TRAMEX Moisture Encounter Plus User Manual
user guide
MEP
moisture encounter
plus
MEP USER GUIDE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction............................................................................................2
Instrument Features.....................................................................3-4
Operating Instructions.................................................................5-7
Working With your Moisture Encounter: Scale 1........7-15
Testing wood and wood products......................................7-9
Relative humidity and moisture content.........................10
Wood Flooring............... ...............................................................11
Notes on Specific Gravity (SG).............................................12
How to use the Wood SG Tables...........................................13
Wood SG Table, 5% to 17% meter reading...................14
Wood SG Table, 18% to 30% meter reading................15
Working With your Moisture Encounter: Scale 2.....16-18
Testing built-up roofing ..........................................................16
Testing drywall.............................................................................17
Testing on ceramic tiles, wall & floor coverings..17-18
Working With your Moisture Encounter: Scale 3....19-20
Testing plaster and brick................................................19-20
Limitations..........................................................................................20
Calibration...................................................................................20-21
Warranty.......................................................................................21-22
Product Development...................................................................23
Safety....................................................................................................23
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MEP USER GUIDE
INTRODUCTION
Thank you for selecting the MEP - Moisture
Encounter Plus from Tramex.
The Moisture Encounter Plus is a patented
instrument, which enables non-invasive moisture
measurement and detection in a wide range of
building materials. The instrument operates on the
principle that the electrical impedance of a material
varies in proportion to its moisture content.
To measure/detect moisture, the two co-planar
conductive rubber electrodes mounted on the base
of the instrument case are lightly pressed onto the
wood or material sample. The instrument measures
the electrical impedance of the sample by creating a
low frequency alternating electric field between the
electrodes. This field penetrates the material under
test to a depth of approximately 30 mm (1¼ inches).
The very small alternating current flowing through
the field is inversely proportional to the impedance
of the material. The instrument detects this current,
determines its amplitude and, after processing,
drives the pointer of the moving coil meter to the
computed moisture value.
Transmit Electrode
Receive Electrode
Alternating Electric Field
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MEP USER GUIDE
As there is a wide variation in the nominal electrical
impedance of different material types, the instrument
is provided with three selectable scales which are
optimized for testing (1) Wood, Timber (2) Drywall,
Roofing and (3) Plaster, Brick. By selection of an
appropriate scale, the instrument can also be used for
the detection and location of elevated moisture in or
behind a range of covering materials such as wall, floor,
and ceiling tiles, siding, carpet, ceramic tiles and
laminated floor coverings.
INSTRUMENT FEATURES
Your Moisture Encounter Plus employs advanced
analogue and digital technology to enable the
incorporation of many new features, which greatly
extend the capability of the instrument.
• Three simple pushbutton controls, ON/OFF,
SCALE and HOLD/AUDIO.
• Non-destructive moisture readings taken in
wood from 5% to 30% are displayed on a moving
coil meter with linear scale.
• Audio signal sounds when meter indicates high
reading.
• Comparative readings between zero and 100 can
be taken in or through drywall, ceramic tile,
carpet, floor coverings, roofing, plaster, and
other materials such as brick and cement block.
The meter scale is also color coded to assist in
identifying areas of wet and dry.
• Automatic supply timeout (10 minutes)
conserves battery life.
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MEP USER GUIDE
• Supply timeout is automatically extended if a
change in meter reading is detected or if any
button is pressed.
• 10 second bleep warning on instrument sounder
prior to end of supply timeout period.
• Last used scale is memorized at supply timeout
and automatically selected next time ON/OFF
button is pressed.
• Three LEDs (light emitting diodes) show selected
scale, indicate if HOLD/AUDIO selected and
provide warning of battery nearing end of useful
life.
• HOLD/AUDIO button freezes moving coil meter,
which facilitates readings taken out-of-sight.
• If HOLD/AUDIO was selected prior to supply
timeout, the frozen meter reading is digitally
memorized and restored next time ON/OFF is
selected.
If the battery voltage is getting low, the three
LEDs will flash sequentially for a short period.
The instrument will continue to operate for
some time but it is recommended that the
PP3 (9 volt) battery be changed as soon as
convenient.
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MEP USER GUIDE
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
The instrument face with brief notes on the push button
controls and LED indicators is shown below.
84mm
1
2
54
3
1 = Moving coil meter.
2 = LED Indicators.
3 = Scale Select button.
4 = Power ON/OFF button.
5 = Hold button.
154mm
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MEP USER GUIDE
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
1. Press the ON/OFF button to power up. The LED
for the last used scale will light.
2. To change scale, press/release the SCALE button
until the LED opposite the required scale lights.
3. Hold your Moisture Encounter Plus directly on the
material being tested ensuring both conductive
rubber electrodes are fully in contact with the
surface.
4. For wood or wood products read the moisture
content from the upper line (Wood) of the meter
dial which is marked from 5% to 30%. Audio signal will sound when meter indicates high reading.
5. To turn audio signal on or off, press HOLD/AUDIO
button twice in quick succession.
6. For drywall, felt roofing, plaster or brick comparative (Relative) readings are taken from the lower
line on the meter dial, which is marked from 0 to
100.
7. The instrument will automatically power-off after
ten minutes if no button is pressed or if no change
in meter reading is detected. If a button is pressed
or the meter reading changes, the power-off will
be extended for a further ten minutes.
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MEP USER GUIDE
8. To freeze readings press the HOLD/AUDIO button once. While on Hold, the LED for the selected
scale will flash slowly. This facility is extremely
useful if readings are being taken in areas where
it is difficult to see the instrument dial. To remove
freeze, press the HOLD/AUDIO button again.
WORKING WITH YOUR MOISTURE ENCOUNTER:
Scale 1
Testing wood and wood products
a. When testing wood, power-on, select Scale 1 and
press the rubber electrodes directly to the surface. Read the moisture percentage from the top
line of the analog dial where calibration is marked
from 5% to 30%. If switched on, the audio signal
will sound when readings are above 18%.
b. If possible, always take readings with the length
of the instrument parallel to the direction of the
wood grain.
c. Calibration tests were carried out by Forbairt,
the Irish Institute for Industrial Research and
Standards, and are based on Douglas fir, which
has a published specific gravity (SG) of 0.50. For
wood having an SG other than 0.50 see “Notes on
Specific Gravity” and “How to use the Wood SG
Adjustment Tables” on page 13.
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