 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: kssams
Date: 2006-07-11 15:23
My daughter has a Buffet R-13 and we live in an area where the humidity can fluctuate. It can especially be humid in the summer, though not consistently. Since this is a wood clarinet, we'd like to be able to control the humidity levels in order to protect the clarinet. Can anyone recommend a humidifier/dehumidifier? Ideally, it would be one that was automatic and did both things, if that exists! Thanks for any help you can give! (P.S. Preferably this would be one that goes in the case.)
Post Edited (2006-07-11 15:24)
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2006-07-11 16:31
(Disclaimer - I sell humidifiers and desiccant products)
Probably the best situation is to have a room with total humidity control for most normal use and storage which maintains RH in the range of 45%-65%. Many modern HVAC systems now have good RH control. I am not aware of an all in one - humidifier-dehumidifier - product or device other than the Vandoren new "black box" for reeds but water has to be added to that device too. Saturated salts of various chemicals come closest because they give up moisture when above the saturation quotient for the chemical salt and take up moisture when below but this functional RH band is somewhat limited and best suited to an airtight container situation. A commercial application for instruments and cases is thus far not available. There are commercial applications of saturated salts containers used by museums for displays, etc. but those are primarily sealed environments and not opening and shutting instrument cases.
Probably the key to adding humidity or taking it away is having a gauge or chemical indicator strip which will tell you where your are on the RH scale because temperature also plays tricks with our general ability to tell damp from dry. You can add humidity with either a homemade or commercial humidifier device- commonly available, or take it away with a desiccant product.
L. Omar Henderson
Doctor's Products - www.doctorsprod.com
A proud BB Sponsor
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2006-07-11 19:00
Very good Phys Chem lecture, Omar. To begin such a search for a "closely regulated" humidity level, I suggest getting an inexpensive "Weather Center" [with a "humidity" dial-meter] and watch its fluctuations in your chosen storage area. I just read several of mine at about 45%, a good level. I bot these at garage-estate sales for about $5 each ! You can try to calibrate them versus TV weather and otherTV/computer channel reports, and that is not a high-tech approach, but "close enough for Jazz !". Since the water content in the air-water system is a large function of temp [and pressure!], better known to engrs. as "Steam Tables", it is generally referred to as Relative/ Absolute Humidity, so a relatively constant [home] temp is desireable. "Nuff for naow, Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: kssams
Date: 2006-07-11 19:39
Thank you, Dr. Henderson and Mr. Berger. You both have been most helpful and informative!
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2006-07-11 19:47
A cheap solution would be your clothes closet or the sock drawer. Wool and cotton are pretty good in "buffering" humidity. A plus is that most (parents') bedrooms are relatively cool and rarely used during "peak hours".
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Ben
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2006-07-11 19:51
> A commercial application for instruments and cases is thus far not available.
Not for instruments. But for wine bottles. Those high-tech cabinets with hygrostat and thermostat. It might be a bit of an overkill, though.
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Ben
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