How to Read a Moisture Sensing Meter

Moisture meters are crucial tools for many different professionals. From agriculture, to lumber manufacturing, to water damage restoration, to construction, there are many applications that rely heavily on moisture testing to produce optimal end results. Yet, to get the best testing results, information technology'due south of import to understand wet meter readings—how they piece of work, what impacts examination results, what the different moisture reading scales mean, and how to ensure the most authentic results possible.

Hither is a scrap of information to help you improve understand moisture meter readings:

How Moisture Testing Works

Understanding how a moisture meter works is crucial for understanding moisture meter readings and what can affect them.

There are two primary methods by which moisture testing in solid materials works:

1. Electrical Resistance Moisture Testing. This method uses a pair of electrodes that are inserted into the fabric being tested. Then, an electrical current is generated—ane which uses the fabric being tested to consummate the circuit. The resistance to the menstruum of electricity from one electrode to the other is used to measure out the moisture content of the fabric beingness tested, which is then translated into a moisture meter reading. Because h2o is a usher, less resistance means that there is more moisture present in the fabric, more resistance means there is less moisture. This is the moisture testing method used by pin-type wet meters.
2. Electromagnetic Frequency Scanning. This method uses an electromagnetic radio wave to pass through a solid material to "scan" for the presence of moisture. When the radio wave returns, the moisture meter checks the distortions in the moving ridge to estimate the wet. This is the moisture testing method used past pinless moisture meters.

Each of these two moisture testing methods has their ain unique strengths and weaknesses. For instance, pinless moisture meters are typically faster and easier to utilize than pin meters; they likewise can scan large areas in less time. Nonetheless, pinless meters require a flat, solid surface to work properly—if the scanning plate cannot make smoothen contact with the surface of the material existence checked, the meter's accurateness will exist reduced.

Pin meters, on the other mitt, are meliorate able to determine the distribution of wet throughout a material sample from the shell to the cadre and tin be used in materials with curved or uneven surfaces. However, they're somewhat slower at testing moisture over large areas and the pins/electrodes may be prone to breaking when forced (though most meters make replacing broken pins easy).

What are Moisture Reading Scales?

Different materials will take physical properties that make them react differently when tested with a wet meter. For example, woods has a unlike level of electrical resistance than drywall—this will affect how a moisture meter gauges the amount of moisture each material possesses.

So, a wet meter is normally calibrated to provide authentic, quantitative results in a specific kind of material. The type of cloth the moisture meter is calibrated for is unremarkably referred to as the meter's wet reading scale. In other words, a moisture meter calibrated for wood is said to accept a forest moisture reading scale, whereas a meter calibrated for drywall has a drywall wet reading scale.

However, not all moisture meters have a reading calibration optimized for a specific material. These wet meters have what is called a "reference" moisture reading scale. These meters provide a qualitative, or estimated, assessment of the moisture content of a cloth.

Why would someone desire to utilise a reference moisture reading scale instead of a more than specific (and accurate) one? Part of the reason is that there aren't fix wet reading scales for some materials. For example, physical does not have a true, quantitative moisture reading calibration because the mix used to brand physical tin can vary too much from one batch to the next. This leads to inconsistencies that make it almost impossible to reliably appraise the wet content of concrete directly.

Another reason could be that, while non particularly accurate, reference calibration wet testing can provide a quick pass/fail cess of wet content.

Pro Tips for Measuring Moisture with a Reference Scale Moisture Meter

When using a reference calibration moisture meter, it can be helpful to have a wet reading from a sample of fabric that you know is dry out before conducting further tests. This gives you a comparing point for futurity reference—allowing you lot to more reliably identify wet-compromised materials.

Additionally, when using a reference scale meter, it's of import to remember that the number provided isn't an exact measurement of the wet content of the material being tested. Reference scales can have arbitrary number ranges such as 0-255, 0-300, or 0-100. However, fifty-fifty for a reference scale meter with a 0-100 range, the number provided is non an absolute, pct-based indication of moisture content.

What Tin Bear upon the Accuracy of a Wet Content Measurement?

There are several things that can bear upon moisture meter accuracy—and different types of moisture meters may be afflicted differently.

Some examples of things that tin touch on the accuracy of moisture testing include:

1. The status of the meter;
2. Whether the meter is in the correct reading scale mode;
3. The temperature of the material beingness tested (for pin meters);
4. Whorls in wood or other flaws that affect material density (for pinless meters); and
5. Moisture on the surface of a material being tested.

Why and how do these factors impact moisture meter readings?

How the Condition of the Moisture Meter Impacts Reading Accurateness

Damage to a moisture meter tin have a pregnant impact on the meter's accuracy. For case, a dented or scratched scanning plate on a pinless moisture meter tin go on the meter from making smoothen contact with the surface of the material being tested. This throws off the moisture reading's accuracy. Broken or rusted contact pins might not conduct electricity equally readily—increasing resistance so materials read equally being drier than they actually are.

