High humidity levels in Asia: Apple iphone owners left out in the rain

high humidity levels

It is not uncommon for humidity levels in Asia to reach 95%. Too much for the Apple iphone according to an article in the South China Morning Post. The phone’s onboard moisture sensors, so called Liquid Submersion Indicators (LSIs), react extremely sensitively to such conditions and switch the cult objet d’art off. Thousands of customers have already been affected.

But worse is still to come: Apple’s one-year warranty expires in case of damage caused by moisture – the company assumes that their cult smartphone has then either been dropped into a swimming pool or left out in the rain. And the warranty clauses are carefully worded with regard to temperature and relative humidity operating and storage ranges, leaving nothing to chance. This development obviously does not go down well with the Apple enthusiasts whose world suddenly goes pear-shaped when their company refuses to accept any responsibility. To date there is no sign that the iphone users can expect either compensation or sympathy from the company giant.

And Asia is much closer than you think. The relative humidity in bathrooms can also reach very high levels, especially when somebody is having a hot bath or shower. And how many smartphone owners, people who like listening to mp3 files or who want to be sure that they don’t miss a call, take their prized possessions into the bathroom with them? But it is exactly these environments that can present a grave problem – not only to your iphone but also your health. Mould thrives on high levels of moisture and as we pointed out in our blog last week: Mould can be a killer. This is why we at Trotec recommend using dehumidifiers to extract excess moisture from the air, especially in bathrooms, windowless rooms or cellars where high levels of moisture can often be compared to a time bomb ticking over and waiting to go off.

The time has come for you to take responsibility into your own hands and create your own dry zone – before it is too late. Check the relative humidity in your home, flat or apartment with one of the many moisture meters from Trotec and bring down moisture levels in bathrooms, basements, cellars and cubby-holes with one of our state-of-the-art, low-priced iphones – sorry, mobile dehumidifiers.

Put another log onto the fire will you Ethel?

fireood moisture

Alright, dear. But only if you check it with the BM20 first.

This week has certainly been MultiMeasure week! Yesterday we decided to settle the discussion regarding which series is the better of the two – the MultiMeasure Basic Series or the Multimeasure Professional Series – and came to the conclusion that neither is better. Each series is designed for different applications, different users and different budgets with both series offering simply unbeatable value for money and superb quality into the bargain. And the day before that we elaborated on the benefits of having a series for professionals designed by professionals who come from the same fields and who are able to read the needs of their clients like no others and provide them with just the right tools for their own individual applications.

Well, today we would like to draw your attention briefly to a particular device, a device which you would normally think you wouldn’t be needing until much later in the year. The BM20 moisture moisture from Trotec is yet another extremely useful and affordable measuring device straight from the Multimeasure Basic Series. The BM20 mositure meter is designed to measure the amount of moisture in a number of building materials and – here comes the interesting part – a whole selection of different types of woods. Wood used for building, wood used in carpentry and cabinet-making, wood used in furniture construction – and firewood.

Firewood is not just firewood. Firewood normally has to be stacked properly and sheltered from the rain so that it can dry over a longer period before being used as a source of heat, comfort and fuel. Wood that is properly treated is called seasoned firewood and has a moisture content that lies between 20 and 25%. If the wood you have bought, collected or cut is burnt while it is still too moist, then you do not only run a real risk of ruining your chimney, you even risk setting your house on fire. Wet firewood does not only burn badly – the wood is not able to unfold its full heat potential because the excess moisture in the wood turns to steam and mixes with the other gases, thus stopping them from igniting and generating the heat they normally would produce – it can be extremely dangerous too. The soot or creosote that forms on the inside of the chimney is highly combustible. That means it can literally erupt into a fire of volcanic proportions.

The best way to prevent such an event from occurring is to season your firewood properly – and to check that the moisture content is not too high. If you buy wood from a supplier for the first time or from somebody who is selling ready-to-burn firewood at a suspiciously low price, then it is always better to check the moisture content first.

By the way… wood burning is ecologically friendly. The carbon dioxide that is released during the burning process lies dormant in the wood and would – if you wood pardon the pun – also be released into the atmosphere if the wood were to remain in the forest and rot.

