This is a short breakdown of the options to protect your piano from humidity damage and how the Piano Life Saver is the most reliable way to do so. If you'd like to see a more detailed explanation, please click here to go to the Dampp-Chaser website.
After writing the last post on humidity, I decided to look into the modern Dampp-Chaser products. I was familiar with their dehumidifier products, and the older models of humidistats, but I also wanted to learn more about their Piano Life Saver system, which fully equips a piano to withstand humidity fluctuations due to seasonal or environmental changes. The older dehumidifier system that I wrote about in the last blog post was only half of a full PLS system, and it was only one variant of a system for uprights specifically. I highly recommend that this full system be installed in any performance piano, and it is also incredibly helpful in even the beginning to intermediate levels of pianos. I am now a Piano Life Saver Certified Installer, so please read on to learn more about PLS and how we can help you extend the life of your piano.
If you haven't read about what humidity can do to pianos, you can read our blog post about it here. Pianos are made of wood, and wood fibers change when they suddenly absorb or release moisture. When wood absorbs moisture, it expands, and when it releases moisture, it contracts. What sounds like a small change can actually lead to some major flaws in a piano; wood that swells with moisture can cause moving flange joints to become stiff, requiring new parts so the friction is lowered. Wood that contracts and dries up can crack, leading to weakened moving parts that break easily. Both swelling and drying can drastically change the tone of your piano by causing the soundboard to shift or crack. Most importantly of all, the pinblock which holds the tuning pins is made of wood, and so swelling and drying will increase or decrease tension on the strings, leading to your piano going out of tune. If not for these major environmental changes, pianos would be much more stable.
The Piano Life Saver system by Dampp-Chaser is an incredible solution to the age-old problem of humidity. After installing the system underneath a grand piano, or inside/behind an upright, the piano becomes much better equipped to handle any kind of change. The ideal humidity level for a piano is 42%. Although pianos can actually handle humidity levels between 35%-55% without too many issues, the most important thing is that the humidity of the piano is stable. Dampp-Chaser highlights some ways that piano owners can protect their instruments from humidity: a full house-control system which regulates humidity in the whole house, a room control system using humidifiers or dehumidifiers, placing chemicals inside the piano to absorb moisture, or by installing the PLS system. I'll go through the pros and cons of each option below.
Full-house system: Some houses have very strong AC systems already which regulate humidity well despite seasonal changes. If your home does not have a great system already, updating it is extremely expensive, and does not help if you are someone who likes to leave windows or screen doors open.
Room-control system: Placing a portable humidifier or dehumidifier in the room which houses the piano can help regulate humidity effectively. However, these appliances tend to be noisy and need maintenance quite often, usually filling the systems with water and cleaning them.
Placing chemicals in the piano: Substances like calcium chloride or silica gel are typically used in products where the manufacturer is worried about the effects of humidity. The main drawback to these chemicals is their single-use nature; they will continuously absorb moisture until they can't hold any more water, which could inadvertently dry out your piano, and will also mean that you need to periodically replace them (and you don't have a good idea as to when they need to be replaced).
Piano Life Saver system: A certified technician can install and maintain this for you, in any piano. It is the most effective method to protect the piano from environmental changes, as it comes with a humidistat which regulates the dehumidifier rods and the humidifier. The only required maintenance is filling the humidifier with water every two weeks, and you'll never see the system once installation is complete. It is more energy efficient since its only goal is to protect the piano, and it makes no noise. By installing an appliance that can safely regulate moisture levels within a few inches of the wood soundboard, the piano will stay more stable in all aspects I mentioned earlier. When summer changes to fall and winter, and the average humidity drops significantly inside the home, the piano won't change at all, since the PLS system maintains the same 42% level all year round.
Protecting your piano from the number one culprit of damage is as easy as asking your technician to install a PLS system. The regulation won't need to be adjusted as often, the soundboard will hold its shape and tone, and your piano's lifespan will be extended. Most importantly, the piano will hold a much more stable tuning! Your instrument can be passed down through the family, maintain its value if you choose to sell it, or continue to hold its own on a concert stage. Now that I'm PLS certified, I'd love the opportunity to share more with you about how this system can improve the quality and lifespan of your piano.
Please contact us if you'd like to inquire about anything you've read here today. We'd be happy to work with you and your piano!
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