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On June 12 I had a house fire with my Everett upright piano suffering smoke damage. My piano technician spent an afternoon wiping down all the surfaces with warm water only. He didn't touch the hammers, strings, or other moving parts of the action. He was happy that the piano seemed to be in good condition. It is the only piece of furniture left in my house right now and is wrapped in many layers of protective wrap for the other dust that will follow the refinishing of hard wood floors and other construction dust.
My question is about the ozone machine that the cleaning company uses to remove odor from a home. They recommend using that on my piano in the next few weeks when they get ready for it. My technician will open the piano to allow it to get to the strings, hammers, and inner parts.
Is this an acceptable process to use on a piano?
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Joan,
I don't know about the ozone, they are often called Negative Ion machines. They generate a stream of negative ions, which tend to nuetralize the static effect of smoke an soot particles, causing them to fall off, where they can be vacuumed or swept away. It's also that smell you'll get from a thunderstorm.
I hope that you are okay, and that your insurance and stuff will cover all of your losses and damages. I'm sooo sorry to hear that you had this happen to you, and I'm glad you're here to be asking this question.
I don't see that there is any reason that the machine would have any bad effect on the piano, though. Ask your technician, or ask the cleaning company to provide you with some documentation on it, so you'll feel comfortable.
Gary
I'm blessed watching God do what He does best. I've had a few rough years, and I'm still not back to where I want to be, but I'm on the way and things are looking far better now than what they were!
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Hi Gary,
I feel very fortunate to not have been in the house when the fire started. I just got home as the furnace worker came out with smoke following him. We both called 911 until the fire department got there in about 10 min.
I have replacement house insurance so everything will be returned to good condition. I did however lose my entire golf club collection--294 golf clubs!!! Don't ask why I had so many golf clubs.
Both my piano technician and the Service Master professional's recommend ozoning. However, I was talking to a retired fire fighter this afternoon who didn't like the process. That is what got me asking the question here.
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Hi Joan,
Sorry to hear of your plight.
Ozone (03 ) is an oxidizer. I have an ozone machine in my home. I use it to remove odors. Many car dealerships also use them in used cars to give that "new car" smell.
The type used in homes is generally not that strong as to cause damage.
Mick
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Joan,
Years ago, I worked for an insurance fire repair company that used these machines to remove odor after the source had been removed. They worked very well. I'm sorry about your loss and I wish you well in the recovery.
Don S.
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1) The old Everett was likely closed and if so, all the stuff inside the box, hammers, etc. were not subjected to direct exposure.
2) Even so, the smoke smell is a particulate that can get pretty tiny and will indeed permeate everything with that odor.
3) Ozone is a tried and true methodology.
4) The old Everett should be able to withstand the O3 treatment just fine IMO. She is from a past generation that has proven to be quite hardy, after all.
--Mac
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I have read that using an ozone generator in you car for more than a couple hours at a time can start to deteriorate the interior - vinyl and leather .
The Powderman
Learning something new everyday
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Hi Joan,
I find myself wondering if ozone might hasten the rusting of the iron in the strings and maybe even the oxidation of the winding of the bass strings. As mentioned, ozone is a strong oxidizing agent and iron loves to be oxidized (rust is the result of this oxidation). This is something that I'd check with the company. They would know. Likely, the amount of time that the piano is going to be subjected to the ozone will not be sufficient to cause any problems.
You could also have the company try out the process on a region of the piano that you rarely play (say the lowest bass notes or highest treble notes) and see what happens. If all goes well, you can then have the whole piano done.
Regards,
Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
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You control humidity to avoid rusting iron and steel. But a piano has certain wood parts, notably sounding board and tuning bed, that should not be dried out under any circumstances.
She's got a choice, either let 'em subject a very strong and old piano that is very stoutly built to a few hours of ozone or have a piano that smells like a house fire...
I'd take any chances with the ozone, which are likely very slim that any damage will be done. The damage has already been done, actually.
--Mac
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Thanks everyone for encouraging remarks about the ozone process.
Mac, I had my 3 acoustic tiles behind the piano and that blocked some if not all of the smoke from the sound board area of Everett. The keys were uncovered but not much can get down through the keys, I hope.
