Humidifiers

bodia

Authorities said.....best leave it.....unsolved
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That time of year again. Heat is on, humidity has plummeted in the basement (34% at this very moment). I need to get a humidifier down here since there are now several guitars in the room. Anyone have any good suggestions? We've got a Dyson in the bedroom that works well. Not sure if it could keep up in 450 sq. ft. Whole house humidification in not an option, at this point.

Tell me what ya got, and how it works!
 
Jim I just have a small humidifier in the basement at the moment that I run when I am down there,
I have a whole house system but that will not keep the house at 40% unless you like iced up windows
I am thinking of putting a timer my small unit for now just so it runs daily hoping to stay above 30% this year
 
I’ve been using a steam humidifier made by Air-O-Swiss. The pads completely eliminate the white dust portable humidifiers have, but you have to clean the machine once a week, fill it up each day, and change the pads when you clean the machine. It’s easy, but it’s still a PITA.

In winter, you need to run it fairly low (35% or less) or you can get too much condensation, which can cause mold on outside walls and window treatments if you’re not careful (this is true of cold water humidifiers as well).

Unfortunately, the whole house system I have is just there to be mythical and make me think it might work. Truth is, in winter in the Midwest, even a whole house system basically sucks.

Similar to Alphasports, I stick a D’Addario guitar humidification pack in each case (they come in sets of three, so one set works for three electric guitars), and use the set of three in the case with my acoustic. They work, they give off moisture when it’s too dry, and absorb it when it’s too wet. The humidipaks are designed to keep the RH in the case at 45%, which is precisely what PRS keeps its RH at in their factory. Incidentally, these appear to be made or licensed by Boveda.

In some PRS cases, the packs can be kept near the neck in the open space, but some cases are form-fit by the neck, so I keep a pack in the headstock area.

They come with cloth bags, they never drip, leak, or smell, and after 3 years of using them I’ve never had a whiff of a problem. PRS recommends them for their acoustics, but I use one in each electric guitar case as well. Because they also work to keep the humidity at the correct level when the humidity is high in summer, I use them year-round. The packs need to be changed every few months in winter, and maybe once or twice the rest of the year.

I think these packs work well enough that I may forego the steam humidifier this year.

http://daddario.com/pwProductDetail...stem&sid=251ca6a2-c6da-4e01-949f-1cfe8b6d0a5f
 
Last edited:
https://www.amazon.com/Boveda-49-Percent-Two-Way-Humidity-Instruments/dp/B01B6AOITQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1502916537&sr=8-1&keywords=boveda+starter+kit&keyword_session_id=vt~adwords|kt~+guitar +humidifiers|mt~b|ta~226519195332&_vsrefdom=wordstream&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIidObucW01wIVBgppCh3KgAApEAAYASAAEgK7b_D_BwE

Boveda 2-way humidipaks, leave one or two in each case with the guitar. Beauty is they are 2 way meaning if it's too dry they'll add RH and too humid they'll suck it back. I gave up on the whole-room humidity concept, PITA. I still leave one or two guitars out on stands but rotate them back into cases every couple of weeks.

I’ve been using a steam humidifier made by Air-O-Swiss. The pads completely eliminate the white dust portable humidifiers have, but you have to clean the machine once a week, fill it up each day, and change the pads when you clean the machine. It’s easy, but it’s still a PITA.

In winter, you need to run it fairly low (35% or less) or you can get too much condensation, which can cause mold on outside walls and window treatments if you’re not careful (this is true of cold water humidifiers as well).

Unfortunately, the whole house system I have is just there to be mythical and make me think it might work. Truth is, in winter in the Midwest, even a whole house system basically sucks.

Similar to Alphasports, I stick a D’Addario guitar humidification pack in each case (they come in sets of three, so one set works for three electric guitars), and use the set of three in the case with my acoustic. They work, they give off moisture when it’s too dry, and absorb it when it’s too wet. The humidipaks are designed to keep the RH in the case at 45%, which is precisely what PRS keeps its RH at in their factory. Incidentally, these appear to be made or licensed by Boveda.

In some PRS cases, the packs can be kept near the neck in the open space, but some cases are form-fit by the neck, so I keep a pack in the headstock area.

