Question on Climate Control System - Damp Chaser

[atticus]

Hi all,

I have a few questions on the installation of climate control systems like the damp chaser...Do they have to drill any holes in the piano to install it?  How often you need to refill the water?  I'm sure it depends on the season...I just wanted to get a feel for whether it required daily maintenance or weekly maintenance?  Any ideas?  Also, if I get one of these installed should I wait awhile before having the piano tuned?

Thanks,
atticus

[robertp]

First in your order of questions, then some comments....

A few holes, underneath. You'll never see them.
Refills depend on your conditions. We've got central a/c here in NE Pennsylvania, and I've had to refill about every 2 to 2.5 weeks. The idiot lights make it real clear when it wants a refill. So I'd see biweekly maintenance...but I've not gone through a winter with it yet.
My technician waited 2 months before doing a tuning after installation (he's an RPT).

In general. My technician pushed really hard for it from day one when my piano was new. I was hesitant, despite all the positive raves I've read about it. After all, how did Liszt manage w/o such a system  ? What did it for me was the spring tuning; piano is two years old. It was way, way off, and he only dared take it back to A=337.

Took about 1.5 hours to install, and maybe a half-hour to answer my questions and show me what was what. He came back in two months for the tuning, and it was off .5 C. And he was able to take it to A=440, and it's been holding there. Even better, on a daily basis, I don't hear changes which had been driving me crazy, a unison off a tad one way, etc. And the action has stayed the same. So it's been good for my piano, good for my ear, and good for my playing.

I'll never have a piano without the D-C again. Never.

[atticus]

Hi robertp,

Thanks very much for posting a reply to my questions - I really appreciate it!

atticus