Dehumidifier or Cold & Damp ??

8mileshigher · Post by **8mileshigher** » Thu Dec 23, 2010 9:48 pm

I didn't find anything on this particular topic when I searched the Forum under "Dehumidifier", so hoping that one of you knowledgeable folks can share some advice.

We arrived at my mother in law's house for Christmas to find that the dishwasher has been slowly leaking for several weeks and lots of soggy carpets and baseboards in the house.

The emergency fix-it crew drilled holes in the sheetrock after removing the baseboards and pulling out the wet carpets and set up these high-powered blowers to send forced air into the walls and under the kitchen cabinets to dry them out and they put this large dehumidifier machine in the middle of the kitchen, to suck up all the moisture in the air that the blowers send out.

This dehumidifier turns your sinuses into the Sahara desert within an hour or two.

Question is what do I do with my Ric that I brought with me ?? If I keep it in the house it will suffer the dehumidifier effect and the only other place to keep it is in the garage which is not insulated, and is plenty moist with all the California rain happening outside, but gets down to the low 40s and 30s at night ??

Any ideas on best option under these circumstances for taking care of my Ric for the next several days ? Would it be harmful for the guitar to move it back and forth between the damp, cold garage and the warm-dehumidified house, over the next couple of days ??

libratune · Post by **libratune** » Thu Dec 23, 2010 10:23 pm

Wrap the guitar-in-case in a couple of large plastic bags, tape the seams and put it in a bedroom closet.

I would be more concerned about dampness and temperature changes than the de-humdifier, which (hopefully) will have done its job in a day or two.

Hopefully this is a (very) temporary situation for you.

Good luck!

kiramdear · Post by **kiramdear** » Fri Dec 24, 2010 3:43 am

I would consider pawning it for a small amount for a few days.

8mileshigher · Post by **8mileshigher** » Tue Dec 28, 2010 12:14 am

Thanks for the ideas .... I too was concerned that the cold/damp of the garage was the worse of the evils.

I have been keeping the guitar case in the bedroom that is the furthest-distance from the De-Humidifier machine (which is in the kitchen). I have attempted to keep the guitar humidity somewhat "balanced" with a temporary fix of a wet paper towel in an open baggie, inside the Ric case. I have rewet the towel every day. A little "tuning" required each day when I've played it, but hopefully no major dehydration of the wood has taken place.

Can't say the same for our throats and sinuses.... every few hours, we have to get outside the house, and breathe real air.

Was that Kira's Pawn Shop you had in mind ?

rickenbrother · Post by **rickenbrother** » Tue Dec 28, 2010 12:24 am

Might help...

or

jimk · Post by **jimk** » Tue Dec 28, 2010 1:22 am

rickenbrother wrote:Might help...

or

Oh yeah! Love that sponge-in-a-baggie trick. Why didn't I think of that myself?

JimK

8mileshigher · Post by **8mileshigher** » Wed Dec 29, 2010 5:58 pm

Joey -- those are great instructional videos. Many thanks.

I think others will find these ideas useful too !
And now, when anybody searches on RRF for DeHumidifier, there will be some easy info at their fingertips.

jps · Post by **jps** » Thu Dec 30, 2010 4:16 pm

I found a much easier way to humidify your instrument.

rickenbrother · Post by **rickenbrother** » Sat Jan 01, 2011 12:29 pm

Okay Superman, I mean Jeffrey, use that method on your prized basses. Don't forget to do the same for your cases. Let us know how it works out!

grazioso · Post by **grazioso** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 9:00 am

jps wrote:I found a much easier way to humidify your instrument.

geez! i clicked through thinking that they peed in it!

walker · Post by **walker** » Thu Mar 03, 2011 8:23 pm

Boy - wouldn't you have loved to have had these guys as roommates in college?

"Wait 'til Walker opens his case tomorrow! *snicker*"

walker · Post by **walker** » Thu Mar 03, 2011 10:16 pm

"In local news tonight - three fraternity members are found dead in what appears to be a strange hazing ritual gone awry."

Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum