Baby It's Dry Inside

Ukecaster

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I have forced hot air heat here in New England. I noticed my house is running about 30% humidity. I got sick of keeping up with 3-4 case humidifiers, so I just got a big plastic tub with cover, like for sweaters under the bed, and rotate in a couple of ukes at a time, keeping the other 2 in cases. I use a cutoff yogurt tub with very wet sponges, (edit) distilled water. This keeps ukes at 62%, best I could get in a case was 50%. I worry more about fret sprout than cracking.

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I use case humidifiers in addition to room humidifier(s) as needed, since the living beings can feel the effects when it's too dry, too.
With the top fill humidifiers, I can quickly/easily fill the room humidifiers, so I can keep up with it even when I'm rushing off somewhere.
 
I use planet waves hydra packs with oasis sound hole humidifier. Works great. Ukes stay at about 50-55%. It can be a chore. Your idea works well. If you got another container problem solved. I did look at a hydra tent, which is same idea but case you hang clothes in, clear plastic and you buy a bottle that looks much like a hot water bottle but with a wick (so to speak) to let moisture out. It claimed 1.5-3months between fills. It was very pricey. Your solution is economical. Mostly I feel safer with my ukes in cases. Looking for longer term cabinet solution. Also, looking a Farallon, Klos and other carbon fibre solutions. I’m sure if I could play any of the alternates to wood, I’d find one I liked and move on from wood. Thanks for sharing!
 
I've got a couple of those cheap round hygrometers like the blue one in your case and they vary wildly in readings. Have you checked it against your "Accurite"?
 
I have forced hot air heat here in New England. I noticed my house is running about 30% humidity. I got sick of keeping up with 3-4 case humidifiers, so I just got a big plastic tub with cover, like for sweaters under the bed, and rotate in a couple of ukes at a time, keeping the other 2 in cases. I use a cutoff yogurt tub with very wet sponges, mineral water. This keeps ukes at 62%, best I could get in a case was 50%. I worry more about fret sprout than cracking.

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I keep all of mine in the low to mid 40% RH using a room humidifier. And a few in cases at around 47 to 50%.

Since you are evaporating water, don't you get a mineral residue in the tub and on your instruments from the mineral water?
I use distilled water in the in-case humidifiers. Distilled water is very pure water. It won't clog up the humidifiers. And best of all, it's cheap.
 
Opening this thread, was anybody else expecting a really racy parody of the classic christmas tune?
 
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I just posted a video yesterday about filling humidifiers, and didn't talk about when to use humidifiers. Barry Maz was kind enough to leave a comment reminding people that not everyone needs to humidify.

Ukecaster, anything between 40-60% relative humidity where you are storing your ukuleles is fine, and 50% humidity is fine. 62% might be getting to "over-humidification."

I make my own humidifiers out of test tubes and water beads.

Once our weather improves (we're in the thick of it right now), I remove the humidifiers as it stays in the 50% range in our house once the heat stops running. But right now it's 35% RH in our house.
 
I have forced hot air heat here in New England. I noticed my house is running about 30% humidity. I got sick of keeping up with 3-4 case humidifiers, so I just got a big plastic tub with cover, like for sweaters under the bed, and rotate in a couple of ukes at a time, keeping the other 2 in cases. I use a cutoff yogurt tub with very wet sponges, mineral water. This keeps ukes at 62%, best I could get in a case was 50%. I worry more about fret sprout than cracking.

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The best ones I've found are the set 'em and forget 'em Humidipaks from D'Addario. Put one in the sound hole and one under the headstock, and you're set till spring. amazon isn't listing them now, but Boveda is similar. Just be sure to get the correct humidity range.

https://smile.amazon.com/s?k=humidpaks&ref=nb_sb_noss_1
 
Yeah, that 30% is down in my basement man cave, where I store/play my ukes. I was surprised to see it go that low, as usually the basement is moister. I like to get em up to around 60% if I can, I like em juicy.
 
Thanks for reminding me, it's time to refill my Oasis humidifiers.
 
I've got a couple of those cheap round hygrometers like the blue one in your case and they vary wildly in readings. Have you checked it against your "Accurite"?

Left these 2 side by side all night in the open room, looks like the mini reads about 6 points higher than the Accurite. So if the mini gets to 62% inside my storage tub, it's actually 56% in there, which seems fine.
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Left these 2 side by side all night in the open room, looks like the mini reads about 6 points higher than the Accurite. So if the mini gets to 62% inside my storage tub, it's actually 56% in there, which seems fine.
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Close enough. I bought a set of about a dozen small hygrometers, and they were all within 1% of each other.
 
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