Time to put those humidifiers to work!

mikelz777

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It's time to put those humidifiers to work! (At least in MN it is.) I noticed that the house humidity dropped below 40% for the first time this season. My readings have been 35-39%. I got my humidifiers out, made sure the inside gel levels were where they should be and let them sit out at the angle they would be in the uke(s) to make sure there are no leaks. They're all ready to go!

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Yep. Here in Los Angeles today the humidity dropped a good deal, slid open one of the water tray covers in my humidified display cabinet. The hygrometer is now at 54%.

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8 tenor cutaway ukes, 5 acoustic bass ukes, 10 solid body bass ukes, 7 mini electric bass guitars

• Donate to The Ukulele Kids Club, they provide ukuleles to children's hospital music therapy programs. www.theukc.org
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I'm in Hawaii visiting my wife's family. I have my Kamaka with me. My Kanilea is back.in Connecticut. A friend.is ukulele sitting and taking care of the humidification for me.
I got together with MMStan last Saturday. We went to Honey's in Kaneohe to hear Led Kaapana. Great night of slack key guitar and ukulele. Led is a master of both. Really good guy.
 
We have had rain here at least every other day for months. I long for dry weather! I think I've bought every kind of humidifier made, and I've finally settled on an "automatic" humidifier. It's the D'Addario Humidipak. When the case is dry, it gives off moisture. When humidity is too high, it absorbs the excess. These are made for guitars, so they are larger than we need. You get three in a package. I put one in the sound hole, and the other under the headstock. I don't have very many of these, so I also use the various other kinds.

If you want to buy one, be sure to get the whole kit, not just the refills - although they are probably all you need.
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B000OMG...9f29-b01cba1a344c&ie=UTF8&qid=1541849503&sr=1


I know there are many ways to make your own humidifier, but I feel better paying for one
 
Aside from leaking, how do you know if an Oasis humidifier needs to be replaced? I assume mine are OK, but have no idea.
 
Aside from leaking, how do you know if an Oasis humidifier needs to be replaced? I assume mine are OK, but have no idea.

If it's not leaking you shouldn't have to replace the humidifier itself. You may have to replace the gel pellets inside of it or add some more. If it's operating the way it should (shrinking/regrowing) I assume that it is working OK. I fill the humidifier to the bottom of the neck with distilled water and then check to see that the rehydrated pellets reach the bottom of the neck. I tip them slightly to see if there is any standing water left or if it's all absorbed. I remove any excess water before placing them in my ukes.
 
My furnace is running now in Utah, and humidity is under 40%. The humidifiers are in place in all my ukulele cases. I never cared for the Oasis brand. I use a Music Nomad Humilele in the sound hole and a D'addario under the neck. I just put one humidifier under the neck with my laminate uke.
 
If it's not leaking you shouldn't have to replace the humidifier itself. You may have to replace the gel pellets inside of it or add some more. If it's operating the way it should (shrinking/regrowing) I assume that it is working OK. I fill the humidifier to the bottom of the neck with distilled water and then check to see that the rehydrated pellets reach the bottom of the neck. I tip them slightly to see if there is any standing water left or if it's all absorbed. I remove any excess water before placing them in my ukes.

You need to remove as much of the old gel before adding new crystals. I swab it with a q tip first. Next I fill it halfway and shake the humidifier. Let it dry out a day or two and swab it once more. The crystals come with a small spoon, four spoonfuls does the job. You can purchase the crystals online through HMS.
 
You need to remove as much of the old gel before adding new crystals. I swab it with a q tip first. Next I fill it halfway and shake the humidifier. Let it dry out a day or two and swab it once more. The crystals come with a small spoon, four spoonfuls does the job. You can purchase the crystals online through HMS.

I cheated. I only added what I needed using fractions of a spoonful. One of my humidifiers was a little firm and full so I gently squeezed some of the rehydrated gel up into the neck and put it into one of the humidifiers that was a little low.
 
Being new to having a koa ukulele, I will be using a humidifier for the first time. Is it really necessary to use distilled water. I live in the Bay Area, CA and the water quality is good and the humidity is not awful. If crystals are being replace periodically, wondering if it is worth the trouble and expense of using distilled versus tap water.
 
I'm in Hawaii visiting my wife's family. I have my Kamaka with me. My Kanilea is back.in Connecticut. A friend.is ukulele sitting and taking care of the humidification for me.
I got together with MMStan last Saturday. We went to Honey's in Kaneohe to hear Led Kaapana. Great night of slack key guitar and ukulele. Led is a master of both. Really good guy.

Rest easy - I'm in CT. Our house is holding at 42% at 72° - no humidifiers yet and the heat has been on for several weeks now.
 
Being new to having a koa ukulele, I will be using a humidifier for the first time. Is it really necessary to use distilled water. I live in the Bay Area, CA and the water quality is good and the humidity is not awful. If crystals are being replace periodically, wondering if it is worth the trouble and expense of using distilled versus tap water.
I don't know if you can just get away with tap water, but it says in the instructions to use distilled. Perhaps the impurities clog up the membrane that allows the moisture to get out. The thing is, distilled water is a buck a gallon and this is my third year on a gallon. So it isn't expensive. Why ruin your humidifier, and possibly your ukulele, to save a buck?
 
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mikelz777;2109850. said:
If it's operating the way it should (shrinking/regrowing) I assume that it is working OK. I fill the humidifier to the bottom of the neck with distilled water and then check to see that the rehydrated pellets reach the bottom of the neck.

I replaced one that wasn't shrinking, but will have to start checking to see if I see the rehydrated pellets. I should get more pellets, just in case.

Thanks.
 
Being new to having a koa ukulele, I will be using a humidifier for the first time. Is it really necessary to use distilled water. I live in the Bay Area, CA and the water quality is good and the humidity is not awful. If crystals are being replace periodically, wondering if it is worth the trouble and expense of using distilled versus tap water.

I think that whatever is distilled out of the water affects the gel crystals and/or possibly the membrane of the humidifier itself so they instruct users to use distilled water. I was using the same jug of distilled water for about 3 years until the jug sprung a leak on it's own accord. Next time I buy one I'll put it in glass or a better plastic container.
 
I got mold growing on the sponges that come with the Music Nomad Humilele humidifiers that I used last winter. I never used anything other than distilled water. The sponges started discoloring at the end of the winter/early spring. I assumed it was mold ..... dark gray spots & patches all over the sponges. All 4 sponges looked the same. I tossed them & cut my own sponges for the Humileles this year. I prefer the Humileles because they are so easy to put in & take out of the strings at the sound hole. I struggled with the Oasis & after dropping it inside my ukes several times, I gave up on them.
 
I don't know if you can just get away with tap water, but it says in the instructions to use distilled. Perhaps the impurities clog up the membrane that allows the moisture to get out. The thing is, distilled water is a buck a gallon and this is my third year on a gallon. So it isn't expensive. Why ruin your humidifier, and possibly your ukulele, to save a buck?

As far as I know only the Oasis brand requires distilled water. I taught band and violin in public school. I had some students who used a humidifier that was a long thin flexible tube. They used tap water.
 
As far as I know only the Oasis brand requires distilled water. I taught band and violin in public school. I had some students who used a humidifier that was a long thin flexible tube. They used tap water.
Okay, I guess that I stand corrected. I'm sticking with my 99 cent gallon of distilled water anyway. :)
 
I don’t have the packages anymore, but I’m pretty sure the instructions for my Humileles said to use distilled water.
 
I don’t have the packages anymore, but I’m pretty sure the instructions for my Humileles said to use distilled water.

Yep, they recommend using distilled water for Humileles.
 
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