Buy a BM20 moisture meter today. You wouldn’t want to risk anything when so much is at stake now wood you?

Mould can be a killer – do something about it today

Dangerous mould

For at least 14% of the population in Germany 2008 was a bad year. Bad because almost a sixth of all the people questioned during a survey conducted by the German Federal Office of Statistics declared that the homes, flats or bedsits that they were living in were affected by damp.

Compared to the rest of the European Union, Germany didn’t do at all badly: the average number of homes or dwellings suffering from damage as a result of dampness was 17% EU-wide, with countries like Slovenia, Bulgaria and Hungary topping the list with 30.2, 30.4 and 30.8% respectively. But this is hardly a statistic to be proud of.

And they are not just statistics. The statistics equate into people, and in Germany alone this meant that around 12 million people were having difficulty with dampness and suffering from the effects that this was having on their homes, their families and their lives.

Dampness is a problem that shouldn’t and can’t be taken lightly. Dampness caused by damaged roof coverings or brickwork, subsidence and cracked walls, slipped or missing roof tiles, leaking drainpipes or blocked gutters, poorly-maintained window and door frames or condensation because new houses are sealed off so tightly that there is not sufficient ventilation can not only reduce the value of your property or the contents therein, it can greatly reduce the quality of life. The reason for this is that mould and fungi thrive on dampness. And mould and fungi not only attack your furniture, clothes, books and other possessions, they also attack your health. Many respiratory illnesses, skin irritations, allergic reactions or eye and throat conditions can be traced back to aggressive mould strains which can even prove lethal, especially to those who are already weakened by some other disease or illness or those who have a compromised immune system or are very young, very old or very pregnant.

So what can be done?

Eliminate the cause of the dampness. Get that roof or drainpipe fixed, do something about that window or door that needs to be repaired and address the problems you are having with condensation or subsidence. But don’t – on any account, don’t – just ignore the problem and wait for it to go away.

A tragic case involving the famous Hollywood actress Brittany Murphy and her husband made the headlines a few months ago when it was reported that the couple, who lived in a luxurious home in an affluent neighbourhood in Los Angeles, had succumbed to their illnesses which in all probability had been triggered by damp or excess moisture which had developed in their home.

There are thousands and thousands of homes all over Germany, Great Britain and the EU that are in dire need of repair – and dire need of a dehumidifier. Dehumidifiers which combat condensation and remove excess moisture from the air before it can settle on your possessions and work its way into your walls, carpets and curtains. Dehumidifiers which not only regulate your indoor climate but also clean the surrounding air by filtering out airborne particles like pollen, pet hairs and dust which can also easily pose a real problem to your health. Dehumidifiers which can save money, worries and even lives.

Go here to see our selection of dehumidfiers…

You won’t regret it.

MultiMeasure Basic or MultiMeasure Professional Series – that is the question

Trotec Multimeasure Basic Series
After having yesterday introduced our readers to the merits of the MultiMeasure Professional Series, a series comprising a range of high-quality precision measuring devices designed to provide professionals with the tools they need to measure moisture in building materials, wood, walls, floors and ceilings and a variety of different parameters including air temperature, air velocity, air flow rate and relative humidity, it would seem only appropriate to present the virtues of another much-acclaimed series from Trotec, the MultiMeasure Basic Series – and to answer the question that many of our readers will be asking themselves: which one is better?

The answer: neither of them is better.

The MultiMeasure Professional Series is, as the name implies, a series developed by professionals who have accumulated years of experience in the fields of fire and water damage restoration, construction diagnostics and thermographic imaging and then harnessed this experience and know-how to provide other professionals with the measuring tools they need to carry out their own specific applications.

The MultiMeasure Basic Series has the same high standard of quality and the same aspirations as the Professional Series: to provide the people who use the measuring devices with the best possible tool for their own individual applications and the best possible price for each of our products.

The difference between the two series is not a quality issue. It is a matter of application. The MultiMeasure Basic Series is designed for users who are looking for a low-price entry model that does not comprise on quality. These models are not equipped with all the functions and features one’s heart could desire, they are equipped with just the features and functions you would expect to find in a model that provides you with the basic means to do exactly what you want it to do – without any of the unnecessary and costly paraphernalia which you often find in more expensive models.

