During the winter months, many clients leave the state of Maine. Their piano is left in Maine, which means there’s nobody to fill the Dampp-Chaser! This is a solution.
My best estimate is that this system can supply a Dampp-Chaser with sufficient water for three months during the winter, or perhaps longer. Normally, they have to be filled once a week!
There is no pump or water pressure: The two containers are self-leveling using nothing but physics. This means that, in effect, the interior tank has nearly the entire capacity of the external tank. The lack of electronic components remediates risk of severe failures. The external tank I use is the Barker 10-gallon tote.
Although not necessary for operation, an Arduino micro-controller is installed to monitor the water level and send updates using cellular data. This gives us confidence everything is working as it should, even during long absences. This is in development, although the source code I’m currently using is below. At present, I’m using the Botletics SIM7000 shield and an Arduino Uno Rev3. I connect using Telnyx.
The setup outside of a piano, with the Barker tote and the Dampp-Chaser universal tank connected by a hose. The universal tank will sit inside the piano, and the Barker tote will be outside.This is the monitoring website for the above unit.
Do Dampp-Chaser Piano Life Saver Systems help with tuning stability?
Yes, Dampp-Chaser Piano Life Saver Systems do help your piano hold a tune for longer. I always recommend maintaining stable humidity in the room the piano resides in if possible Although this is the best possible solution for the piano, it can be quite challenging. The Piano Life Saver System solves this problem by protecting only the space inside or underneath the piano.
If controlling the humidity in the room is neither practical nor possible, then consider purchasing a Dampp-Chaser Piano Life Saver System. These systems can protect the most vulnerable parts of your piano and assist with tuning stability, even in unstable and extreme environments.
But I didn’t just take their word for it! I’ve installed remote humidity sensors in several pianos. My finding is that Dampp-Chasers do, in fact, keep the humidity inside pianos noticeably more stable. They’re particularly effective at keeping summer humidity under control, and are capable of bracing pianos against even the high humidity of a coastal Maine summer. The graph below depicts the performance of the system in a Vose & Sons baby grand piano located in a church:
Humidity levels over time in Vose & Sons Grand in the Summer.
The above piano has far more tuning stability than it did before, and the Dampp-Chaser will also protect against mold and corrosion. The piano in the above graph does have an undercover installed, and I nearly always recommend including these on grand installations.
Humidity levels over time in Vose & Sons Grand in the Winter.
This chart shows typical wintertime performance. The green line indicates outdoor humidity (not included in the first chart). As you can see, outdoor humidity varies tremendously during the Maine winter. The humidity routinely reaches nearly 100%! The air, once heated, dries out considerably, and you can see this relationship represented by the blue line. Finally, the red line represents the humidity as measured at the piano itself, and you can see the Dampp-Chaser effectively smooths out the variation.
Do Dampp-Chaser Piano Life Saver Systems protect my piano from Extreme Humidity?
Yes, the Dampp-Chaser protects several of the main structural components of your piano from the harshest extremes. During the winter months, in some evenings the relative humidity indoors can be as low as 10%. (I’ve measured as low as 5% in some customer’s houses.) This is close to the humidity the piano might experience in Death Valley during the summer. Conversely, Maine summers can see relative humidity clearing 80%. Both of these extremes can be absolutely devastating for soundboards, bridges, and other finely constructed wooden components and glue joints.
The dehumidifier also does a superb job keeping out condensation and mold. A dehumidifier only system (about a third the cost of the full system) can be installed in pianos susceptible to mold.
However, it’s important to mention that the Dampp-Chaser system does NOT protect the pinblock. Even though the Dampp-Chaser offers significant protection to the piano, the humidity of the room should always be controlled when possible.
Does the piano have to be tuned after the Dampp-Chaser is installed?
The piano will settle after the Dampp-Chaser is installed, and the tuning will change. The usual recommendation is to wait at least two weeks for the piano to settle before tuning it.
Do I need to do anything once it’s installed?
Dampp-Chaser climate control versus the environment.
Your only obligation is filling the humidifier with distilled water when it requires it. There’s a light installed on the piano that will flash when the system needs to be filled, and it comes with a special fill bucket.
Do they wear out?
The Dampp-Chaser system has no moving parts, so they typically last for decades. The humidifier will require a new set of paper wicks every six months. I provide these for free at regular tuneups.
Use only distilled water. Household water contains minerals, and those minerals can accumulate on the humidifier. Over time, corrosion will develop, prematurely aging the system.
Why do Dampp-Chaser system installation quotes vary so much?
The Dampp-Chaser is a retail product, sold through technicians. The technician acts as both the installer and the retailer. Aside from the initial price of the product and any delivery fees, the technician will add a retail markup and then add their installation fee, which might be flat rate or hourly. Different technicians handle this pricing structure very differently, and you’ll see Dampp-Chaser quotes ranging widely. The most important detail is that your installer understands the system conceptually, and has experience adapting it to many pianos effectively. Every Dampp-Chaser installation is a bit unique—some very—and your installer needs to be up to the task.
Do I actually have to use Pad Treatment and Distilled Water?
I’ve cleaned out some horrific humidifier buckets throughout my career. Pad treatment prevents bacteria and mold from growing inside the humidifier. Use the recommended dosage of pad treatment. I’ve had customer try to “pinch pennies” by using half the recommended amount, and yes, I’ve seen mold grow in the humidifier as a consequence. It won’t spread to the piano, as the dehumidifier protects the cabinet. However, it will create an awfully gross situation inside the humidifier, and you’ll need replacement hardware much sooner.
Remember that anything you put into the humidifier, stays in the humidifier. If your water has sediment in it, the sediment has nowhere to go. Dampp-Chaser recommends distilled water. I’ve seen customers use highly filtered water without any negative consequences, but I’ve also seen them use well water and grow massive deposits of iron, calcium, and salt on their humidifiers! These cause corrosion, and are messy. Use distilled water.