They come with cloth bags, they never drip, leak, or smell, and after 3 years of using them I’ve never had a whiff of a problem. PRS recommends them for their acoustics, but I use one in each electric guitar case as well. Because they also work to keep the humidity at the correct level when the humidity is high in summer, I use them year-round. The packs need to be changed every few months in winter, and maybe once or twice the rest of the year.

I think these packs work well enough that I may forego the steam humidifier this year.

http://daddario.com/pwProductDetail...stem&sid=251ca6a2-c6da-4e01-949f-1cfe8b6d0a5f

I'm using the daddario in my acoustic case. All electrics hang though. I'll check out the Air-O-Swiss stuff, and the one that JSanta585 mentioned. Thanks!
 
Thanks Les. I shall add to my search!

Anything is good, of course. I find the ultrasonic and drum-based models get the white dust on everything electronic, and it’s very hard to remove. That stuff drives me nuts.

I learned about the steam models on the old PRS Forum back in the day. One additional benefit is that boiling water kills germs.
 
Here in Minnesota, a RH of 45% in the home during very cold days/nights would cause future issues with condensation and mold in short order. It's been my experience to titrate the RH according to the outside temps. A balance act for sure. I use a portable type evaporative system which does not cause the dreaded "white dust" and is capable of whole house humidification. What I have actually considered is a "humidor" of sorts for my guitar harem to reside in. However, for now, I'm at the mercy of the potentially brutal cold days to come and RH levels as low as 30% for the safety of my home. I realize this is not optimal for my guitars. But...30% is better than 20% or less without a humidifier.
 
Similar to Alphasports, I stick a D’Addario guitar humidification pack in each case (they come in sets of three, so one set works for three electric guitars), and use the set of three in the case with my acoustic. They work, they give off moisture when it’s too dry, and absorb it when it’s too wet. The humidipaks are designed to keep the RH in the case at 45%, which is precisely what PRS keeps its RH at in their factory. Incidentally, these appear to be made or licensed by Boveda.

In some PRS cases, the packs can be kept near the neck in the open space, but some cases are form-fit by the neck, so I keep a pack in the headstock area.

They come with cloth bags, they never drip, leak, or smell, and after 3 years of using them I’ve never had a whiff of a problem. PRS recommends them for their acoustics, but I use one in each electric guitar case as well. Because they also work to keep the humidity at the correct level when the humidity is high in summer, I use them year-round. The packs need to be changed every few months in winter, and maybe once or twice the rest of the year.

Hey Les

Yes, Boveda is the manufacturer of these packs often rebranded for Daddario. I started off with D's but did a bit of research and soon found them on Amazon, as Boveda, at about half the price. Boveda makes all kinds of configurations with various RH levels for different applications. These days I buy big 20-packs and throw the naked pack in the case though I still have a couple of the Daddario bags that I use for my remaining acoustics. In my PRS cases I usually have one or two either at the headstock or in the space for the lower horn.

Cheers
AA
 
Anything is good, of course. I find the ultrasonic and drum-based models get the white dust on everything electronic, and it’s very hard to remove. That stuff drives me nuts.
I agree.
The dust from the ultra sonic is very fine and gets everywhere, including inside spaces you wouldn’t think it can get. Then it is much harder to clean off than simply dusting - you pretty much have to wash everything. And drums just get gross and breed toxins.

I think the Dyson would handle that size of space in a basement. I use one in a space about that size at the opposite end from where most of the guitars are and the humidity measure on target near the guitars. When it is on, I refill the tank morning and night.
 
I ended up with a Vornado model. We'll see how it does. If I'm not happy with it, I'll move the Dyson from the bedroom to the basement.
 
If I use 2-way humidity packs in my case, how long should my guitar spend in vs. outside of the case to make sure it's well humidified?

I like to keep it out, near my desk so I can whip it out and jam every now and then.
 
I have an Aprilaire whole house hooked up to the main central unit, and a smaller, Hunter brand model in the basement where I play. Neither do the job well enough for that space, on their own. I case the guitars when I'm not playing, and make sure the acoustics are kept upstairs where the humidity is a bit higher. I haven't found a way to keep a steady % year-round.
 
If I use 2-way humidity packs in my case, how long should my guitar spend in vs. outside of the case to make sure it's well humidified?

I like to keep it out, near my desk so I can whip it out and jam every now and then.

Depends on the RH near your desk.

Why not just keep it in its case near your desk? Then whipping it out only involves the small additional step of opening the case.
 
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