The models in the MultiMeasure Basic Series have been honed to meet the demands of semi-professional applications. Applications that you can carry out in your home, in the workplace, during your free-time or at when at work. Two models which illustrate the strengths and – erm, strengths – of the series exceptionally well are the exceptionally popular BC15 thermohygrometer and the equally successful BM30 moisture meter.

The BC15 is a hand-held measuring device designed to determine the ambient temperature and relative humidity in the home, the office, in production lines and laboratories and even in florists. Features like a crisp, clear, easy-to-read backlit display, soft-touch keys and min and max hold functions are all features which you would expect to find in much higher-priced models and ones which you would sorely miss on less well-equipped ones.

The BM30 measures moisture in walls, floors and ceilings using the non-destructive method. This means that you no longer have to tear any holes in your walls or ceilings or rip up floors to detect moisture before then digging deeper to determine the cause or the source. Nowadays you can comfortably rely on the meter’s dielectric measuring method to provide you with the necessary information. The BM30 is equipped with the same excellent features as the BC15: backlit display, soft-touch keys, min and max hold function and an auto power off function which saves energy and conserves battery power. As you can see, it pays to go green.

These then are the arguments in favour of each series. You decide which series is better for you, because you decide on the application.

But no matter what model you choose, or which series – the MultiMeasure Professional Series or the MultiMeasure Basic Series – you simply can’t go wrong with Trotec.

Trotec MultiMeasure Profesional Series – Developed by professionals for professionals

Measuring instruments professional series

“A workman is only as good his tools.”

There’s a lot of truth in this old saying. There are exceptions of course: tennis players like the legendary Rod Laver, the extremely-talented but hapless three-time Wimbledon runner-up Andy Roddick and the notoriously incorrigible Wimbledon champion Bobby Riggs, who in his later years also achieved legendary status by challenging the all-time great Wimbledon Ladies tennis champion, Billy Jean King, to a match dubbed “The Battle of the Sexes” to prove his theory of male dominance – only then to get wiped off the court in straight sets – all at least at one time in their career swapped their sophisticated, hi-tech tools – their tennis rackets – for a simple kitchen utensil – a frying pan – in a display of their skill, knowledge, experience and ability – and still won !

But these are just that – exceptions. Generally speaking, it would be safe to say: the better the tool, the better the job you can do with it. This is why Trotec designed the MultiMeasure Professional Series, a high-quality series designed to provide you
with only the best in tools, a series designed by professionals for professionals. Professionals who themselves have been out in the field and who have spent years in the field of humidification and dehumidification, indoor climate conditioning, construction diagnostics and infrared thermographic imaging. Years in which they were able to gain a wealth of information, know-how and experience which they then channeled into a series of tools that measure a variety of different parameters ranging from relative humidity, air and surface temperature and air velocity and volume to moisture in building materials, wood and different surfaces.
The MultiMeasure Professional Series comprises of high-precision measuring instruments famed for combining cutting-edge technology and ergonomic design with an extremely high degree of accuracy, reliability and robustness. Measuring devices like the T 660 moisture meter, a hand-held moisture meter which bears all the hallmarks of a reliable and superior device “made in Germany” and which is able to detect moisture up to a depth of 4cm below the surface of floors, walls and ceilings. Or the T 2000 S, a multi-measuring device par excellence which is especially popular among professionals like architects, surveyors and engineers who appreciate the device’s accuracy, reliability and flexibility and who use it for a whole host of non-destruction applications to determine air, surface and material temperatures and moisture in a sheer endless number of woods and building materials.

Yet despite the fact that the tools in the MultiMeasure Professional Series incorporate state-of-the-art technology and that they are built to last, they don’t come with the price tag you would expect to pay for such a piece of professional equipment. This means that they do not only provide you with accurate and reliable readings, they also provide you with excellent value for money.

And as if that were not enough, the MultiMeasure Professional Series comes complete with a wide range of accessories which make it easier for you to select just the sensor or electrode you need to carry out your own individual application.

