Pianotech

I install several Dampp Chaser systems a year. I also maintain a number of pianos with Dampp Chasers for customers I have inherited. Only about half of the owners of these systems actually use the special Dampp Chaser Pad Treatment added to the water. Yet either way, when it comes time for me to replace the pads I notice almost no difference. With or without the treatment the pads a crusty. So, what, exactly is this treatment accomplishing? Could it be that what I'm experiencing is typical for Southern California, and that other parts of the country/world have different results? Is mold ever a problem? Just curious what others are experiencing. 

I install several Dampp Chaser systems a year. I also maintain a number of pianos with Dampp Chasers for customers I have inherited. Only about half of the owners of these systems actually use the special Dampp Chaser Pad Treatment added to the water. Yet either way, when it comes time for me to replace the pads I notice almost no difference. With or without the treatment the pads a crusty. So, what, exactly is this treatment accomplishing? Could it be that what I'm experiencing is typical for Southern California, and that other parts of the country/world have different results? Is mold ever a problem? Just curious what others are experiencing. 

The DC Pad Treatment is strictly an algacide. It is strictly designed to prevent the growth of biologicals in what is essentially standing or stagnant water. It will not remove minerals from the water, so don't expect to see pads being less crusty with regular use. The Pad Treatment is specifically designed to be safe for the wood and metal parts of the piano and for the people using it.

Please, all who install and service our products, vigorously encourage your clients to NEVER use any other additive in their Piano Life Saver System than our Pad Treatment. You should see the pictures of what happens when someone goes to HomeDepot to save $1.34.

I install several Dampp Chaser systems a year. I also maintain a number of pianos with Dampp Chasers for customers I have inherited. Only about half of the owners of these systems actually use the special Dampp Chaser Pad Treatment added to the water. Yet either way, when it comes time for me to replace the pads I notice almost no difference. With or without the treatment the pads a crusty. So, what, exactly is this treatment accomplishing? Could it be that what I'm experiencing is typical for Southern California, and that other parts of the country/world have different results? Is mold ever a problem? Just curious what others are experiencing. 

The DC Pad Treatment is strictly an algacide. It is strictly designed to prevent the growth of biologicals in what is essentially standing or stagnant water. It will not remove minerals from the water, so don't expect to see pads being less crusty with regular use. The Pad Treatment is specifically designed to be safe for the wood and metal parts of the piano and for the people using it.

Please, all who install and service our products, vigorously encourage your clients to NEVER use any other additive in their Piano Life Saver System than our Pad Treatment. You should see the pictures of what happens when someone goes to HomeDepot to save $1.34.

I install several Dampp Chaser systems a year. I also maintain a number of pianos with Dampp Chasers for customers I have inherited. Only about half of the owners of these systems actually use the special Dampp Chaser Pad Treatment added to the water. Yet either way, when it comes time for me to replace the pads I notice almost no difference. With or without the treatment the pads a crusty. So, what, exactly is this treatment accomplishing? Could it be that what I'm experiencing is typical for Southern California, and that other parts of the country/world have different results? Is mold ever a problem? Just curious what others are experiencing. 

I install several Dampp Chaser systems a year. I also maintain a number of pianos with Dampp Chasers for customers I have inherited. Only about half of the owners of these systems actually use the special Dampp Chaser Pad Treatment added to the water. Yet either way, when it comes time for me to replace the pads I notice almost no difference. With or without the treatment the pads a crusty. So, what, exactly is this treatment accomplishing? Could it be that what I'm experiencing is typical for Southern California, and that other parts of the country/world have different results? Is mold ever a problem? Just curious what others are experiencing. 

If you can get your clients to use distilled water regularly, there won't be any more mineral buildup on the Smart Bar.  In that case it's especially important to use pad treatment faithfully; otherwise the low water sensor doesn't always work, according to Dampp-Chaser.  I've noticed that softened water seems to have about the same results as distilled.

I install several Dampp Chaser systems a year. I also maintain a number of pianos with Dampp Chasers for customers I have inherited. Only about half of the owners of these systems actually use the special Dampp Chaser Pad Treatment added to the water. Yet either way, when it comes time for me to replace the pads I notice almost no difference. With or without the treatment the pads a crusty. So, what, exactly is this treatment accomplishing? Could it be that what I'm experiencing is typical for Southern California, and that other parts of the country/world have different results? Is mold ever a problem? Just curious what others are experiencing. 

