When conducting construction work, as well as various technological processes, the level of humidity level is of great importance. It often depends on the successful completion of a particular enterprise. For example, if you need to weigh any material, the big humidity can seriously distort the reality. So that this is not happening, in many areas of industry and construction use such a device as a moisture meter.

What is a moisture meter, on which the principle of its work is based

The moisture meter is a high-precision device that allows you to more or less successfully monitor the humidity of liquid, gaseous, solids, including bulk.

Humidity is the percentage ratio of the mass of water and the mass of the material in which it is contained.

The level control of the humidity is very important not only in production, but also in everyday life, because The amount of water contained in the air may have a serious impact on human health.

The principle of operation of modern moisture resources can be based on various methods for measuring the amount of water contained in various materials. Consider the most common of them:

• Weight method. This is one of the very first ways to be widespread. According to him, a fragment of a material is taken, in which it is necessary to determine the percentage of moisture content, weigh it, then dried in a certain way and weighed again. Based on weight indicators before and after drying, calculate the amount of moisture in percent. As for air humidity, it is determined differently: into the chamber, isolated from the external environment, the hygroscopic material is placed, which has been pre-weighed, and the air is injected to be studied. The hygroscopic material absorbs the liquid contained in the air, after which it is again weighed, and the desired indicator is installed. The weight method is not complicated and gives an accurate result, but it is possible to apply it only if there are special expensive equipment available. Therefore, it is not always acceptable, especially at home.

• Hair (hygroscopic) method. It is suitable for measuring the humidity of the atmosphere, but it is impossible to apply it for solids. For analysis, human hair is used, which has a property to change the size depending on the degree of humidity of the air. This method, like the previous one, is quite old. In our time, he was a bit modernized - instead of Wolly began to use artificial materials, also affected by moisture.

• Psychometric method. To measure humidity use two thermometers. One of them wrap in a wet cotton fabric, and in this regard, it shows a lower temperature than the second. Humidity is calculated in accordance with the specifically developed temperature difference table. This method allows you to control the level of humidity more accurately than the previous one. Recently, science stepped far ahead, and psychometric devices were improved: the thermometers were replaced by thermal sensors, and the device itself is now equipped with digital chips that displays the results of the analysis on the display.

• Conductometric method. The device running this method and called needle moisture meter has two sharp needles that are immersed in any material during the study. There is an electrical resistance between them, which measures the moisture meter. Next, using the formula embedded in its memory, the device calculates the moisture content. This method has its advantages and disadvantages. The first one can attribute simplicity and speed of use, and the second is the dependence of the result from the degree of contact of the needle with the material and the impossibility of the study, if the humidity is less than 5%. In addition, noticeable traces remain from the needles stuck in the material. In the study, for example, elements of furniture or valuable wood is not acceptable.

• Diellic method. The moisture makers using such a method for measuring humidity are equipped with a radio frequency generator measuring the degree of dielectric constant of the material being studied. Also, the design of the device provides for the presence of sensors that need to be squeezed with a small force to the material to make measurements. To ensure the most accurate result of the study, it is necessary to choose a brand or breed of material that will be exposed to the study. The advantages of this method include the maximum accuracy of the analysis results, the rapid data obtaining, the absence of damage to the surface of the material. To the instruments using this method of measuring humidity relates a flow moisture meter.

• Chemical method. A special substance is applied to the material fragment, which reacts only with water. Humidity is measured by calculating the amount of gas and liquid selected.

To date, electronic devices that have different capabilities and characteristics that use a certain method for analyzing a certain method are used to measure humidity, and equipped with additional functions characteristic of this model. To explore gases and liquids, it is best to use hygroscopic, psychometric, chemical moisture meters. For solid materials - Conductometric and dielcometic.

Check and calibration of moisture meter

In most cases, recently purchased devices when measuring the level of humidity allow a significant error. This may occur because during transportation they were subjected to shaking. If you are committed to obtaining the most accurate data, then after purchase it is necessary to check the moisture meters. You can do this using another, rebuilt device.

Some types of moisture resources are sold already calibrated, but some, for example, hygrometers, need to configure themselves after purchase independently or with the help of specialists.

Some devices are equipped with special screws that allow you to move the arrow, and some have to disassemble to shift the scale. But to implement proper calibration, you need to know what the humidity of the room is actually. For this, it is possible, as mentioned above, use exactly tuned moisture meter, but if you do not have it, you need to put the device on Wednesday, the humidity of which is known, and adjust it. For this there are two ways:

• Method number 1: Wrap a moisture meter into a wet fabric and put in a plastic bag. Moisture will evaporate and, because The space is closed, the humidity will reach 96% for an hour. When this happens, the instrument readings will stop changing. After that, you can proceed to calibration.
• Method number 2: This method is more complicated, but it allows you to adjust the device more accurately. Put a table salt in the saucer and pour out the water until it is completely dissolved. There should be a highly concentrated solution. After that, take a hermetically closed box and put a salt mortar in it and a customized moisture meter. This time it will be necessary to wait 1, but 8 hours. The humidity of the medium in which the salt in such a concentration is placed, 75% will reach this time. When this happens you can get the device and set a value to this figure.

Using any of the described methods, it is necessary to remember that as soon as you take the moisture meter from an isolated medium, its testimony immediately begin to change according to the situation in which he got. Therefore, to set the value of the arrow as quickly as possible. The sooner you do, the more accurate the result of his work.

What criteria determine the choice of moisture meter

Before buying a moisture meter you need to familiarize yourself with the criteria for which you can make a choice. The most important of them are the range and accuracy. Practice shows that any moisture meter model allows errors, just some of them are more, others have less. Therefore, you need to know what percentage of inaccuracy is admissible for each type of material measured. In general, it is best to have several moisture meters, because In the range from 0 to 100%, it is impossible to work as accurately as possible by having one device.

The next important criterion is the instrument step. In the most accurate moisture meters, it is at least 1%.

Preferably select devices equipped with built-in memory, which can save previously made measurements. In addition, additional features are welcome, such as the ability to connect other devices. In this case, you can explore the large amount of material immediately.

Also worth paying attention to the instrument body. It should be durable and reliable, the best rubberized, and protect the moisture meter from shocks, scratches and other mechanical damage, as well as from liquid inward. It is desirable that it is equipped with a power supply, then you can move freely without connecting to the power grid.

To the question "Where to buy moisture meter?" Answer is not difficult. These devices are sold in stores selling construction and home appliances and tools. In addition, there are firms that specialize in the production and sale of measuring devices, including moisture meters. And of course, they, like any other product, will not be difficult to find in numerous online stores.