Tips for Cleaning a Moisture Meter
Cleaning is an integral part of maintenance. Equipment will provide you with better service for a long time if you maintain it properly. And complete maintenance is impossible without performing the cleaning task on a regular basis.
A wood moisture meter is a piece of sensitive equipment that should be cleaned with utmost care, otherwise, the equipment may become unable to perform its task. So, you should be aware of each and every important aspects of cleaning moisture meter in a proper way.
Important Tips You Should Follow to Clean Your Moisture Meter
Basically, moisture meters can be divided into 2 groups –
Group 1: Pin Type Moisture Meter
Group 2: Pinless Moisture Meter
There is a difference between cleaning pinless and pin type moisture meter. So, both will be discussed separately.
I would like to inform you about another type of moisture meter that is made combining the above 2 groups. After going through the cleaning tips of pin type and pinless moisture meter you will understand the tips of cleaning this advanced moisture meter.
Tip 1:
After every use never forget to clean the moisture meter before storing it. Using a dry and soft cloth wipe the pin of the moisture meter.
Sometimes people make a mistake by using a wet cloth. A wet cloth may cause your device to rust.
Tip 2:
Some moisture meter uses penetrating pins that measure moisture level by piercing wood. So, the pins should remain sharp. If you do not clean the pin carefully, if you use wet and hard clothes to wipe the pins they will get rusted.
So, wipe down the whole meter carefully so that there remain no stray particles.
Tip 3:
Because of continuous use for a long time pin of your moisture meter may get dull even after proper cleaning. This bent pin may give a faulty reading. In such a situation, you may need to replace the old dull pin with a new one.
Tip 4:
The battery also plays an important role in proper reading provided by the meter. So you should also be careful about the life of the battery.
If you notice that the batteries are operating off the standard level, you should replace these low batteries with new batteries.
Tip 5:
After every use and cleaning do not forget to store the device in its proper case to protect it from dust and damage.
Tips to Clean a Pinless Moisture Meter
Some moisture meter does not use pins for detecting moisture level in the wood. Rather they use scanning plates or infrared for determining the moisture content.
If your moisture meter uses scanning plate for determining moisture level you should be conscious of the necessary tips of cleaning the scanning plates as well as the whole device.
Tip 1:
The scanning plate may become dirty by dirt, dust or water. Like the pinless moisture meter here you can also use a dry and soft cloth to wipe the plates.
Using a hard cloth is dangerous for cleaning a pinless moisture meter because it may create a scratch on the plate.
Tip 2:
After every use debris or dust should be cleaned as soon as possible to increase the longevity of the plates and to protect the plates from getting damaged.
Tip 3:
Some moisture meters use near-infrared (NIR) to determine the moisture content of the wood. This type of pinless moisture meter requires comparatively less maintenance since they do not have any contact with the wood.
After every use before storing the device blow the dust from it. Clean the lens with utmost care since they are very sensitive and may get damaged if not cared properly.
Tip 4:
Sometimes you may need water to clean your NIR moisture meter. If you need water to clean your moisture meter put the device on a clean rag that is free from lint.
But keep in mind that the lens or standard should not be kept directly on the rag. Keep it in this way for some time so that the contamination gets loosen and then gently wipe it off.
Finally using a dry cloth that is free from lint remove the water residue and avoid streak.
Tip 5:
Never do the mistake of abrading the surface of the wood moisture meter by scrubbing. It may harm the device.
Tip 6:
If you feel the need of using any kind of solvent such as IPA, put a few drops of it on the cloth, loosen the material and then perform the water/cloth step to remove the solvent residue.
Conclusion
No matter what type of wood moisture meter you are using including the pin type and the pinless moisture meter you should always keep it in its cage to protect it from dust and dirt. Storing the moisture meter in the respective cage also protects it from being struck by any high impact force.
If you follow the above-mentioned tips to keep your wood moisture meter clean we can ensure that your device will last for a long time and provide you with the best service possible.
