for all you caravanners that wonder how to find damp with these meters type in PROTIMETER in the search bar and see part 1 .2. 3 on YouTube and see how much damp i found with this meter and see how easy it is to use and this meter is used in the caravan industry to find damp in your service i made the video to help others and them looking or thinking what meter to buy .i recommend it to anyone that got a caravan or looking for a secondhand caravan its worth its weight in gold and its the bee knees in damp testers .its a very small price to pay if you find damp .this one is the old type that is still used to test caravans but there is a new ones that dose the same its yellow and more compacted but they mainly do the same job as long as they are calibrated and this is in the instructions and they come with a calibrating pins to make sure the meter is in its range .i also want to say these videos have no copy rights and anyone can view at anytime
PROTIMETER DAMP TESTER POSTED ON YOUTUBE FOR EVERYONE TO SEE
- Thread starter jeff_374543278
- Start date
I have just put the links in to make it easy to find for watching.
YouTube Part 1
YouTube Part 2
YouTube Part 3
YouTube Part 1
YouTube Part 2
YouTube Part 3
So Jeff all your saying is simply if you want a really good damp meter you recommend the Prontimeter? if so then as a long standing fan I will fully agree.
Not just caravans, I used the exact one you used extensively about 14 years ago working with house insurance companies, a lot cheaper now at
Not just caravans, I used the exact one you used extensively about 14 years ago working with house insurance companies, a lot cheaper now at
As usual excellent advice from the boys.
I have been on the internet looking at the sites for a Protimeter Mini and like stated the average price is around
I have been on the internet looking at the sites for a Protimeter Mini and like stated the average price is around
When checking for damp there are a few basic rules for accurate readings.
1, weather conditions,Ideally the inside should be at the same temperature as outside to avoid condensation.
2, surfaces to be checked must be clean and dry
3, no gassing for an hour with owner inside van creating condensation again.
4, do not use cooker prior to check as this gives off condensation.
ok, thats the basics if your buying a van.
If your selling and Joe punter is doing his damp check here is a few to watch out for.
1, crossing the probes with his fingers (esp remote probes in cupboards) sweaty finger tips are damp.
2, touching window rubbers with probes sends meter through the roof.
3,points 2,3&4 above
4, YOU wipe down surfaces dont let him use a damp rag out of his pocket.
5 dont let him sneeze or cough all over the surface before he checks it.
Have fun
1, weather conditions,Ideally the inside should be at the same temperature as outside to avoid condensation.
2, surfaces to be checked must be clean and dry
3, no gassing for an hour with owner inside van creating condensation again.
4, do not use cooker prior to check as this gives off condensation.
ok, thats the basics if your buying a van.
If your selling and Joe punter is doing his damp check here is a few to watch out for.
1, crossing the probes with his fingers (esp remote probes in cupboards) sweaty finger tips are damp.
2, touching window rubbers with probes sends meter through the roof.
3,points 2,3&4 above
4, YOU wipe down surfaces dont let him use a damp rag out of his pocket.
5 dont let him sneeze or cough all over the surface before he checks it.
Have fun
Bob,
Its not my video, i just put the links in to make it easier for you to view....
Any questions ???? I'm sure jeff will answer them for you...
If i was going to buy one i would buy this one
You dont need to put the pins in with this one...
You get what you pay for....
Applications for search mode:
Shower pans, behind ceramic tile, fine finishes, water stains, tile and vinyl floor coverings, joists, around toilets, drywall, below grade floors and walls, plaster, masonry, concrete and concrete block
Its not my video, i just put the links in to make it easier for you to view....
Any questions ???? I'm sure jeff will answer them for you...
If i was going to buy one i would buy this one
You dont need to put the pins in with this one...
You get what you pay for....
Applications for search mode:
Shower pans, behind ceramic tile, fine finishes, water stains, tile and vinyl floor coverings, joists, around toilets, drywall, below grade floors and walls, plaster, masonry, concrete and concrete block
Hi Sprocket, I have the meter on your wish list I also have a sonic meter made by the same company, which means you can do a damp check without making the pin holes, the downside to that is if you pass the meter over the metal plates set in the walls or screws staples ect, the readings go through the roof, so you have to double check with the probe meter,it really is all down to experiance and knowing how to interperate the results.Dougie is quite right in what he says about preparing the van before a check.
hi i want to say that this meter Protimeter Surveymaster BLD5360 BLD 5360 Moisture Meter ,if you did have condensation on the boards this may give off false readings when not using the pins ,i been told this by the caravan centres when i was looking for one myself but its personal choice really .out of the 2 i would go with the
Sorry mate, I did not mean to suggest it was your personal video,
I was only making reference to the fact that you kindly made it available to us all, sorry if I offended.
Your input goes a long way to making this site what its is, and I thank you.
Bob
the camera work on the utube clip is mince, cant make out where he's testing, keeps focusing on the meter.
