Humidification & humidity control of concert halls & organs
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Humidification & humidity control of concert halls & organs

Large pipe organs in concert halls and churches need to have the humidity maintained within their organ chambers in order to preserve the dimensions of the wooden sound boards and sliders.

If the air in the organ chamber becomes dry then it will suck moisture from the surrounding wood causing it to suffer dimensional changes. This can cause the sliders to warp and stick, resulting in an unresponsive instrument. If the sound boards change shape then the air will not resonate correctly and the organ will become out of tune.

By maintaining 55% relative humidity (%RH) within the organ chamber the wood is in equilibrium with the air and it maintains its moisture content and shape.

This is often achieved with small capacity steam humidifiers that feed low levels of steam into an organ chamber either directly through a fan unit or via a steam pipe.

As well as the organ chamber, the main auditorium and stage area within a concert hall also require humidity control. The preservation of wooden furniture and flooring as well as the musicians’ instruments within the hall requires a level of around 50%RH.

The stage area also needs the humidity maintained in order to provide optimum conditions for the singer’s voice. If the atmosphere is too dry then the vocal performance will suffer as the singer’s nose and throat dry.

Benefits of Condair humidification in concert halls & organs include:

  • Extensive experience around the world with many concert hall projects
  • Comprehensive product range to precisely meet customers' requirements
  • Ability to provide innovative custom solutions for unusual applications
  • Low energy systems to reduce operating costs and improve humidity control
  • Low maintenance solutions to reduce on-going service requirements
  • Comprehensive service of advice, design, supply, installation, commissioning, maintenance and spares supply direct from the manufacturer

Our concert hall clients include

    - Royal Albert Hall, UK

    - Sydney Opera House, Australia

    - Alexandra Palace, UK

    - The Royal Opera House, UK

    - Opera North's Howard Assembly Room 

    - Christ's Hospital school, UK

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    Odense Domkirke

    Poul Jørgensen

    Kirketjener

    “For the long-term preservation of the cultural and historical artefacts we surround ourselves with in Odense Cathedral, it is absolutely fundamental that we have a constant humidity level in the church room.”

    Christ’s Hospital School

    Peter Dutton

    School Organist

    “Condair clearly had experience in working with such ancient and delicate organs and was quickly able to propose the most suitable model, as well as its positioning for installation.

    It has made a real difference in keeping the humidity in the organ chamber stable and we are now able to play the organ whatever the weather is like outside; even during the cold, dry conditions of last winter.”

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    Opera North

    Richard Ashton

    General Manager

    “After meeting with Condair, we felt confident that the company understood our specialised requirement, not just the level of humidity, but also the need for reliability, flexibility and cost effectiveness.

    Since installing humidification, which we switch on as and when required, our musicians have felt much more at ease regarding the safety and performance of their instruments.”

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    Munkebjerg Kirke

    Michael J. Thomsen

    Organist

    “After various solutions, it was not until the 1980s that a humidification system was installed in the church. We are now using the third system from Condair, and in 2012 we also chose Condair as our service provider.

    We are completely satisfied. The operational reliability has been largely impeccable, and in the few problems that have occurred, Condair has provided excellent service by sending an engineer immediately.”

    Steinway

    Craig Terry

    UK Managing Director

    “Dryness is the enemy of pianos so humidity is really important. We need 40% to 50% humidity all the time to protect the wood, whether they’re in the showroom or the workshop. Condair’s units are ideal for the job. And because we rely so heavily on the reliability of the humidifiers, we also contracted with Condair to service the humidifiers at regular intervals.

    Would I recommend Condair? Oh yes, they’ve supplied great service.”

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