All piano manufacturers recommend guarding pianos against humidity changes. They know the damage that it can cause so they make it clear in their warrantees that pianos must be protected against extreme humidity or dryness. To protect your piano and stay within guidelines, the Piano Boutique recommends Damp Chaser products.
With the extreme humidity in some areas, it can cause severe damage to any piano. Pin blocks, bridges and soundboards can crack and split. Strings will corrode, rust and break. Also the action and keys will become sluggish, stick and not play at all.
Never put just a heating rod or light bulb in your piano. With it running all the time it will continue to dry your piano when the humidity is low. Always have a humidistat control installed that will turn the unit on and off as needed.
It is also emportant that the unit be installed correctly. Never install the Damp Chaser in close proximity to the action or keys. In vertical pianos never place the unit above the keys near the action, this will cause screws to loosen and keys to get loose. It should be installed just above the pedal trap work so the heat will rise and do the most good.
In grand pianos, never have the Damp Chaser rod installed inside the action area. This puts the heating rod too close to the action. Also, the heat from the rod will rise and dehydrate the pin block. By doing this the tuning pins will become loose and the piano can become un-tunable. We recommend placing the Damp Chaser rod behind the key bed plank, so the heat can rise into the cavity under the sound board.
In very dry climents, the effects of too little humidity is just the opiset. If the humidity is too low, the wood will dry shrink and cause your piano to raddle and buz. For these types of climents, the Piano Boutique recommends a humidifyer that is regulated with a controal. Never place a jar of watter in or under your piano because if spilled in the piano it can cause much damage.
The Piano Boutique recommends installing a damp chaser system to regulate the humidity of your piano. This is an after market item that has proven to stabilize humidity at a medium level. Ask about our discount rates to have a Damp Chaser and control installed before your piano is delivered. To protect your piano and stay within guidelines the Piano Boutique recommends Damp Chaser products, that can be ordered directly from the Piano boutique by going to our home page and clicking on contact us.