

That will keep the circuit boards slightly warm, and reduce any condensation.

The wooden case is going to be a problem. I would phone (or e-mail) Kawai, and see what they suggest. Or wait for Kawai James to respond . . .

. Charles

The place I rent at is a large multi story apartment building(28 floors), so it is a standardised design.

The dryer does have a lint filter so the lint shouldn't be an issue, but it is annoying not to have the dryer vent outside.

The only other place I could put it is in the bedroom, but it is right next to the bathroom which would expose it to humidity from the shower daily.

I do only run the dryer for 2 hours once a week, and I leave the balcony door open. I may try turning the heat down on it. If I leave the piano off while I am using the dryer and cover it, as long as it lasts a few years I'll be happy. I would hope in a well ventilated environment, little use of the dryer and extra prevention I will be able to mostly preserve it.

Thank you for all the help so far. :)

I'm afraid I don't have a great deal to contribute beyond what has been mentioned already.

AaronH, if you have any concerns, I would contact Kawai Australia to ask their opinion.

Kind regards,
James
x

LOL I thought at first you meant leave the dryer on all the time!

Maybe running a dehumidifier in the room whenever you dry would help too. Can't hurt to do that for 2 hours a week.

If you're looking for the code, here's the code:

http://publicecodes.cyberregs.com/icod/irc/2012/icod_irc_2012_15_sec002.htm

Btw - a dryer vents a gallon of water on an average load.

My piano is in the same room with my beer-fridge. I've noticed that after a dozen or so beers -in me- the piano starts to wobble.

[img:center]http://i.imgur.com/bVhc99s.jpg[/img]

This is the setup. Piano is on the left, dryer is on the right.

The codes are interesting, do they apply in Australia?

I would invest in a dehumidifier even if I did not have an expensive DP in the room. It would solve the problem of excessive moisture in your apartment. The one I have is also a clothes drier. You put all your clothes on a maiden and then set the dehumidifier to dry. It does take longer for your clothes to dry, but you could then sell your tumble drier to pay for the dehumidifier. This is the model I have.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ecoair-DD12...8081&sr=1-16&keywords=Prem-I-Air

Phil

I'm sure a little googling would provide that answer for you, but my guess is that they have similar codes.

The better you treat your instrument, the better it will treat you

"...The place I rent at is a large multi story apartment building(28 floors), so it is a standardised design..."

It would not be the first time that large multi story apartment buildings (28 floors) have been built to a standardized design that didn't work out so well. Too bad I can't think of that catchy name for the TV show about disastrous mistakes, but no doubt you'll see it on cable one of these days. The one that comes to mind was a big apartment block in England whose floors were held together only by gravity--- no fasteners whatsoever. (It wasn't blueprinted that way.) Someone's gas clothes drier blew up one upper floor, and the building unzipped itself, floor by floor, and fell down. Whoops!

The previous poster was correct in saying that venting a clothes drier to the room air is unhealthful for the occupant, the building, and the furniture. The workaround is better than nothing--- go to the hardware or appliance store and get a clothes drier vent pipe. They're collapsible, some kinds are made of plastic-covered wire, and they're about 4" around in any length you need. Having attached that to your appliance, it can stay in the closet (another questionable choice by the builders), and only the end need go out the window while the drier is in use.

Is that a ventless dryer? There are such things. And I see a vent facing into the room at the top of the dryer which makes me think it doesn't actually have an external hookup. That would make more sense than pushing a normally vented (meaning, outside vented) dryer into that alcove because that would be a fire waiting to happen. I think the dehumidifier idea is the way to go.

Wow, sounds nasty! Where was that, just out of interest?

Aaron's apartment looks very cool though - I bet the view from that window and balcony is terrific!

Cheers,
James
x

Don't see the big deal. Couple of hours per week with high humidity is not the end of the world for the digital piano or any furniture or electronic. Specially if he leave the balcony door open while dryer is ON.

A duct to exhaust dryer air to the exterior would be ideal, but we don't know if he have the space for that. Is not like the dryer is next to an outside window. And those exhaust ducts get quite hot BTW. Is too much work. Maybe overkill.

Keep life simple and enjoy.