Mineral build up will be virtually eliminated with the use of distilled water. Kent is correct that if distilled is exclusively used, the Pad Treatment becomes even more important since true distilled water is an excellent insulator/nonconductor of electricity. I have personally seen situations where the LWS does not work because fo that. As I mentioned, the PT does not magically remove minerals from water, it is strictly an algaecide, but it will add enough "impurities" to distilled water to enable it to conduct the tiny amount of low voltage of electricity that the LWS needs to function.

Where I will respectfully disagree a bit with Kent is in the recommendation of softened water. The process of softening the water replaces elements such as calcium and magnesium with sodium (generally). This will also eventually end up on the pads. Reverse Osmosis is a alternate way to remove minerals and other things from you water and it does not add anything in the place of what it removes, meaning RO water would be preferable to softened water in a DC System.

I won't post pics of what can happen to pianos when commercially available humidifier treatments are used in place of our PT. Many, if not most, of those treatments, often called descalers, contain acids which are intended to dissolve scale that builds up in the humidifiers. When that is put into our System, the acid becomes airborne in the evaporation process and attacks the metal bits, especially the strings. If you ever see a grand piano with a DC in it that show extreme rust around the nose bolt holes in the soundboard, that's what is happening.

Additionally, when piano owners occasionally put Clorox or something similar in the water, they are inadvertently creating chlorine gas. Not good, to say the least.

Our Pad Treatment is safe for the piano since it uses the same chemical that is used in contact lens solution as a preservative. If you can put it in your eyes, I think we can safely say that it is safe for your piano. It will greatly reduce the tendency for the watering tube to get mildewy and for the inside of the tank to get slimy and nasty, which is what will happen if nothing is put into the water.

Thank you to Charles for being a voice of authority! 

I've been encouraging all my clients who own DC humidifiers to use distilled water. The pads can go a couple of years and stay supple, and the system stays clean as a whistle. You just have to make sure to add some tap water the first time to get enough minerals in the water to close the low water light circuit. Otherwise someone might overflow the tank. However, you only have to add the tap water once. I haven't seen a humidifier lose its conductivity with distilled water if some tap water was used during the first fill. 

I have not seen any problem with algae build up with the use of distilled water. 

In my own system, I never use the treatment - just distilled water and I don't have any algae build up. For my clients who like to use the treatment I encourage them to use just a tiny amount - like 1/4 cap full. One thing to keep in mind, is that the treatment doesn't go anywhere so it accumulates in the tank, and it can get pretty concentrated if the client goes a couple of years (or more) without cleaning the whole thing out. 

Mineral build up will be virtually eliminated with the use of distilled water. Kent is correct that if distilled is exclusively used, the Pad Treatment becomes even more important since true distilled water is an excellent insulator/nonconductor of electricity. I have personally seen situations where the LWS does not work because fo that. As I mentioned, the PT does not magically remove minerals from water, it is strictly an algaecide, but it will add enough "impurities" to distilled water to enable it to conduct the tiny amount of low voltage of electricity that the LWS needs to function.

Where I will respectfully disagree a bit with Kent is in the recommendation of softened water. The process of softening the water replaces elements such as calcium and magnesium with sodium (generally). This will also eventually end up on the pads. Reverse Osmosis is a alternate way to remove minerals and other things from you water and it does not add anything in the place of what it removes, meaning RO water would be preferable to softened water in a DC System.

I won't post pics of what can happen to pianos when commercially available humidifier treatments are used in place of our PT. Many, if not most, of those treatments, often called descalers, contain acids which are intended to dissolve scale that builds up in the humidifiers. When that is put into our System, the acid becomes airborne in the evaporation process and attacks the metal bits, especially the strings. If you ever see a grand piano with a DC in it that show extreme rust around the nose bolt holes in the soundboard, that's what is happening.

Additionally, when piano owners occasionally put Clorox or something similar in the water, they are inadvertently creating chlorine gas. Not good, to say the least.