HI
its a bit awkward to try and film and hold the camera i will do better videos when my caravan get back for the caravan repairs , the last service missed all of this damp .its sad you pay good money for an annual service with no damp reported .i bought the van and the guy did not know it was damp in it because it had full service history .its a big kick in the foot for manufacture warranty that is still on it .when i get my van back i will be going to name the service centre that serviced it .this will go down well with them that have had there caravan serviced there .within 6 months this van had no damp in it and now its got damp in 4 places at a high levels of 50% to 60% .by having one of these meters keeps a close check on the damp in the caravan especially when its under the manufacture warranty ,and with out this meter i would not have known it was any damp in it and the caravan should have been recalled for a door seal this should have been done in the last service but it was not .what i can say be careful and only have your caravan serviced by a service centre that you can trust to do a full service and a full damp check because when the warranty runs out you could have a caravan that as had damp all through the service but not reported ,how may people on here have had a full service and a damp free caravan and when you trade it in all of a sudden it as got damp i bet its a few .damp not only kills a caravan its also reduces the trade in price by loads.
To all that had part in making and supplying videos 1-4 in this blog I would like to say a very big thank you.
To me this is the most important blog I have read since owning a caravan.
Watching video 4 of the series it has proved to me without a shadow of a doubt, that unless the examiner via his or her moisture meter is permitted by the owner to penetrate the internal wall board through past the membrane attached to the back of the wall boarding, they are only recording internal moisture / condensation / damp and last put not least water content.
Even when the edge of the board is accessible for monitoring from the inside, is this a true evaluation of the conditions between the outer skin and that of the inner membrane. We must consider that capillary action works on both surfaces drawing water in two directions.
I have had the opportunity to witness my caravan being checked using the meter shown. The examiner was very thorough moving his meter around the perimeter of all the wall boards, and I must comment the care shown is commendable. Thank you Caravan Team.
My service report indicates no damp issues found or recorded.
How would we feel to discover the internal wall boards covered in small pin holes like woodworm? Not to happy would be the obvious answer.
So again the question is, are we really testing for damp using this method, I am inclined to say no.
More often than not the water ingress issues stem from outside, something to do with rain I believe, and by the time you start to record high levels of moisture within the caravan the damage is done.
I think the video proved one side was relatively dry, when in fact the opposite side was soaking.
Time to check external sealants one thinks.
To me this is the most important blog I have read since owning a caravan.
Watching video 4 of the series it has proved to me without a shadow of a doubt, that unless the examiner via his or her moisture meter is permitted by the owner to penetrate the internal wall board through past the membrane attached to the back of the wall boarding, they are only recording internal moisture / condensation / damp and last put not least water content.
Even when the edge of the board is accessible for monitoring from the inside, is this a true evaluation of the conditions between the outer skin and that of the inner membrane. We must consider that capillary action works on both surfaces drawing water in two directions.
I have had the opportunity to witness my caravan being checked using the meter shown. The examiner was very thorough moving his meter around the perimeter of all the wall boards, and I must comment the care shown is commendable. Thank you Caravan Team.
My service report indicates no damp issues found or recorded.
How would we feel to discover the internal wall boards covered in small pin holes like woodworm? Not to happy would be the obvious answer.
So again the question is, are we really testing for damp using this method, I am inclined to say no.
More often than not the water ingress issues stem from outside, something to do with rain I believe, and by the time you start to record high levels of moisture within the caravan the damage is done.
I think the video proved one side was relatively dry, when in fact the opposite side was soaking.
Time to check external sealants one thinks.
hi bob i put the video on you tube . i just want to say the test was very concerning looking from my point of view on this .unless these pins go deep in to the boards you don't get a correct reading the only damp detected is if its gone right through to the surface so this video shows how damp can not be detected and till its to late .may be this is why manufacturers give a 6 year warranty because it takes this time to get to the surface unless its a flaw in the manufacturing of a caravan that fails before the 6 years like mine have and it comes through sooner .To all that had part in making and supplying videos 1-4 in this blog I would like to say a very big thank you.
To me this is the most important blog I have read since owning a caravan.
Watching video 4 of the series it has proved to me without a shadow of a doubt, that unless the examiner via his or her moisture meter is permitted by the owner to penetrate the internal wall board through past the membrane attached to the back of the wall boarding, they are only recording internal moisture / condensation / damp and last put not least water content.
Even when the edge of the board is accessible for monitoring from the inside, is this a true evaluation of the conditions between the outer skin and that of the inner membrane. We must consider that capillary action works on both surfaces drawing water in two directions.
I have had the opportunity to witness my caravan being checked using the meter shown. The examiner was very thorough moving his meter around the perimeter of all the wall boards, and I must comment the care shown is commendable. Thank you Caravan Team.
My service report indicates no damp issues found or recorded.
How would we feel to discover the internal wall boards covered in small pin holes like woodworm? Not to happy would be the obvious answer.
So again the question is, are we really testing for damp using this method, I am inclined to say no.
More often than not the water ingress issues stem from outside, something to do with rain I believe, and by the time you start to record high levels of moisture within the caravan the damage is done.
I think the video proved one side was relatively dry, when in fact the opposite side was soaking.
Time to check external sealants one thinks.
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