Humidifiers, Humidity and de Humidifier Controls for Violin, Viola, Cello, Bass, Piano, Guitar, Harpsichord, other musical instruments
These are the best, instrument-maker tested, low-priced systems and accessories I've been able to come up with for
controlling the humidity in one room, such as a music studio, instrument making
studio, instrument storage room, practice room or hotel room.
Why do you need this, and
what's special about these systems?
(http://www.burgessviolins.com/humidity.html)
Hygrometer/Thermometer
I sell this because I've tested so many hygrometers which turned out to be
junk, which were nowhere near their claimed accuracy.....as much as 40% off!
(Scroll down the page for a picture of five different hygrometers, side-by-side, showing how much the readings differ)
Each of these units is individually recalibrated after we receive them.
Oddly enough, after recalibration, these cheap looking things are much more accurate than any of the "certified, lab-grade" hygrometers I have tested. They are 2.75x2 inches, and will fit in almost any instrument case. Accurate measuring range is 30 to 70%, guaranteed to be with 1%. Unlike most hygrometers, these can be easily recalibrated as they drift over time, as all hygrometers do. A hygrometer which isn't accurate is worse than useless; it's a hazard to your instrument!
$30.00 plus shipping. U.S. orders only
Universal external control unit for humidifiers and dehumidifiers
Why do you need this separate controller? When the controls for humidifiers and dehumidifiers are built into the appliance, they tend to sense the moisture and heat in the appliance, rather than just what is in the room. The result is that their precision goes a little berserk, and my tests have shown humidity swings as high as 30%. This unit can be located many feet away from your appliance.
Will automatically turn both humidifiers and dehumidifiers on and off. Will control up to three of the recommended vaporizers, many other humidifiers and vaporizers without digital electronic controls, and some with electronic controls (if they don't lose their settings when power is interrupted), up to 15 amps. Will control the moisture level much more accurately than most built-in humidifier and dehumidifier controls. Allows the use of inexpensive, bacteria and mold free steam vaporizers such as the one below. Note: The numbers on the dial will not necessarily produce a corresponding room humidity, so the dial should be set to produce the desired reading using a calibrated hygrometer.
More details:
Power saving features:
The spread between "on" and "off" is about 4% to
prevent electricity wasting frequent cycling of the appliance, and the accuracy
is superior so the appliance will run no more than necessary. This setup should
pay for itself with reduced power consumption, and by allowing the use of
cheaper humidifiers/dehumidifiers. 15 amp capacity.
Will sometimes produce some temporary interference on radios, cordless phones and TVs.
No failures or reports of dissatisfaction to date.
Note: Will not work with appliances which have electronic, digital controls which need to be reset if they have been unplugged.
$115.00 plus shipping, #HD300 U.S. orders only
Another control unit, but this one only works with humidifiers, and is less expensive.
If you only need to humidify, this is excellent for controlling one of the recommended inexpensive Sunbeam steam-type vaporizers, which doesn't have any controls of its own. Simple to use. Plug it into a grounded outlet, and turn the dial until the desired humidity shows in the display window (after ten seconds, the display will automatically switch back to showing the level in the room). Plug your vaporizer into the receptacle on the front.
This control unit, combined with one of the cheap vaporizers (I don't carry the vaporizers, because I can't supply them for any less than what you can find on Amazon), will give you an excellent, instrument-maker tested, low-maintenance-cost humidification system for only about $80. It will maintain it's settings after power interruptions, and will keep the humidity within a narrow range, about 2%. The accuracy of the digital display has been pretty good (within 5%) on the units tested so far, but I always recommend using a calibrated hygrometer to determine the actual setting. This is a new product, so we don't yet have the track record of many years of flawless reliability which the more expensive, industrial-looking unit higher on the page has shown.
$65.00 plus shipping. U.S. orders only
This photo shows the accuracy problems with hygrometers
Beginning at the upper left corner, they read 75, 44, 54, 40, and 59 percent humidity. These were all photographed at the same time, in the same environment. The one on the lower right is the one with the correct reading. The one on the lower left is another brand which can be calibrated, and I tested it because it looked promising. Immediately after calibration, it was pretty good, but several months later, it ranges between 5 and 9% off.
Recommended Sunbeam Vaporizer, 1.2 gallon capacity, model 1388.
Emits bacteria free, mold free, mineral free distilled steam. Has no wicks or
filters that support bacteria or mold growth, and which will need to be replaced periodically (and
it's cheaper than anything else!). If it gets mineral buildup after a couple of
years, just throw it away and buy a new one. I got about six years out of my last one. Since it has no fan, it is also quieter than many humidifiers, making only a bubbling sound like boiling water. Plug it into one of the control units above for
automatic operation.
I don't carry these, but wanted you to have a picture
of what you'd be looking for, since the Sunbeam unit is currently hard to find in stores and may need to be ordered online.
Similar steam units from Vicks are available at K-Mart, Meijers, Walmart, and similar places, usually
under $20 in the health products department, but my experience has been that the Sunbeam #1388 emits the most steam and lasts the longest. The Vicks is quieter.
Need to humidify, but it's already hot and you don't want to add any heat? Try the Hunter model 33201, an evaporative style which doesn't need replacement filters. The downside is that it is much more expensive than the steam vaporizers, and has an internal fan, making it noisier than the steam type. Recently available at WalMart.
Recommended inexpensive dehumidifiers
General Electric 30 pint-per-day dehumidifier, model AHW30LM. The latest version is called the ADEW30LM. About $150 at Walmart, or from walmart.com.
Frigidaire 25 pint-per-day Dehumidifier, model FAD251NTD. Mechanical controls. About $150 from various internet sources.
Update: Since I had previously tested and recommended dehumidifiers which have since been discontinued, I purchased the General Electric ADEW30LM from Walmart in 8/11 to test it, and it passed with flying colors, used with the "universal control unit". The GE is a digitally controlled unit, but it maintains its settings despite power interruptions. It has provisions for a drain hose, so one doesn't need to empty the reservoir if there's a drain nearby, at a lower level than the dehumidifier. It's a little noisy, but has three fan speed settings, and if the lowest fan setting isn't quiet enough, one can turn it off completely for practice or lessons, and it will retain the settings upon turning it back on. Just don't forget to turn it back on.
We don't carry these because of the expense in shipping, but both are Energy Star rated, inexpensive, and have good consumer reviews. Their down side? As with many dehumidifiers, the built-in controllers resulted in room humidity all over the place. No problem. Plug them into one of the HD300 dual-purpose humidity control units higher on the page.