Humidify Properly

Aarfy

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Any tips? It's the dead of winter here in the mid west and the house is dry (28%) - temp is around 68/70.


My existing humidifiers don't make a dent - I keep my guitars (1920s super tone parlor , 2020 d40e, baby Taylor ((for camping etc))) in their cases - the d40e has a humidifier built into the case


Any ideas on how I can ,make and maintain a room more humid in winter - a better humidifier? Bowl of water? In case humi-packs?

Ideally I'd like to have guitars out if case and ready grab between work calls 🙃

Thanks in advance you guys!
 

gibsonjunkie

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I use a whole house on the furnace and keep one of these Honeywell humidifiers in the music room. It maintains 45% year-round.

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Aarfy

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Nice! We have a furnace in the attic which we don’t want to add a humidifier to (the basement furnace has one) and the music room is upstairs so I might just need an army of humidifiers 🙃
 

Budha

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I have not been able to keep the humidity up to an acceptable level this year. I moved the guitars from the wall and back into their cases with various methods of maintaining and monitoring proper humidity in the cases. I have a guitar room humidifier but don't typically need humidification in South Carolina. I hope to be able to get room humidity back to normal levels after this cold spell finishes.
 

Aarfy

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Yes I didn’t have the furnace upstairs on overnight but had a small humidifier running - even then it’s 22% - we did have some hot air from downstairs let out upstairs though...

it’s causing the slight cracks in my 20s parlor guitar to reopen even with in case hydration so in need to figure something before my guilds become afflicted!

*intently googles industrial humidifiers*
 

HeyMikey

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I have an old house with FHW no vents so use one of these large Aircare humidifiers downstairs and small room humidifiers upstairs. I really need a second large one for dead of winter. Guitars are always cased when not in use with DIY soap dish waterbead humidifiers.

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Longnose Gar

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My guitar room is 14' x 30' and winter humidity is 20% here in Colorado. I use an Aircare MA1201 humidifier that keeps it at 40% with daily water refill. But it's super noisy, so I also have small Homech Ultrasonic that I run while playing. It's silent but has small tank capacity and requires filtered water. I don't know if any of this qualifies as "proper" humidification, but my hygrometer says the room stays at 40%.
 

geoguy

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I place a damp kitchen sponge inside an open ziplock baggie (snack size; trim the sponge a bit to keep it inside the baggie if needed). One sponge/baggie goes in each guitar case. The sponges get re-dampened about once per week.
 

Bonneville88

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GJ, has the Honeywell been a good unit? Have been considering a dual-tank Honeywell HEV685,
an older model, but seeing mostly good reviews. I'm running a Vornado Evap3, cranked all the way it's barely keeping
30% last few days -but it's uncharacteristically super cold right now in the St. Louis area.

OqxHkHTl.jpg
 
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JohnW63

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I gave up on room humidifiers. I live in the desert, so most my humidity gauges are always in the 20s or less. I went with soap-dish with holes, and use either the water beads or PVA sponge inside them. I use distilled water to keep any mineral deposits down.
 

gibsonjunkie

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Bonneville88, I tried one of their top loaders. I didn't like it as much as the HCM-6009. That model is discontinued, but if you are diligent you might find one. The new ones are difficult to fill directly from a faucet and leak a lot. They seem more cheaply built. That being said, they pump out a lot of water vapor and do the job better than every other humidifier I've ever tried (and I've tested over a dozen different brands and models).
 

JohnW63

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Ick! I visited my brother-in-law in Mobile Alabama. It was 90 degrees and 90% humidity before noon. You start sweating just standing outside thinking, let alone moving.
 

davismanLV

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I'm in Florida -- humidity at 8:00 AM EST is 81% this morning (temp. 61 F). Be glad to ship some of this up North. Had the A.C. on yesterday. I guess I'm sort of rubbing it in.
I wish you could send it here. Winter is cool (won't say cold comparatively) but still it's so dry. Two whole-house humidifiers and it's still and STRUGGLE to keep it at 40!! We do the best we can. Send it this way, please.....(y)
 

Uke

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I wish you could send it here. Winter is cool (won't say cold comparatively) but still it's so dry. Two whole-house humidifiers and it's still and STRUGGLE to keep it at 40!! We do the best we can. Send it this way, please.....(y)
It would be nice to "ship" weather around. Used to live in Raleigh, NC and the humidity there could get pretty high as well. Florida is great this time of year, but July, August, and September are (for me) a three month hell-on-earth. And then you're threatened at least through October with all the damned hurricanes. But the guitars love it here.
 

twocorgis

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I've been using one of these for years. It works perfectly, and keeps my modest 1500 square foot house at 45% RH all winter long. Just set it and forget it until you need to refill the tanks. I'm not sure it will cover up to 4000 square feet like it claims, but I don't think many of us have a house that big. And not only is it good to keep your guitars humidified, it's also good to keep yourself humidified as well. No more dry skin, or static electricity. And you can also keep your thermostat set a little lower, because increased humidity makes you feel warmer.
 
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Aarfy

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Nice! I have 2 humidifiers running upstairs now - temp is 63f and humidity is sitting at 33% but I just started the second one.

would that unit cover up and downstaira do you think? I guess if not we have a few smaller ones!
 

F312

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I've been using one of these for years. It works perfectly and keeps my modest 1500 square foot house at 45% RH all winter long. Just set it and forget it until you need to refill the tanks. I'm not sure it will cover up to 4000 square feet like it claims, but I don't think many of us have a house that big. And not only is it good to keep your guitars humidified, it's also good to keep yourself humidified as well. No more dry skin, or static electricity. And you can also keep your thermostat set a little lower, because increased humidity makes you feel warmer.

If I'm not mistaken, that is the whip type that works very well. I have the Honeywell HCM-6009 that works well in east Texas, but not so good this year.

Ralph
 

twocorgis

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If I'm not mistaken, that is the whip type that works very well. I have the Honeywell HCM-6009 that works well in east Texas, but not so good this year.

Ralph

Yes, it is a wick type Ralph. I've really had a great run with mine. and it's probably the best $150 I've ever spent. I hope you're doing OK down there. Finally got through to Toni, and she told me that a warm up is on the way after this storm
 
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