I will just have to wait and see what happens over the next year and how much damage continues to develop. My concern now is the wait time of several weeks before they get to the point of using the ozone machine on my piano. I lost all water lines, electricity lines, as well as duct work so there is quite a bit of prep time just getting those things going again.
Should I ask Servicemaster to accelerate the ozone usage on my piano and not wait another month to do it?
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I think you should defer to the Servicemaster plan. They would be in the position of knowing what's best, from experience.
Tell them you want a written warranty, guarantee or somesuch, that's likely the best you can do in the situation.
--Mac
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OK, Mac, you seem to have lots of good advice for me. I'll talk to them again on Monday.
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I worked every angle of fire from forest fires, to Volunteer Captian of a Fire Ambulance company, Industrial Fire Marshal, and 25 years on a 500 person fire department from rookie to Chief of Training. That included a nearly 10 year stint as an Fire and Explosion Investigator. I'd have the piano treated.
The primary problem most people have after restoration is that when it gets really humid the fire smell comes back. I've seen a burnt furnace motor total a store inventory of 2 million dollars, and require a 30 day shut down to deal with the structural smoke damage. My best advice is to be picky at the start with them, they don't want to come back and have to redo things, but if you get even a hint of smoke be push-y.
As to the piano, I'd insist the tech (at your insurance companies expense), remove an entire key and all it's parts to ensure there is no smoke residue. If there is, then it has to be taken apart piece by piece and cleaned by hand. It would be easy for smoke particles to lodge between the wooden action and then every time you'd play it it would remind you of a house fire, which is not a nice smell unless the only thing that burned was cedar or hickory. (LOL).
It's all the plastic and synthetics we use now that make the smoke residue such a toxic and nasty blend. Which is why most full time municipal fire fighters rarely reach 70, however I made one more year as of today towards that goal...oh well.
Ah the golden years, as the light of day filters through the cataracts and onto eyes that look out of the windows that are darkened....everything has a soft focus golden hue, and slowly you don't hear much as the daughters of music are brought low...YIKES where did that come from..
John Conley
Musica est vita
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 Happy Birthday John
--=-- My credo: If it's worth doing, it's worth overdoing - just ask my missus, she'll tell ya  --=--You're only paranoid if you're wrong!
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John,
I value all your fire experience. Thanks for your comments.
I did have my piano tech take every key out and wash all of them off. He has already gotten his expense estimate approved by Servicemaster. He will work on the piano again after the ozone is done and look at everything inside. If this process has taken a little over a month from his first cleaning through the ozoning to his second look at the piano, I hope some forecasting can be done for my piano's future.
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Thanks, the Americans are holding a party for me. LOL
John Conley
Musica est vita
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Happy Birthday John. Quote:
the Americans are holding a party for me. LOL
Yes we are. The one I'm going to is called "The Tea Party"
Mick
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Happy Birthday, John!
--Mac
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Quote:
Thanks, the Americans are holding a party for me. LOL
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday, dear John
Happy Birthday to you
Don S.
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Wow , 10 minutes for the Fire Department is a LONG time. Response times here are under 4 minutes for first in. A few remote areas are longer, but over 4 you pay 10 percent more insurance for every 2 minutes.
When I said remove parts, I meant every key, it actually way easier than tuning. Ozone won't do much if there is soot residue inside.
You sound lots like me, I have accoustic foam behind mine, and I have the damper 1/2 way down with washers...
As I said earlier, in a case where there is no doubt you are not involved in a fire, be agressive. You paid the insurance, you 'demand' the results.
Of course the 1st level of insurance claim denial is 'pushy' people with history and financial problems. If there is no doubt what started the fire, and that's not an issue, even if your history is 'docile', go for hard on the adjusters. And that's something I told a lot of people over the years.
If you have coverage don't stay with relatives, get a hotel room. If you have coverage, ask for money to go shopping for everything, clothes, whatever...I gave that advice over and over. The insurance adjuster loves to hear you are staying with a family member, wearing borrowed clothes, using someone elses soap and stuff....NO WAY.
John Conley
Musica est vita
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