keys won't bounce back .....

[kwtam338]

Today I found that the D, E and A keys on my piano won't bounce back when pressed. I have to pull them up using a little force. The weather in the past 10 days or so was cool (10C) and dry (humidity around 35%). Today it suddenly went back to something like 17C and 83%. I suspect the problem of the keys has to do with the sudden humidity change.

I wonder if you guys have similar experiences. Should I call a technician? Or should I wait to see if my piano will adapt to the humidity change? My piano is a Kawai K-80 upright and I bought it new three years ago. I live in Hong Kong where I tend to have air-conditioning on nearly all the time in the summer. In the winter, the weather tends to change from time to time. My piano does not seem to have settled in .....

Any advice would be appreciated.

Cheers

[tosca1]

Humidity swings can cause problems for the piano and over a period of time the damage can be considerable.  The change from 35% humidity to 83% could cause the keys to stick. The wooden key will swell in the damp weather.  I think that all-year-round humidity control is necessary, especially in a very warm, humid climate like Hong Kong's.
You could use a dehumidifier which can be set at a particular humidity level. 35%-60% should be quite safe for most pianos.  I set my dehumidifier to 50% and operate it for just part of the day. In the evening, the humidity level tends to increase.
You can also monitor the humidity levels where your piano is with a hydrometer. Check with your piano technician who will be familiar with this problem in Hong Kong.

Kind regards,
Robert.

[kwtam338]

Hi Robert

Thanks for the advice. I tried the keys again today. They seem to have got better slightly. But in any case, I am calling my piano tuner. My piano has not been tuned for nearly 6 months. I have a dehumidifier which is not very effective. My piano changes tune regularly when the humidity changes ... I used to own a low-end Yamaha which did not have this problem ...

Kind regards, Tam

[tosca1]

Hello Tam,
Another option is to have a piano dehumidifier fitted to your piano. I believe that they are very effective.  Too much humidity causes the sound board to swell and and for the tuning to go sharp.  Too little may have the opposite effect and can cause the pin block to contract and this also affects the tuning. Even the voicing is affected as excessive humidity will make the hammers go "soggy" and this will dull the tone.
I have my piano tuned 4 times a year and although Auckland, where I live, does not have temperature extremes, seasonal changes and humidity swings adversely affect the tuning.
Recently I bought a dehumidifier to try to maintain more consistent humidity levels. It seems to be working  and I need only operate the dehumidier for a few hours a day to maintain a good environment for the piano.
As I said in my previous post, discuss this problem with your piano tuner and consider your best options.
Good luck.

Robert.   

[gorbee natcase]

have you ever seen them crystals you get in sealed window units, they are cheap you can buy them from hardware shops in paper saches and can be put in the piano to absorb moisture

[leahcim]

Did the tuner say

"Your keys are very poorly, but they'll soon bounce back" ?

[kwtam338]

Hello everyone

Thanks so much for your advice. The tuner came today and fixed the problem. I have no idea what he did but the whole process (tuning plus problem fixing) took only half an hour. Now the keys are much more stiff, which I like because it is easier for me to control the dynamics.

I do have a dehumidifier fitted in the piano. I asked the tuner if it was working and he said it was working fine. He said his experience was that here in Hong Kong, the Yamahas seemed to be more stable than the Kawais as far as sensitivity to humidity changes was concerned. I said but I had been using it for 3 years. He said it would take about 5 years for a new piano to completely settle in. I asked what happened to the keys and he said yes it was because of the humidity change. He did not say if the keys would bounce back without fixing.

have you ever seen them crystals you get in sealed window units, they are cheap you can buy them from hardware shops in paper saches and can be put in the piano to absorb moisture

This is an interesting suggestion. You remind me of an additional problem which I have not tried to fix. In the summer when it is humid, I find quite a bit of moisture on the keys. I have to use a cloth to absorb the moisture every time I open the lid. Maybe I should try your suggestion or something similar.

Anyway, I am very pleased with the tuning and I played two hours today. I even solved a couple of technical problems that I had with a certain piece. So overall, I am a happy man  I am starting to learn the Mozart Fantasy in Dm tomorrow. Really look forward to it.

Thankyou to you all for the help.

Happy new year and best wishes.

Tam

[mariocast]

For future reference...

Another common cause of keys sticking is that they are rubbing up against the key slip (the long piece of wood in between you and the keys.

Sometimes the key slip can warp to cause keys to stick.  It can easily be loosened or removed with a screwdriver on most pianos.  It could save you a few bucks from the piano technician.

[invictus]

Today I found that the D, E and A keys on my piano won't bounce back when pressed. I have to pull them up using a little force. The weather in the past 10 days or so was cool (10C) and dry (humidity around 35%). Today it suddenly went back to something like 17C and 83%. I suspect the problem of the keys has to do with the sudden humidity change.

I wonder if you guys have similar experiences. Should I call a technician? Or should I wait to see if my piano will adapt to the humidity change? My piano is a Kawai K-80 upright and I bought it new three years ago. I live in Hong Kong where I tend to have air-conditioning on nearly all the time in the summer. In the winter, the weather tends to change from time to time. My piano does not seem to have settled in .....

Any advice would be appreciated.

Cheers

I live in HK too, and yes, I also feel the humidity change.

I did not experience the problem with my U3 yamaha, do you have a dehumidifier? If in doubt, ring a technician.

Reply for mariocast: Sure, when you break your piano, it should cost you some bucks