Spot Posted February 2, 2011 Posted February 2, 2011 Well I finally bowed to the Humidity Gods and bought myself a cheap humidifier off of the BAY... Despite my guitars thoroughly enjoying the new humid environment I have to say that I'm struggling with it physically - Phlegm build up, chest pains, etc. Has anyone else experienced the same conditions?
Gilliangirl Posted February 2, 2011 Posted February 2, 2011 Are you sure it's related to the humidifier? Is it possible you just picked up a cold and it coincided with the purchase? Humidity is supposed to be good for us! I know it's important to keep those things clean because crud can build up and cause respiratory problems over time, but a new one shouldn't do that. Hopefully someone else has more experience with this.
Spot Posted February 2, 2011 Author Posted February 2, 2011 Are you sure it's related to the humidifier? Is it possible you just picked up a cold and it coincided with the purchase? 100% sure Gilliangirl!!! As soon as the humidity went up (about 20 mins after turning it on) I started feeling the effects. Maybe my room is just too small and I actually don't need this beast???
BigKahune Posted February 2, 2011 Posted February 2, 2011 KSdaddy mentioned the same symptoms on his thread - http://forum.gibson.com/index.php?/topic/62578-im-not-on-the-humidity-police-force-but/page__st__20 post #23
brians356 Posted February 3, 2011 Posted February 3, 2011 Spotondrums, what are the indicated relative humidity (RH) and temperature in that room now? Brian
62burst Posted February 3, 2011 Posted February 3, 2011 I've got SEVERAL of the same Vicks Warm Mist humidifiers (also manufactured by KAZ). After trying just about every other method, I've found the warm mist gives the most comfort to humans, pets, & guitars. Having 2 of these in the guitar room, running usually one at a time(occasionally 2 set on "low" is ideal), I can keep humidity at ~40+%. 1 is running at all times, for quick fills, it's not necessary to shut the unit off; just remove the reservoir carefully. If water quality is an issue, the humidifier will build up deposits which'll need to be removed from the heating element by partially disassembling the unit & scraping w/ an old knife, etc. Mine were new in November, so I haven't had to do that yet. You'll know when it's time; you'll hear a sputtering noise as it's running when it's time. They usually last thru most of the heating season. One thing not mentioned is the power consumption of these. Finding any wattage use on the box or anywhere (incl. website) is next to impossible. By doing the Ohm's law thing, I'm thinking at least $40/month to run 1 or 2(@9¢/kwh)! Could be expensive, but.. nicer not having the static, or wondering how a big top crack (or it's subsequent repair) will effect a guitar's sound. Also- it is said the little bump in humidity makes it feel more comfortable, and it may allow the house thermostat to be set a little lower.
drathbun Posted February 3, 2011 Posted February 3, 2011 I've been running a warm mist humidifier in my music studio for about four years now. The Honeywell I purchased three years ago is still going strong. It has a build in hygrometer; just set it to 42% RH and keep it filled. I clean it out once every couple of weeks in cold weather. I use a bit of CLR and an old toothbrush. The bottom tray goes in the dishwasher and the element has little replaceable pads that suck up the mineral deposits and protect the heater. Oh, and I use only distilled water.
TommyK Posted February 4, 2011 Posted February 4, 2011 Are you sure it's related to the humidifier? Is it possible you just picked up a cold and it coincided with the purchase? Humidity is supposed to be good for us! I know it's important to keep those things clean because crud can build up and cause respiratory problems over time, but a new one shouldn't do that. Hopefully someone else has more experience with this. Good point G.G. Humidifier reservoirs would probably make good incubators for germ warfare. It is probably a good idea to clean and disinfect a humidifier once or twice a season. AND when importing a used unit from another home. You probably just imported someone else's 'bugs'. Probably want to run some white vinegar and water through the unit to de-lime it, then drain, re-fill with water and Lysol to disinfect.
Spot Posted February 4, 2011 Author Posted February 4, 2011 Naaaa,...I just think that a too humid environment, whilst being good for guitars, is not very good for humans!!
brians356 Posted February 4, 2011 Posted February 4, 2011 Spotondrums, I don't know why you think a "too humid" room is good for guitars. 47% at 70f (factory "ideal") is not very humid! I'll ask you again: What is the RH and temperature in your room? If you have the humidity cranked up enough to bother human beings, it is likely way more humid than your guitars will like. Brian
brians356 Posted February 8, 2011 Posted February 8, 2011 From Wikipedia: -- "... the relative humidity will drop by a factor of 2 for each 20 °F or 10 °C increase in temperature, assuming conservation of absolute moisture." -- Now "...by a factor of 2" means we divide it by two, i.e. raising temperature 20 degrees (f) halves the RH, or lowers it 50%. Conversely, lowering the temperature 20 degrees will double the RH. So, assuming a linear function (not a safe assumption, but implied by the original statement!), if the temperature is raised only 10 degrees, then the RH would be lowered by a factor of 25%. From this we can use simple ratios to make some calculations. Example: If you keep your house at 62 degrees and the RH is 55, what would the RH fall to if the temperature was raised to 70 degrees? ( 70 = the common "standard" for the typical "ideal" RH stated by guitar makers.) 8 degrees is 80% of 10, so: 0.8 x 25% = 20%. If something falls by a factor of 20%, it finishes up at 80% of it's starting value: 0.8 x 55 = 44. If our assumptions are valid, the RH of 55 at 62f is equivalent to 44 at 70f. That's close enough to ideal to never worry about. But if my house is 62 degrees, I can raise the RH to 56 to be pretty much "deal." Brian
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