Humidity & Your Piano

Things got a little crazy around here this week, so we are having Technical Tuesday...on Wednesday.  :)

Your piano is made primarily of wood, which is not only beautiful, but a very versatile material.  This means your piano is also affected by humidity and climate changes.  Seasonal changes in humidity can cause wood parts to swell and shrink, affecting tuning stability and touch.  Humidity also affects the leather and felt materials in the piano's action, causing changes in dimension that affect regulation and friction.

What can you do to minimize humidity?

The first and most simple of precautions you can take is to position your piano away from areas where it would be exposed to extremes of temperature and humidity such as heating and cooling vents, stoves, doors and windows.  Direct sunlight is especially damaging.  If your home is not well insulated, an interior wall is preferable to an outside wall.

Controlling the humidity levels within your home is another step.  To monitor and measure the relative humidity changes in your home, moderately priced hygrometers are available at many home supply stores.

A practical solution to humidity problems in your home is to have a humidity control system installed in the piano itself.  The system has 3 parts:  a humidifier for adding moisture to the air, a dehumidifier for eliminating excess moisture, and a humidistat/control unit which senses the relative humidity of the air within the piano.  The humidistat/control unit activates the system to add or remove moisture only as needed.  The system is designed to maintain a relative humidity of 42%.  All components are installed out of view, and are very easy to maintain with minimal instruction.

How do you know if you need a humidity control system?

Your piano will tell you.  That bears repeating:  Your piano will tell you.  If you experience changes in the touch of the action, if your piano goes out of tune quickly after tuning service, or if you are noticing condensation on the metal parts of your piano, speak with your Technician.  Humidity may not be the only culprit.  Your experienced Technician will know best how to advise you.