What are the parts of a pin-type moisture meter?

5th March 2020


	What are the parts of a pin-type moisture meter?


	Shop for Moisture Meters




			Pins
			There are usually two pins set parallel to each other on the main box part of a moisture meter. It is better if the pins penetrate the material and therefore they need to be strong. They are generally quite short, around 8mm (⁵/₁₆“) long. The pins can be insulated up to the tip to make them more accurate. For more information on how the pins work see: How does a pin type moisture meter work?

			Screen
			Analogue Analogue moisture meters have a scale and pivoting needle to indicate moisture content. These are less common than digital indicators. There may be several scales on a single tool for different materials.

			Digital Digital moisture meters have an LCD screen which will either display a numerical and/or bar graph percentage reading.

			Buttons
			There can be multiple buttons on a moisture meter, including the on/ off switch, hold and mode buttons. Whether and which of these feature on a moisture meter is dependent on model and manufacturer. How they are used is also dependent on model, and the instructions for each individual moisture meter should be consulted before use.

			Power Most moisture meters have an on/off switch, although some moisture meters will have an automatic off feature which activates after a certain period of inactivity.

			Hold A hold button allows you to freeze a reading on the screen. This is handy for when it is awkward to view the screen.

			Mode This button may be found on moisture meters which measure more than one material. It allows the user to switch input between wood and other building materials or between specific types of wood. It could also be labelled ‘set’ or ‘function’.

			Moisture meter extra features
			Cap A cap protects the pins when the tool is not in use. This is a very handy addition, as the pins need to be kept clean and straight for best use.

			Wrist strap Wearing the wrist strap means that even if the moisture meter is dropped, it will not hit the floor. This is helpful if using the device in an awkward position or space.

			Spare pins Some pin-type moisture meters may be provided with spare pins, which can be swapped with damaged ones.

			Extra strong and long pins Moisture meters may be provided with an attachment which has extra strong and long pins. As these pins are not part of the case, they can be hammered in, which is why it’s important for them to be extra strong. There are also driving attachments which have a built-in mechanism to push the pins into the material. These are handy for measuring harder materials, like hardwood and bricks.