Hello all,
do you think its a good idea to keep a humidifer such as Humidistat inside the case? does it not induce mildew? does it not harm the lining?
thanks for your time
I’ve never used one in my flute case, but I’ve used them for years in stringed instruments cases, especially in winter when the air is very dry where I live. I’ve never had a problem with mildew or mold growing on the case. I’ve never been 100% sure it really did anything useful either, but it never hurt anything. If you play your flute reguarly, it’s pretty well humidified. Stringed instruments probably need huimidity added simply because you don’t blow into them.
I think the soundest advice is the oldest: Swab out excess moisture when you’re done playing and take the flute apart to provide good air circulation and allow the corks to recover. Keep it safe in the case and don’t expose it to extremes of temperature or sudden, dramatic temperature changes.
Then again, I did all that to one flute for 17 years and it still cracked. So who knows. It may have more to do with the piece of wood your using than anything else.
The only thing I caution folks about is allergies to some of the products used to oil flutes.
I’ve kept Humistats in my flute cases for the last couple of years and haven’t had any problems. However, in the summer I tend not to fill them since the humidity around here averages 55-60% anyway …
I should note that my one boxwood flute seems to like life better without a Humistat (as long as it’s being played regularly). Its joints swell quite dramatically when things get damp. So I asked Kara Lochridge down at Patrick Olwell’s, and she suggested keeping it at around 50%, which is the average humidity inside the Rubbermaid tote where it’s stored. The flute’s been a happy camper ever since.
My other boxwood flute, however, is fine whatever the humidity. But it’s also much older.
This is not a question that invites an easy answer. You need to know at what humidity your flute was made, and what your indoors humidity is likely to average for any period exceeding the response time of the flute. If your flute was made in dank 19th century London, has the typical metal head and barrel liner, and you live in Arizona, a humidifier is probably a very good investment. But if your flute was made in a dry climate, and you live on the coast, it’s probably at best a waste of time, money and water, and possibly a cause of mould and swelling.
I think if you have any reason to worry about the humidity levels in your flute (eg situation 1 above), the first thing to get is a humidity meter (hygrometer), and pop it into the flute case. Find out what the flute is actually feeling. If the levels are often lower than what you think is reasonable, get a device that will introduce some humidity and use it in conjunction with the hygrometer. (Make sure that the hygrometer you buy is adjusted properly - some of these are out by miles. Compare it with something expensive in the shop.)
You mentioned a device called a Humidistat. That suggests that it is more than a way of introducing humidity (like the Damp-it); that it in some way acts to control humidity (“stat”). You would need to be happy that it a) indeed has the capacity to control; and b) could control at or close to the particular humidity value you needed.
Which brings us to what level should you be aiming for? I’m guessing at up to 65% for dank 19th century London (until someone can come up with some reliable evidence). We know they crack in India, the US and Australia. For anything modern, I’d ask the maker. In the absense of any other information, I’d aim for just above 50%.
Terry