So why make do with a frying pan? Buy yourself a measuring device in the MultiMeasure Professional Series from Trotec and feel the difference.

Allergy sufferers beware – 3 out of 4 GPs get it wrong

According to the leading allergy portal myallergo.de, 3 out of 4 GPs are failing to diagnose that it is an allergy that is plaguing their patients and not a just a common cold when the people who visit their surgeries complain about symptoms which if not scrutinised carefully could easily be linked to influenza-liked illnesses, the collective term for colds, flu and similar infections.

But were these GPs to dig deeper, they would soon discover that contrary to common colds whose symptoms normally subside after 7 to 10 days at the latest, what they often have on their hands is an allergic reaction which can generally last a lot longer and often recurs within a very short period. Here it would perhaps pay for doctors to listen a little more intently to their patients’ woes – and for the patients to open up and even quiz their GPs on certain points instead of just swallowing the medicine.

But once the doctors – or the patients themselves – have got it right and pinpointed the source of their suffering, then action must be taken to not only relieve the symptoms, which the sufferers themselves are understandably acutely interested in easing, but more importantly still to eliminate the actual cause.

People who react to pollen, pet hairs and house dust can protect themselves and their home by using a dehumidifier, or in the winter months a Used B400 humidifier plus two free SecoSan Stick 10., to clean the ambient air. Not only do both types of appliances regulate the relative humidity in the rooms in which they have been installed, more importantly still for allergy sufferers perhaps they are all equipped with efficient, easy-to-remove and easy-to-clean air filters which effectively filter airborne particles like pollen, pet hairs and house dust out of the air thereby nipping the cause of the allergy in the bud. This would make these appliances a more than sound investment as they do not only improve the quality of life, they also save money that is often ploughed into often unnecessary medication.

So don’t wait for your GP to get it right – or wrong – buy a humidifier or dehumidifier today and make life that much more livable.

A tale of little big helpers and mighty machines – adsorption dryers in the TTR series

What might at first sight look very much like it has something to do with a fairytale or tale of fantasy is in fact a very down-to-earth entry on a selection of extremely versatile and efficient pieces of equipment – adsorption dryers from Trotec.

The adsorption dryers in the TTR series come in all shapes and sizes – and a variety of different designs too. They range from the shiny, steel-plated, compact TTR 160 and the similarly-sized and similarly low-priced TTR 250 to the extremely powerful six-foot plus models, the TTR 8000 or TTR 9500, each of which is able to turnover a massive 8,000 or 9,500 cubic metres of processed air in only one hour respectively.

The adsorption dryers in the TTR series are designed especially for industrial use. One of their many outstanding strong points is their ability to reduce the relative humidity both quickly and reliably and then effectively keeping it down to values as remarkably low as 10 or even only 5 percent!

Such exceptionally low relative humidity values would make a person feel extremely uncomfortable to say the least, but they are needed in many fields in the pharmaceutical and the food industry where it is essential that the products are manufactured and stored in cool and dry environments.

compact TTR adsorption dryers
TTR-dehumidifiers – compact adsorption dryers such as these are installed when water has been used to extinguish a house fire. This is one of the first steps that are taken. It is carried out by fire and water damage restoring experts to prevent hydrochloric acid dew from forming in order to protect the rest of your furniture and possessions against further damage. The dryers are also used as a precautionary measure to stop mould or corrosion from occurring in industrial scenarios. The big little helpers do not hold back with regard to performance and are able to dry up to 90 kg in only 24 hours. And that’s not all: the TTR-Series also comprises Ex-protected models for special use in Ex-protected areas.

Adsorption drying units of the TTR series
And there’s the jumbo-sized TTR drying units for use in jumbo-sized ship holds to combat corrosion or to ensure that unheated rooms like those found in pump stations remain dry and free of damage caused by excess moisture.. Models like these are packed with cutting-edge technology and come complete with know-how acquired as a result of years of experience in the field of industrial and commercial drying and dehumidification – and the feedback that constantly occurs between the individual divisions of the Trotec Group.

And last but by no means least there are our Ex-protected models – units designed especially for drying processes in Ex-protected areas. These models carry all the hallmarks of the other units in the TTR-Series with the exception that they are additionally equipped with special safety features so that they can be used in high-risk areas, like bunkers, for example.