Another issue with a moisture meter's status that can impact accuracy is a wet meter having low batteries. Weak batteries tin prevent the meter from functioning correctly, and trying to use a meter with depleted batteries can even cause permanent damage to the meter over fourth dimension.

Making Sure the Meter is in the Correct Moisture Reading Scale

Some higher-cease moisture meters may have the ability to switch between unlike wet reading scales. However, as user-friendly as this feature is, information technology can pb to some erroneous readings if the user keeps the meter in the wrong reading scale when testing other materials.

Part of knowing how to understand moisture meter readings to go authentic results is understanding the capabilities of the meter itself and ensuring the meter is in the right reading way. Then, before starting piece of work on any moisture testing task, be sure to check what reading way the meter is in.

Additionally, for wood wet meters, it's important to check if at that place is a species correction feature for the meter. Different types of forest can have different concrete properties that might alter the results of a moisture measurement. Applying a forest species correction to the moisture test results is necessary for ensuring authentic readings. Like with moisture reading scales, it's of import to check that the appropriate species correction is applied before starting to test for moisture in wood.

How Extreme Temperatures Can Impact Moisture Readings for Pin Meters

Because pin meters work on the principle of electrical resistance, the current temperature of the material being tested can have a significant bear on on the accurateness of moisture testing. At higher temperatures, the electrical resistance of a material decreases. At lower temperatures, the resistance of a material increases.

In virtually cases, this isn't a major consequence. A pin moisture meter will remain authentic between temperatures of l to 90 degrees Fahrenheit (x to 32.ii degrees Celsius). Exterior of this range, however, a temperature correction may need to be practical to the moisture testing results.

Pinless meters aren't generally affected past extreme temperatures, unless the material being tested is frozen solid.

How Flaws in Materials Can Affect Pinless Moisture Meter Readings

While pinless moisture meters aren't as susceptible to inaccuracy from changes in material temperature, they can be affected by flaws in a material. Why would flaws in the material being tested matter? Because the electromagnetic frequencies used to scan the cloth in question utilize distortions in the radio wave to measure moisture content in edifice materials.

Flaws in a textile, such every bit whorls in woods or air pockets in poured flooring, affect that cloth's specific gravity (SG) value. Because pinless meters are calibrated using specific gravity as the standard for measurement, random changes in SG for a material can impact the accuracy of their moisture readings.

So, when testing different building materials, it'southward important to check for these kinds of flaws. By identifying the flaws, it is possible to mark them down and account for their effect on moisture meter accuracy.

How Surface Moisture Skews Moisture Testing Results

A final major factor that tin bear upon the accuracy of moisture meter readings is the presence of water on the surface of an object. With pin meters, the standing water on the top of a piece of wood can cause the electric current to be routed through the water instead of the material being tested. With pinless meters, surface wet can spoil the contact between the meter and the material beingness tested.

In either case, the accuracy of the meter is impacted.

There are two means of dealing with this issue:

1. Cleaning up the backlog water before testing; and
2. Using a pivot meter with insulated pins.

A wet meter with insulated pins will simply release electricity from the tips of the electrodes. This helps to forbid the electricity from escaping from the base of the electrodes and passing through the water. As a side note: Insulated pins are too splendid for determining the distribution of moisture between the vanquish and core of a material sample.

Checking the Accuracy of Moisture Meter Readings

Over time, a moisture meter may, through repeated utilise or accidental damage, autumn out of calibration and start generating erroneous moisture testing results. Considering of this fact, it'southward important to test the accuracy of a moisture meter earlier putting it to use.

In that location are a few means to check moisture meter accuracy, including:

• Using a Second Moisture Meter to Check Wet Testing Results. Some people use a second "reference" meter to check confronting the moisture testing results provided by the starting time meter. Nevertheless, this method of checking meter accuracy is problematic considering information technology takes time, requires a 2nd meter that is identical to the first, and is less reliable than the following two methods.
• Using a Moisture Meter Testing Device. Some manufacturers brand moisture content standards (MCSs) or sensor blocks for testing the accuracy of their moisture meters. With pin meters, MCS devices provide a spot to tap the pins to—this completes a circuit with a preset level of resistance. For pinless meters, sensor blocks are samples of material that are designed to render a precise moisture content measurement when the meter is used on it. Both of these external accuracy checking devices have to be specifically manufactured for the wet meters they're meant to be used with—otherwise, the accuracy of the test suffers.
• Born Scale Checks. Some top-of-the-line moisture meters have built-in calibration tests where all the user has to practise is push a button and they get instant verification of the moisture meter's accurateness. These are the almost convenient meter accuracy checks available since they don't crave extra tools for the test.

Demand more aid with how to empathize moisture meter readings? Speak to a wet meter specialist from Delmhorst!

Topics: moisture meters moisture readings

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