Howdy Gang,

Need to purchase some RH meters for our service department, have used all kinds in the past, from the expensive Trimex meter, to the cheapest of cheap big box store 10$ unit, and other than decimal points of accuracy and perhaps reading speed, What is the benefit of a 200$ unit over a 20$ one?

I just need to be able to take readings for our pre-installation and service reports. Speed is probably more important to me than accuracy/sensitivity. It would be perfect if there was an android phone app/usb plug in kind of device.

What are your thoughts? What do you guys use? Any new tech out there?

Wet/dry bulb works fine for me.

Never heard of that Pete. Care to elaborate?

Speed and accuracy. Accuracy is really important. Would you also use a cheap moisture meter as well?

The wet/dry bulb relative humidity meter is not only accurate, it does not take batteries to operate. Just swing the assembly around to get a reading from the wet bulb, which depends on the humidity of the air, then use a table to extrapolate the humidity in the air. Of course it is not fool proof. You need to use the table to find the results. Kind of like using a scale to find how much moisture is in a sample with the oven dry method of calculating the moisture content of wood. No meter necessary.

The wet/dry bulb sounds interesting but I'd rather not leave it up to my guys to check a table for the info, something digital with a reading that can be photographed is ideal. Double bonus if I get temperature and Rh in one reading - I know Reed makes a meter for this but its about 125$. Compare that to the Walmart weather station type reader, for 20$, you get the same information, it just might take a few mins to reach a stable reading.

As for the moisture meter, we have a couple of Wagner's from years ago that we rotate around as needed, not every truck needs one. I wouldn't buy a cheap moisture meter, even though I have seen some as low as 40$ - I agree that accuracy is important for that. RH as such a range that you really only need to prove with a number what is usually already apparent in the space, that its either too dry or too humid.

Spend the money. It's good to justify all your expenses.