how often do you refill your humidifier?

[Zyzzyzus]

I'm using an in case oasis mandolin humidifier and I have to refill it every other day. Is that normal? Are gig bags less airtight than hard cases?

[George R. Lane]

Yes, gig bags are more porous than a hard case. I fill mine twice a week and it is kept in a Travelite case.

[Mike Arakelian]

Depends on the indoor RH. When it's colder the heat runs more and it's drier in the house. In that case filling the Oasis every other day or so sounds about right. When the heat runs less, the Oasis sometimes lasts close to a week. I also use a small hygrometer in my case to let me know what the RH is. That gives me peace of mind.

[ColoradoMando]

I use the standard Oasis case humidifier in a hard case, and need to fill mine once every couple weeks. I live in dry Colorado where you would think you need to fill it up more. I use a hydrometer in the case to make sure I am at the appropriate level. You may need to replace the crystals if you have been using it for a year or more.

[Timbofood]

I just get another one when I finish the first beer.

[DHopkins]

About twice a month. I'm using Calton and Travelite.

[spufman]

I use and like the Hercos clay humidifiers. I soak 'em every other Saturday morning.

[allenhopkins]

I've been told that in-case humidifiers work better if filled with distilled water rather than tap water. They function by allowing their water content to evaporate and pervade the case, and repeated fillings and evaporations of tap water may leave residues of whatever minerals the tap water contains. After a certain amount of time these residues can impair the ability of the humidifier to absorb and release moisture.

At least that's what I was told. I don't use 'em now, relying on the general higher ambient humidity of my basement lair to keep humidity at satisfactory levels. Must say that it's worked quite well for 30+ years, but I did want to pass on the advice I got years ago.

Also, when I lived in an apartment and it got dry in the winter, I used to beg the plastic bags that guitar cases were shipped in, from my friend at the music store. Then I'd put the "wet" Dampit inside the guitar, put the guitar in the plastic bag, and put the bagged guitar inside the case. The membrane around the guitar slowed the moisture loss to the case lining and then to the outside environment, and the humidifier stayed saturated longer.

[Tobin]

Once a week for me.

[fredhicks]

I guess I'm just weird.......I pick it up and play it no matter what the weather is like and deal with the consequences. I'm not a professional....damned if I can tell the difference.

[diymando]

If you use a small digital hygrometer inside your case, then you will be able to get a better idea of where the level is. I use a planet waves one and it is really reliable (http://www.amazon.com/Planet-Waves-H.../dp/B0002D000K). The trouble with a soft case/gig bag is that you will have to check it at various points of the day to get an idea how the humidity is fluctuating. Based on the kind of fabric the case is made of and the room temp, you may have to find a safe mid point. Good thing about the little digital hydrometer is that they also offer temperature and your personal ideal humidity base line...
I attached mine inside a hard case with a bit of Velcro... hasn't failed me yet

[Mandobart]

I have a room humidifier in my instrument room. I refill when empty, however, if I keep it running all the time the humidity gets too high. I like to keep RH at 45 - 55%, and running continuously it will easily get over 70%. I only need to run it about 4 hours a day to keep everything just right.

I would not humidify without a good hygrometer to monitor the RH. That's like heating your instrument because you don't want it too cold and then not having a thermometer to see how hot it is.

[zedmando]

While I don't use a humidifier with my solidbody mando--I do use them with my 12 string & hollowbody jazz box--while neither one is expensive--I still want to take care of them.

How often you refill your humidifier does depend on your case/gigbag, where you keep the mando/guitar/etc. and your local climate.

I don't have to change mine as often as anybody above--but I do like these threads because they remind me to check my case humidifiers.

[Bertram Henze]

I have a sponge in a box with holes. The liquid in the sponge should be a mixture of water (for humidification) and alcohol (against mold), so I use whatever spirits I was given as a gift but don't really drink (I am into single malt, nothing else will do for drinking). The spirits produce a smell, so in this winter, for instance, I refill whenever the strong odour of Grappa in my case ceases. Last year, I acted on the smell of Jack Daniels.

[Paul Merlo]

I can fit an Oasis Uke humidifier inside my oval hole. It stays in the case and needs a refill every 2 or 3 weeks. My house stays between 30 - 40% RH during the winter.

[doug891]

I usually refill my humidifier after 3 days in winter.

[Steve Ostrander]

I have a sponge in a box with holes. The liquid in the sponge should be a mixture of water (for humidification) and alcohol (against mold), so I use whatever spirits I was given as a gift but don't really drink (I am into single malt, nothing else will do for drinking). The spirits produce a smell, so in this winter, for instance, I refill whenever the strong odour of Grappa in my case ceases. Last year, I acted on the smell of Jack Daniels.

I like how you think.

[Ranald]

I guess I'm just weird.......I pick it up and play it no matter what the weather is like and deal with the consequences. I'm not a professional....damned if I can tell the difference.

The point of using humidifiers is that in dry climates and in much of North America, where we have to use a great deal of heat and plug up drafts to keep our houses comfortable, the conditions indoors can dry and crack or split wooden instruments. It's not about the immediate sound -- you'd notice the difference after your instrument cracked.

I use a room humidifier (on doctor's advice -- my lungs were starting to dry out too) as well as case humidifiers. I usually get a week out of an Oasis, sometimes more or less. I like my ancient Damp-It for my violin. In one of my cases, I use a Long & McQuade clay humidifier, similar to the one mentioned in post 8. It lasts a good while and has natural material in it. Please note though, in places where it gets humid in warmer weather, get those humidifiers out of your cases. A friend says that his son lost a guitar to mould caused by a humidifier in summer causing too much dampness.

[Elb2000]

I’m in Wisconsin, which needs significant winter humidification. I use an Oasis -26. Based on my wireless humidity monitor, in January my good Collings case stays in the low 50% RH range and I fill it about once per week. The cheaper hard shell aftermarket case I bought stays in the in the mid 40’s and gets filled more frequently.

[TheMandoKit]

I have a sponge in a box with holes. The liquid in the sponge should be a mixture of water (for humidification) and alcohol (against mold), so I use whatever spirits I was given as a gift but don't really drink (I am into single malt, nothing else will do for drinking). The spirits produce a smell, so in this winter, for instance, I refill whenever the strong odour of Grappa in my case ceases. Last year, I acted on the smell of Jack Daniels.

Hmm, interesting. What ratio of water to spirits do you use? Does the sugar content (which grappa and even JD has) cause a problem?

I’m in Wisconsin, which needs significant winter humidification.

So true. I live in SE Wisconsin in a 100 year old house with radiator heat, and run room humidifiers. When it gets really cold (which we may finally be past for this year), it gets hard to keep the room RH above 40% without water condensing on the windows and the walls, so I put in the case humidifiers. The room humidifiers are refilled daily for most of the season, and the case humidifiers about every 5 days or so when needed.

Makes me envious of those with CF instruments. Although, I do not plan to live here forever . . ..

[Brian560]

I have the Oasis mandolin humidifier and refill it every other day with distilled water during the winter. I started using the Oasis because I didn’t like putting a Dampit inside the instrument because I thought the excess water might loosen the braces. I was surprised how quickly the Oasis ran out of water.

[HCooke]

We have a lot of house plants. RH in the house stays between 50 - 55 % all year long. I have a room humidistat and several in the cases. They all agree. i rarely put mpre moisture in the cases.

[Bertram Henze]

this was the first winter I went completely without humidification. Very wet and mild. This seems to be the way of the future.

[bratsche]

I don't dare get a humidifier - it would probably try to fill itself! (we have dehumidifiers)

bratsche