I have a Yamaha U-30A 52" upright and a Dampp-Chaser and the pad light is blinking. I'd like to change or clean them myself, but don't want to screw up my equipment.

I see a pull handle below my keyboard. Do I just pull on this? Any special consideration in putting it back? Tips on the pads?

Thanks.

I know you've already considered this, but call your tech, who has the supplies and experience needed. Best wishes --

I had considered that, but it's 4 months until my next tuning and I'd rather not pay $100 for something I may be able to do myself. Self-reliance is very important to me.

I've watched my tech change my pads several times, and he told me it is not that difficult... but he also said you have to be careful when cleaning off the white gunk that accumulates on the rods not to damage the parts, and that scared me off completely.

I personally would just schedule an early tuning and have your tech change the pads, but I'm risk adverse.

The white gunk/blue crystals on the rods can be cleaned with a plastic scouring pad, the kind used to clean teflon coated cooking pans. The supplied replacement pads should be cut to proper length so that they just barely reach the bottom of the tank when folded over the rods. The supplied pads are often too long and will not sit properly on the rods and give false readings on the refill indicator if they are not in full contact. Use distilled water to reduce the amount of hard water mineral deposits, only a couple bucks for a gallon and well worth it. Lastly, check that the parts have not shifted in a way that would cause buzzing or any other unwanted noise.

How often should you change the pads? My tuner changes them every time he tunes the piano which is about every four months. I use distilled water but he says they get to slimy but I wonder if four times a year may be to much. Just wanted to know what another tech thinks. DPVJAZZ

They only cost a dollar or two. Why not change them with every tuning? But the other important item is to wash out the water tank. The minerals collect in them, too. Not just on the pads.

With the Smart system, is it okay for the pads to drape over the rods or should they go under them? Or either way?

Steven

Pads should drape over the rods.

Add 1/2 capful of Humidifier Treatment fluid (HTF) every time you fill the tank.

Pads should be changed at least every 6 months if not sooner. If you let the tank run dry, have hard water or do not add the HTF plan on changing them sooner.

If the piano is tuned once a year or less, then the pads will be cloged before the next tuning.

Solution: Tune your piano twice a year and have pads changed on every tuning! Your piano will benefit of that.

There is a very simple and effective way to get rid of that "white gunk" problem:

Stop using regular tap water! Tap water is full of calcium and other minerals, and every bit of calcium that goes into your DC tank stays in the DC tank or clogs the pads - it does not evaporate.

Use purified or distilled water. I buy gallon jugs of purified water because I can get it cheaper than distilled. The important thing is that the water be filtered somehow. If you have a reverse osmosis drinking water system, that also works.

You may have heard that distilled water is not recommended for DC systems. This is because, in theory, the "empty" probe will not be able to get a reading if the water is 100% pure. I've used store-bought distilled water and never had a problem with the sensor. If this is a concern, or if you do run into this problem, add a few drops of the humidifier treatment to make the water "electrolytically responsive."

Using filtered water also reduces the need for the humidifier treatment. I still add a few drops every few months, just to be safe.

I think it's totally worth the extra effort to put clean water into the DC system, in order to avoid the problems of calcium build-up. My DC system still looks brand new - not a hint of calcium anywhere, and it will stay that way always.