Our Pad Treatment is safe for the piano since it uses the same chemical that is used in contact lens solution as a preservative. If you can put it in your eyes, I think we can safely say that it is safe for your piano. It will greatly reduce the tendency for the watering tube to get mildewy and for the inside of the tank to get slimy and nasty, which is what will happen if nothing is put into the water.

If you can get your clients to use distilled water regularly, there won't be any more mineral buildup on the Smart Bar.  In that case it's especially important to use pad treatment faithfully; otherwise the low water sensor doesn't always work, according to Dampp-Chaser.  I've noticed that softened water seems to have about the same results as distilled.

I install several Dampp Chaser systems a year. I also maintain a number of pianos with Dampp Chasers for customers I have inherited. Only about half of the owners of these systems actually use the special Dampp Chaser Pad Treatment added to the water. Yet either way, when it comes time for me to replace the pads I notice almost no difference. With or without the treatment the pads a crusty. So, what, exactly is this treatment accomplishing? Could it be that what I'm experiencing is typical for Southern California, and that other parts of the country/world have different results? Is mold ever a problem? Just curious what others are experiencing. 

Mineral build up will be virtually eliminated with the use of distilled water. Kent is correct that if distilled is exclusively used, the Pad Treatment becomes even more important since true distilled water is an excellent insulator/nonconductor of electricity. I have personally seen situations where the LWS does not work because fo that. As I mentioned, the PT does not magically remove minerals from water, it is strictly an algaecide, but it will add enough "impurities" to distilled water to enable it to conduct the tiny amount of low voltage of electricity that the LWS needs to function.

Where I will respectfully disagree a bit with Kent is in the recommendation of softened water. The process of softening the water replaces elements such as calcium and magnesium with sodium (generally). This will also eventually end up on the pads. Reverse Osmosis is a alternate way to remove minerals and other things from you water and it does not add anything in the place of what it removes, meaning RO water would be preferable to softened water in a DC System.

I won't post pics of what can happen to pianos when commercially available humidifier treatments are used in place of our PT. Many, if not most, of those treatments, often called descalers, contain acids which are intended to dissolve scale that builds up in the humidifiers. When that is put into our System, the acid becomes airborne in the evaporation process and attacks the metal bits, especially the strings. If you ever see a grand piano with a DC in it that show extreme rust around the nose bolt holes in the soundboard, that's what is happening.

Additionally, when piano owners occasionally put Clorox or something similar in the water, they are inadvertently creating chlorine gas. Not good, to say the least.

Our Pad Treatment is safe for the piano since it uses the same chemical that is used in contact lens solution as a preservative. If you can put it in your eyes, I think we can safely say that it is safe for your piano. It will greatly reduce the tendency for the watering tube to get mildewy and for the inside of the tank to get slimy and nasty, which is what will happen if nothing is put into the water.

If you can get your clients to use distilled water regularly, there won't be any more mineral buildup on the Smart Bar.  In that case it's especially important to use pad treatment faithfully; otherwise the low water sensor doesn't always work, according to Dampp-Chaser.  I've noticed that softened water seems to have about the same results as distilled.

I install several Dampp Chaser systems a year. I also maintain a number of pianos with Dampp Chasers for customers I have inherited. Only about half of the owners of these systems actually use the special Dampp Chaser Pad Treatment added to the water. Yet either way, when it comes time for me to replace the pads I notice almost no difference. With or without the treatment the pads a crusty. So, what, exactly is this treatment accomplishing? Could it be that what I'm experiencing is typical for Southern California, and that other parts of the country/world have different results? Is mold ever a problem? Just curious what others are experiencing. 

I install several Dampp Chaser systems a year. I also maintain a number of pianos with Dampp Chasers for customers I have inherited. Only about half of the owners of these systems actually use the special Dampp Chaser Pad Treatment added to the water. Yet either way, when it comes time for me to replace the pads I notice almost no difference. With or without the treatment the pads a crusty. So, what, exactly is this treatment accomplishing? Could it be that what I'm experiencing is typical for Southern California, and that other parts of the country/world have different results? Is mold ever a problem? Just curious what others are experiencing.