How often should we have the organ tuned?

Typically, pipe organs should be tuned once or twice a year, depending on the size, design and style. A large instrument may need more attention.

Why should the heat be on while the organ is tuned?

Not for the organ tuner’s comfort, but because the organ’s pitch rises and falls with temperature. We ask that the heat be turned up to the normal Sunday morning temperature, in order to duplicate the environment in which the organ will be played while it is being tuned. It almost always takes several hours for a large room (such as most churches) to become suitably and thoroughly warm. An ideal “warm-up” period is eight hours. Waiting until five minutes before a tuning visit or morning mass, and then “cranking” the heat, will inevitably provide unsatisfactory results.
 

Will the organ be damaged if the heat is turned down during the week?

While extreme temperature changes should be avoided, setting back the thermostat during the week to a reasonable “not in use” temperature (many churches choose somewhere around 60 degrees) will not hurt the organ. What is more damaging is the changes in humidity caused by excessive temperature changes and heating, and extremes in humidity should be avoided.
 

How long will a pipe organ last compared to an electronic substitute?

Electronic organs are similar to such components as stereos and computers in that they are generally last less than twenty years. Pipe Organs, on the other hand, routinely last two to five times as long, or longer, depending on the organ’s construction and style.
 

Can a pipe organ be tuned to the piano or a hand bell?

Not realistically. Because the organ’s pitch fluctuates with seasonal temperature changes (rising in the summer and falling in the winter), it is impractical to expect the organ to stay on a fixed pitch, as do piano and hand bells. In addition, it is generally an extremely time-consuming (and expensive) job to re-pitch an organ — something which should be done on rare occasions and under ideal conditions. If a special piano-organ duet is planned, it is generally more practical to tune the piano to the organ (remember to set the heat to the proper level when the piano is tuned).

What is the cost of having our pipe organ assessed?

Kerner & Merchant provides quotations free of charge.

We suggest…

That you record problems you are having with the organ in a special notebook that is kept at the console. Please be specific as possible — the problem occurs with what manual, key, stop, etc. (We designate pitch as follows: Low C is known as C1; an octave up is C2; Middle C is C3, etc.) A note that sounds without being played is called a cipher; a note that does not play is called a dead note.