Piano Humidity Control | PianoDisc Installation

Many people are not aware that humidity can have a profound effect on the tuning and performance of your piano. Humidity is a measure of how much water vapor is in the air, relative to the maximum amount of water vapor it can hold (that’s why it’s called relative humidity!).  Your piano is subject to wide swings in humidity. This is particularly true in the Hudson Valley, where the majority of our clients live. In the summer, humidity levels can go as high as 100%, while in the winter, your heating system can drop the relative humidity in your home into the single digits.

What does this mean for your piano? When the humidity is high, the soundboard and bridges absorb moisture and swell, increasing the tension of the strings and forcing the piano sharp. When the humidity is low, the opposite happens - the soundboard and bridges release moisture and shrink, reducing the downward pressure of the strings and forcing the piano flat. This is why almost all piano manufacturers - and your piano technician - recommend that your piano is tuned twice a year. In addition to forcing your piano out of tune, increased humidity affects the action parts, swelling the wood and increasing friction, which can make your action respond sluggishly (a major cause of “sticking” keys).

How can you mitigate the effects of humidity on your piano? There are several options. The absolute best solution is to have your whole house humidity controlled. This involves either attaching a humidifier to your HVAC system or installing a separate humidifier/dehumidifier system in your home. While this is the best solution, it can be very expensive to install and maintain, and is usually cost prohibitive.

The next, and we think best, solution is to install a humidity control system directly in your piano. The Dampp Chaser company, makers of the Piano Life Saver system, is the only company making these systems. Over the past 74 years they have perfected their system and adapted it to work in all pianos. This system maintains the relative humidity of your piano within a few percent of the ideal level of 45% Relative Humidity. A humidistat regulates the humidity, similar to the way your thermostat regulates temperature. If the humidity is high, the humidistat activates low power dehumidifier bars to dry out the piano. If the humidity is low, the humidistat activates a humidifier - a gentle version of that which you might put in a room. Periodically, you must fill the humidifier tank with water. This can be disconcerting the first few times, pouring water into a tube that disappears into your piano!

Get More Info : Piano Humidity Control

Website : https://www.newyorkpianoworks.com/

Contact Us : Historical Keyboards

Polyester Piano finish repair | PianoDisc Repair

A standard tuning is for those pianos that have been tuned in the past 6 months to a year. It involves manipulating the tuning pins to bring all 230 strings to their proper and harmonious pitch. We use a combination of aural and electronic tuning to ensure your piano sounds great! We also tighten the plate bolts, check for problems, and tighten the bench.

If we haven’t seen your piano in a while, it may need one or more Pitch Adjustments to bring the strings up to a tension where fine tuning is possible without stressing the piano.

Do you have a stuck key or broken string(s)? We can help! Our technicians are well trained in all manner of repairs, from a simple stuck key to major action work.

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Why It’s Important to Tune Your Piano | The Alexander Technique for Back Pain in New York

There are around 230 strings on the average piano. Each string on the piano has a unique pitch and frequency that must be tuned to the other strings. The sound quality of your piano is determined by these strings, so they must be maintained properly. Due to stress, these strings can stretch over time, causing the piano to become out of tune. Seasonal Changes in humidity also cause the piano to become out of tune.

When pianos are tuned regularly, they are easier to tune, stay in good condition, and maintain their value. Piano tuning regularly also avoids damage caused by overstretched strings. It will be more expensive and time-consuming to get a piano back into tune if it hasn't been tuned in a long time.

If a piano hasn't been tuned in a long time, a piano tuner may attempt to correct the problem by raising the piano's pitch. This involves pulling all of the strings, resulting in a sharp pitch. When the strings naturally stretch over time, causing the pitch to go flat, this overcompensation should keep the piano in tune.

You should have your piano checked every six months to a year to ensure that the strings last as long as possible. If the strings are damaged too much or the keys are not properly working, you should take a piano repair service. 

If you buy a new piano, you should tune it four times in the first year since the new strings stretch more and go out of tune more quickly. If you tune your piano regularly throughout the first few years of ownership, it will be more likely to stay in tune for longer periods of time and during the later years of its life.

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Humidity Control for your Piano | Piano Regulation And Voicing

 Many people are not aware that humidity can have a profound effect on the tuning and performance of your piano. Humidity is a measure of how much water vapor is in the air, relative to the maximum amount of water vapor it can hold (that’s why it’s called relative humidity!).  Your piano is subject to wide swings in humidity. This is particularly true in the Hudson Valley, where the majority of our clients live. In the summer, humidity levels can go as high as 100%, while in the winter, your heating system can drop the relative humidity in your home into the single digits.

What does this mean for your piano? When the humidity is high, the soundboard and bridges absorb moisture and swell, increasing the tension of the strings and forcing the piano sharp. When the humidity is low, the opposite happens - the soundboard and bridges release moisture and shrink, reducing the downward pressure of the strings and forcing the piano flat. This is why almost all piano manufacturers - and your piano technician - recommend that your piano is tuned twice a year. In addition to forcing your piano out of tune, increased humidity affects the action parts, swelling the wood and increasing friction, which can make your action respond sluggishly (a major cause of “sticking” keys).

How can you mitigate the effects of humidity on your piano? There are several options. The absolute best solution is to have your whole house humidity controlled. This involves either attaching a humidifier to your HVAC system or installing a separate humidifier/dehumidifier system in your home. While this is the best solution, it can be very expensive to install and maintain, and is usually cost prohibitive.

Read More About : Piano Restoration

Website : https://www.newyorkpianoworks.com/

Contact Us : Piano Humidity Control