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How to Use a Firewood Moisture Meter

how to use a firewood moisture meter

Whether you are foraging for your firewood, seasoning it or getting ready to burn it, knowing the moisture level of your wood is important.

Knowing exactly what level of moisture your wood has means you will know if it is ready to be used, if it will ignite at all, and if it will burn for a long time.

So, here we will detail all you need to know about using a firewood moisture meter to help you know when it is time to use your wood.

What Is a Good Moisture Level for Firewood?

The main benchmark to keep in mind when looking for a good moisture level for firewood is 20%. Anything below 20% moisture content means that your wood will be able to burn effectively. Anything above this threshold will be particularly hard to ignite and burn.

Basically, the rule is the higher the moisture content the worse the wood is for firewood. 

If your wood is too wet (significantly higher than 20% moisture) then you will encounter the following problems:

  • The wood will not catch fire
  • The wood will extinguish quickly
  • The wood will not give out a good amount of heat
  • The wood will not burn for a long period of time
  • The wood will spit or hiss

If you have just cut a piece of wood then this will almost certainly have a moisture content of above 20%. This is referred to as “green wood”. 

The season that you are foraging may also affect the moisture content of the wood. If you check a particular branch in the winter you will find that its percentage is higher in the winter than in the spring. So, keep this in mind if you are out looking for wood.


How Do You Measure Moisture Content In Wood?

The easiest and quickest way to measure the moisture content of your wood is with a moisture meter. There are two main types of meters:

  1. Pinless wood meters
  2. Pin-type wood meters

Pinless Wood Meters

These instruments do not damage the wood’s integrity by inserting anything into it. Instead, they use electromagnetic sensors which scan the wood. They scan the surface of the wood, taking into account a large area, giving a very accurate reading of the wood’s moisture content.

This non-invasive method makes this preferable to people measuring the moisture content of expensive woods, or those already in use, such as expensive flooring.

To use this instrument for measuring the moisture percentage simply place the tool against the wood and turn it on. Simple!

However, if you are looking to learn the content of firewood, this is not necessary. So, you can use either method.

We recommend this pinless wood moisture meter by Dr. Meter. It has a user friendly interface, a light up LCD screen for easy reading, and a low margin of error.

Pin-Type Wood Meters

These meters involve an electrode that is inserted into the wood to measure the moisture content. It uses electrical resistance. It is the resistance to this current that determines the moisture percentage within the wood, as water conducts electricity whereas wood does not.

Using this moisture meter involves placing the electrodes into the wood in line with the grain (not perpendicular to it). It is as simple as this. You will then get a reading on the instrument’s screen.

How Do You Measure Moisture in Logs?

Whereas a plank of wood will dry more evenly, logs will tend to dry out faster at the ends than in the middle. So, knowing where to measure the moisture content on a log is very important. What you need to consider when measuring the moisture content of a log is not the wettest nor the driest part, but rather than average moisture content. 

The best way to find the average reading is to split the log along the center. This way you can measure both at the end and at the center of the log. To find the average it will be nearer to the end than the middle, so about one-third of the way in should give you a rough idea of the moisture level without the need to take multiple readings.

So, using these methods you can use either of the two meters that we explained above. You can either choose to put electrodes into the log using the pin-type meter (in which case you may not even need to split the log depending on how big it is) or you can split the log and measure along the flat edge.

The choice of which method you prefer is completely up to you. There is no wrong answer in this case. 

Although using a moisture meter is certainly the best, easiest and most convenient method of determining the moisture level of a piece of wood there are other ways available to you.

These include: 

  • The soap water test
  • The visual test
  • The sound test

We will detail these methods below but please bear in mind that they cannot and do not compare to the accuracy given by a reading using a moisture meter.

The Soap Water Test

This is only possible to do if you are looking to find out the moisture content of a smaller log. In order to do this, you will need to place some soap (washing up detergent) onto one end of the log and blow through from the other end of the log. 

If bubbles appear on the end with the soap then the log is sufficiently dry. This is because when the log is dry the water from the channels inside the log disappears meaning that the air from your mouth can reach the soap on the other end. 

However, of course, this will not actually give you a moisture level reading, unlike with a meter. But, if you do find yourself in a pickle without the meter then this is not a bad alternative to know whether or not you should bother burning the wood.

The Visual Test

This is perhaps the easiest of all methods, although, again, not particularly accurate. It involves simply looking at the log to consider whether it is dry, clean, has cracks on the ends, has no mold, has no fungus, has signs of growth rings.

If your log matches all of these things then it highly likely that your wood is perfectly fine to burn and be used as firewood. As we have said, there is more moisture held in the center of the log than on the outside ends, but without a moisture meter you will not be able to tell exactly how much.

The Sound Test

To do this simply hit two logs against each other. If the sound is hard and rings then it is a good indication that your firewood is dry. There will only be a dulled sound if the logs are still wet with too much moisture for burning. 

However, if the temperature is below freezing then this test is not a good method as the temperature will affect fresh wood.

Final Thoughts

So, in summary, the best and most precise way to measure the moisture level of your wood is by using a moisture meter. They give you a quick and accurate percentage level of the wood.

You can choose from two types of meter: pin-type or pinless depending on your needs.

Both methods are incredibly easy to use and are very hassle-free. They both offer you an easy solution to the problem of moist firewood. 

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