Hydrometer from a Chinese manufacturer

About thirty years ago, SNT (horticultural non-profit partnerships) began popping up like mushrooms after rain. On the cherished six hundred square meters, the owners first built modest cabins, and then small wooden houses.

Many summer cottages are empty today for most of the year. Gardeners are active only from May to September, so no one worries about central heating in summer houses. An ordinary stove is enough to keep warm in case of bad weather, if you take care of the supply of firewood in time.

Little heat, soot and smoke - probably each of us at least once encountered problems when trying to light a fireplace with raw wood. Furnace masters advise using this method only in extreme cases in order to avoid damage to the brick oven. A special device - a moisture meter, which is available in Russian online stores, will help to reliably determine the moisture content of a tree.

Moisture is measured using special spikes that touch the surface of the tree. The result is displayed on a small LCD display. The optimum values ​​for wood suitable for kindling the stove are 15% -20% humidity. The device weighs no more than 350 grams and runs on batteries. A "budget" model with a range of 5% -40% costs about 1000 rubles.

In domestic stores, you can easily find more expensive devices - from 2,000 to 5,000 rubles. Such moisture meters are designed for professional builders and are distinguished by advanced functionality (measurement of humidity and temperature), the presence of USB for data download, as well as a memory capacity that allows storing over 30,000 values.

For home use, it is best to purchase a device on the AliExpress website. A digital moisture meter with a range of 5% -40% costs about 500 rubles. Measurement accuracy is ensured by four steel spikes. In addition to the device, the set includes instructions in English and a convenient storage case. The moisture meter has the function of memory and automatic power off, and on the LCD display, in addition to the values, a low battery indicator is displayed.

Buyers note a small error in measurements - up to 5%, so it is undesirable to use the device when carrying out carpentry work. The moisture meter from China works with Krona batteries. Reviews are advised to use a gadget to measure the moisture content of not only wood, but also peat, sand, cardboard, chipboard and other materials with a low density.