Funky Humidifier Fuzz

[Blue in VT]

Howdy all,

I think I may have aproblem with my Planet Waves Humidifier.   I purchased this just a few months ago when I got my OM.  It was the depths of winter here in VT and I heat with wood so I was very paranoid about humidity...which was running at <20% in my house.  So...I think I over hydrated my Planet Waves sound hole humidifier and it now seems to have some fuzzy funk growing out if the holes...DOH!@!!

has anyone else ever had this problem?...is it a problem?  yes, I now let it dry out more thoroughly between wettings...but the fuzz is still there.  My one complaint about this humidifiers is that it is very hard to tell when it needs to be re moistened...I pretty much go by the weight of the unit now...but its pretty hit or miss...any suggestions?

thanks

Blue

[tak2larri]

Mine has the same stuff... kinda reminds you of some sort of fungus, right?  I have a feeling (though I'm not sure) that it comes from the minerals and whatever else is in tap water (do you use tap?).  You're supposed to use distilled water... I'm just lazy.

[Hudman]

Did you use distilled water in it? That's what the directions call for.

[jeremy3220]

"So...I think I over hydrated my Planet Waves sound hole humidifier and it now seems to have some fuzzy funk growing out if the holes...DOH!@!!

has anyone else ever had this problem?...is it a problem?  yes, I now let it dry out more thoroughly between wettings...but the fuzz is still there."

I thought the cause was the opposite, cause sometimes I let mine dry out completely, if the weathers nice and the guitars are staying home. My planet waves still get the fuzz. I always use distilled water. I'm not sure if it's mold or not, it would suck to start growing mold and mushrooms and stuff inside my guitar.

[Hoser Rob]

I don't use the Planet Waves one (I make my own) but it certainly sounds like you'd want to use distilled water.

Incidentally ... I don't know exactly what the weather's like in VT but it's not that far from here and I don't need the humidifier at all right now.  Don't over humidify.

[Tycho]

I get the same thing, and I'm careful to use only distilled water.

A month or two ago I switched to Oasis humidifiers for two of my Larrivees, and so far I like it better.  (It's a bit fussy to fill, though; if you aren't careful, you can overflow it, causing all all the little silica gels or whatever they are to come out, so I've been use the Planet Waves syringe thingy to fill it more precisely.)

As of this weekend I figure humidifier season is over anyway, but next year I think I'll use the Oasis in my other two Larrivees as well.

[Hudman]

I don't use the Planet Waves one (I make my own) but it certainly sounds like you'd want to use distilled water.

Incidentally ... I don't know exactly what the weather's like in VT but it's not that far from here and I don't need the humidifier at all right now.  Don't over humidify.

The RH went up a few weeks ago in Michigan. I stopped using mine when the RH got above 40% in my home.

Great advice!

[ronmac]

Using distilled water will prevent a build up of minerals in your unit but it won't prevent mold. I use a drop of bleach in a small jar of filtered water as the supply for my in guitar humidifiers.

I like the look of the Oasis unit that Twelfth Fret is showing on their site. I may have to buy a few of those next fall and give them a try.

[bar_train]

I have a planet waves humidifier, and I get that funky fuzz tool. I have found that if I boil some water, pour it into a cup and place the humidifier into it and wait until it cools it kills what ever is growing on it. After that I just place it in a towell and shake it out. (sometimes I leave it on the counter to let it dry out more before I use it) That seems to do the trick.

[Tycho]

Hmm, good tip.

[dcarey]

The bleach tip works well. I use one teaspoon per gallon of distilled water. (I use the summery smell stuff rather than the straight chlorine smelly stuff)
Alternately, you can use four drops of iodine per cup of distilled water.

I've been doing this for three years with my Planet Waves humidifier and am just now beginning to get the furry stuff.
Some of it comes from the media inside the unit itself. It's called "Oasis" media. It's the same stuff florists use in centerpiece
arrangements to support the flowers and hold the water.

Dan

[Blue in VT]

WOW!!!  what a great response....NO...I'm a bad boy...I do use bottled water but it is not distilled...so maybe it is just minerals etc. comming out of the water.  If thats the case I should be able to redissolve those by soaking in hot water...or putting the whole thing in a slightly acidic bath for awhile...I guess that would probably take care of fungus too...if it is that.  Thanks for all the suggestions.

Yea!!!  you're right Hoser...we hit 43% humidity in house today so I can take the thing out for awhile...nice not to have to worry about it for awhile.  No if we can just get the heat to stay up for awhile to that would be nice.

Cheers...thanks all...glad to hear I'm not the only one who has the funky fuzz............

Blue

[jeremy3220]

I must be the only person living in the south on this forum. It's been in the 80's for the last few days here in TN. I have to worry about the  AC sucking out the humidity. At night we cool it down to the mid-lower 70s and that drops the humidity alot faster than the heat can. But most of the day it hovers in between 45-50%.

[Randy_R]

I must be the only person living in the south on this forum.

probably not ... 

[Hotrod]

The minerals in regular water will make the sponge go hard/crumbly. So use distilled water. You could also use humidifier treatment that the bigger humidifier's use to kill any bacteria/mold that might be growing.

[Jackwr]

I must be the only person living in the south on this forum. It's been in the 80's for the last few days here in TN. I have to worry about the  AC sucking out the humidity. At night we cool it down to the mid-lower 70s and that drops the humidity alot faster than the heat can. But most of the day it hovers in between 45-50%.

I'm so far east (nc) on weekends I'm already worried about too wet to play outside, but I must! It just sounds better outdoors. Deep breath and hard right hand, sing your troubles away.