The Moisture Encounter Plus Meter (IC-MEP) is used to determine areas of high moisture or potential moisture ingress, making it an excellent tool for building inspectors, pest control technicians, plumbers and flooring installers. For accurate measurements on the IC-MEP, it is vital to understand the method of measurement the meter employs and how best to interpret the results.
About Moisture Meters
Moisture meters fall into two main categories; non-destructive moisture meters and pin moisture meters.
Non-destructive moisture meters measure the moisture content of an item using an electromagnetic field, which can penetrate the materials you wish to measure for moisture. The electromagnetic field is affected by the amount of moisture present, and the meter measures this and converts it into moisture reading almost instantly.
Pin moisture meters take measurements by inserting two pins into a surface. Each pin acts as an electrode, and the device will generate a moisture result by calculating the electrical resistance between the two pins. Water conducts electricity, so where moisture in any material is low, there will be a high amount of resistance. Where water content is high, resistance will reduce.
Understanding Tramex IC-MEP Measurements
The IC-MEP is a non-destructive moisture meter that’s versatile and can take accurate moisture measurements using three ranges of sensitivity; wood/timber, drywall/roofing and plaster/brick. For building inspection applications (with the exclusion of timber/wood) the MEP is used as a comparative tool.
For comparative moisture measurements or drywall/roofing and plaster/brick, the user must first take a baseline measurement in the matching sensitivity setting on a known ‘dry’ area. After taking a baseline, readings of moisture impacted areas are taken and used to compare against the baseline to determine areas of higher moisture.
For wood and timber readings, the IC-MEP gives actual moisture content expressed as a percentage ranging from 5- 30%. There is a correction table available in the user manual for different timber species. The correction table is to provide you with the highest accuracy readings for non-standard timbers.
Want to know more about taking moisture measurements? Watch an Instrument Choice scientist demonstrate how to take a measurement in the video below.
Video: In this video, The Instrument Choice Scientists demonstrate how to Setup and Take Moisture Measurements using the IC-MEP Moisture Meter by Tramex.
Conclusion
The IC-MEP is versatile and accurate, making it the ideal tool for taking comparative moisture measurements in drywall, roofing, plaster and brick. Using both the IC-MEP and the timber type reference guide in the user manual, the non-destructive meter also takes precise timber/wood moisture readings from 5-30%. It’s essential to make the distinction between taking a comparative reading compared to an actual moisture percentage to use the IC-MEP meter correctly.
If you have any questions about moisture readings on the Moisture Encounter Plus (IC-MEP), contact one of the Instrument Choice Scientists, we’re here to help!
Call 1300 737 871 or email customer-service@instrumentchoice.com.au.