Protimeter MMS2, Instruction Manual, Page: 28 / 36

22 INS8800 Rev. D
Protimeter MMS2 Instruction Manual
5. Diagnostic Procedure Guidelines (cont.)
Item 3:
Two hygroscopic salts, chlorides and nitrates, may build up on the
surface of walls where rising dampness or wicking occurs. As groundwater
moves through the wall and migrates to the surface, salts tend to accumulate
where the rate of evaporation of this water is greatest. The salts themselves
are non-conductive, but when mixed with a small amount of moisture a highly
conductive solution is formed. The presence (or absence) of such salts should
therefore be established when rising dampness is suspected by using the
Protimeter MMS2 in Measure mode as described. When required, the
Protimeter Salts Analysis Kit (part number BLD4900) can be used to identify
the relative concentrations of nitrates and chlorides.
In summary, effective dampness diagnosis is a process that draws on the
knowledge and expertise of the surveyor. The Protimeter MMS2 kit enables
the user to investigate moisture levels in materials and environments from
various perspectives that, in turn, permits a more thorough and reliable
judgment as to the cause of dampness related problems.
6. Calibration Checking
Check the moisture meter Measure Mode by holding the pins of the moisture
probe across the exposed wires of the calibration check device (
Calcheck
).
The WME value of correctly calibrated instruments is
17-19
. Instruments that
register values outside this range should be returned to Protimeter for
servicing.
Note:
Search mode can be checked against a stable area of wall. For
comparative purposes, humidity and ambient temperature conditions
should be stable and consistent.
Working Hygrostick, Quikstick and Short Quikstick probes can be checked
against reference probes and/or over standard salt solutions.