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Environmental Control in Shop Spaces

  • 1.  Environmental Control in Shop Spaces

    Member
    Posted 20 days ago

    Hello All,

    I'll be moving into a new shop space soon and I was looking into environmental controls.  For those who have shop spaces that don't have central HVAC, I'm curious what your solutions are for environmentally controlling your shop.  Portable AC unit, swamp cooler, humidifier/dehumidifier, fans, open windows/doors?  I live an area that gets really hot most of the year, so I'm primarily looking into cooling solutions, but for the sake of discussion let's talk about all of it, cooling, heating.
    Thanks in advance for your contribution.
    Best,



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    Luke Taylor, Ph.D.
    Duarte, CA
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  • 2.  RE: Environmental Control in Shop Spaces

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 20 days ago

    Shop on your property or commercial?  If commercial you will be subject to local codes and regulations.  Spray finishing may require sprinkler and/or halon

    fire suppression systems.  Good resources at Fine Woodworking on setting up a shop.



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    Parker Leigh RPT
    Winchester VA
    (540) 722-3865
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  • 3.  RE: Environmental Control in Shop Spaces

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 20 days ago
    Hi Luke

    A lot depends on the size of your shop. But when I had a small 360 sq ft space, I used a window AC. But instead of a window. I cut a hole in the wall and put it in. I supported the AC on the outside by a shelve on a pole. For heating, I bought baseboard heaters. Again, depending on the size of your shop, you need to check how many you need to heat your shop to be comfortable. 

    Wim





  • 4.  RE: Environmental Control in Shop Spaces

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 20 days ago

    I have mini splits in my shop and a dehumidifier that kicks on when it needs to. Everything is exceptionally stable.



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    Tim Foster RPT
    New Oxford PA
    (470) 231-6074
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  • 5.  RE: Environmental Control in Shop Spaces

    Posted 19 days ago
    Like Tim Foster stated - mini-splits and a dehumidifier. I have (well, HAD until hurricane Milton….) a 900 square foot shop in west central Florida. Concrete block with shingled roof construction. I had an 18K but through-the-wall AC unit for 25 years along with a dehumidifier (portable, stand-alone, basement-type). If the AC was running much of the time, I didn’t have to use the dehumidifier. I used the dehumidifier mostly during the winter when the AC wasn’t running much. My shop is in the process of being rebuilt. When finished I have two Mr. Cool DIY 12K but mini-splits waiting for installation. I’ll use those along with the dehumidifier and I know I will be in very good shape!




  • 6.  RE: Environmental Control in Shop Spaces

    Posted 18 days ago
    Slightly diverting I'm helping with an instrument in a museum type of environment. Fabrics require low humidity but splits in the soundboard of the piano, now with one extending into the frame were described as minor some years ago but now are rather more obvious than I'd like to see.

    What humidity might be safe or good as a permanent controlled environment for a late 19th century instrument?

    Best wishes

    David P


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    David Pinnegar, B.Sc., A.R.C.S.
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    +44 7868385643





  • 7.  RE: Environmental Control in Shop Spaces

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 18 days ago

    42 % RH and 72 degrees F



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    Parker Leigh RPT
    Winchester VA
    (540) 722-3865
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  • 8.  RE: Environmental Control in Shop Spaces

    Posted 18 days ago

    I recommend to my clients 12% emc for my rebuilds, and  that have my new soundboards.

    42/72 seems to target 8% emc. Wood likes to have water content, when stored outside and seasoned it settles naturally at about 15%. 12% is a reasonable and proven compromise with wood that has to contend with glue joints.



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    Chernobieff Piano Restorations
    chrisppff@gmail.com
    Youtube@chernobieffpiano
    865-986-7720 (text only please)
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  • 9.  RE: Environmental Control in Shop Spaces

    Posted 18 days ago
    Mini Splits are far more energy efficient. Compare a 40 amp breaker for the big AC to being able to run 2 mini splits on a 20 amp circuit. 
    The kid that reversed the heat pump is a genius. The heat pump is so inefficient. Reversing it to cool made it extremely energy efficient. 
    Keith





  • 10.  RE: Environmental Control in Shop Spaces

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 17 days ago

    Chris, to have a 12% EMC, I'm calculating you suggest keeping the piano at 65% humidity? This seems excessive to me, and this is bad for the strings. I tuned a piano today in an 1806 log cabin in the woods and my hygrometer read 70% humidity, which felt like I was swimming. I can't speak for your location, but I find that modern houses in the summer (South Central PA) with central air normally hang out between 45 and 50% humidity, which is closer to 8% EMC. Additionally, most houses in my area are in the low 30% in the winter, some places going to the low 20% range with drier heat sources. Keeping a consistent 65% would be a little unnatural in the summer in most modern houses, and be nearly impossible in the winter.



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    Tim Foster RPT
    New Oxford PA
    (470) 231-6074
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  • 11.  RE: Environmental Control in Shop Spaces

    Posted 16 days ago

    Ah, I recommend 50-55% Rh% which is the metric used with customers. Not emc. Mr. Goldschlager distracted me for a moment and i misread the Rh- emc chart.

    -chris



    ------------------------------
    Chernobieff Piano Restorations
    chrisppff@gmail.com
    Youtube@chernobieffpiano
    865-986-7720 (text only please)
    ------------------------------