Buy your TTR adsorption dryer at our online shop…

You would rather hire than buy? Then go to straight to TKL, the name in dispatch hiring…

Find out more about adsorption dryers here…

As we said at the outset – it’s not about a fairytale, although the prices are, well, fairly fantastic and hard to believe!

Would you like to leave a reply?

The Trotec blog is designed to provide you with up-to-the-minute information on new developments, innovative products and ideas, the latest updates and rundowns on cutting-edge technology, trends…and much, much more. The English blog is also there to inform you about newly-launched promotional campaigns, super special offers, amazing discount countdowns and bumper bargain bonanzas. As you can see, it always pays to drop by and catch the latest news and comments.

But what about you? Would you like to leave a reply and tell us what you think, like or even dislike about our blog, an individual entry or a certain service or product? We want to improve our products and services even more and we need your help. All you have to do is click on the title of the blog entry you have just read and you will be redirected to another page (with no hidden tricks or trapdoors) with the same article but with the one exception that this page bears a box – or more precisely several boxes – at the bottom of the page which you can use to leave a reply.

The following shows an example of how this special function works in order to provide you with a clear description of what actually takes place. And please do not worry about clicking on the title: you are at no time under any obligation to buy anything and you will not be redirected to any pages with dubious content – and you don’t have to leave a comment either if you decide to change your mind!
Just click on the title and you will be linked to the comment box.

Just click on the title and you will be linked to the comment box.
Just click on the title and you will be linked to the comment box.
The new page will open. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and enter your name and your e-mail address into the pertinent boxes. Then enter the CAPTCHA code – the coloured letters and numbers - into the specially reserved box below the shaded coloured field. Now you can enter your reply and tell us directly what you think, what would like to know or whatever you would like to say. Feel free to heap us with positive reviews, but feel free also to sound off and tell us what you really don’t like and what you think we should do - we can take it! After you have entered your comment, just click on the “Submit comment” button and your contribution will wing its way to us where it will be published.
The new page will open. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and enter your name and your e-mail address into the pertinent boxes. Then enter the CAPTCHA code – the coloured letters and numbers - into the specially reserved box below the shaded coloured field. Now you can enter your reply and tell us directly what you think, what would like to know or whatever you would like to say. Feel free to heap us with positive reviews, but feel free also to sound off and tell us what you really don’t like and what you think we should do - we can take it! After you have entered your comment, just click on the “Submit comment” button and your contribution will wing its way to us where it will be published.

Voice your opinion. Let us know what you think. Share your views with others. Comment positively or negatively or shout it out and get it off your chest (but without being offensive, please).

The comment function is another service provided to you by your Trotec Team.

We are here to hear you.

Did you know that an air purifier can cut company costs?

Air purifier can cut company costs

And even save your company?

Sounds simple. And it is.

With another week – and weekend – of showery weather and blustery winds behind us, even the most optimistic and stout-hearted cohorts will have trouble convincing the rest of their colleagues that summer is not over yet that autumn is not just round the corner, but still a long way off.

Although autumn is officially still a full five weeks off, sneezing fits, raspy coughs and running noses seem to greet you wherever you go – on the bus, on the train, in banks, bistro, shops and public places – and in the office, the production area and the workplace.

Workforce expenditure can make up a significant share of the running costs of a company. And if people are off work and have to stay at home because they are suffering from bad colds, flu or other infections, then this will have a serious effect on the company’s budget, especially if the strain or virus reaches epidemic proportions. No people, no productivity.

Yet although many companies – and many small businesses – know that there is a battle to be fought against high sickness rates and lost work hours, they do not fully realise the implications which a flu epidemic, for example, could have on their standing and their prospective performance in the long-run. As the last flu epidemic showed, some businesses are totally unable to cope with the situation when a large portion of their workforce is taken ill and it is left for a skeleton workforce to carry on making the company tick over and avert the worst from happening.

Far be it from a company like ours to spread fear and uncertainty or sew anxiety and sound like scare mongers, but according to the WHO, the World Health Organisation, and the renowned Robert Koch Institute there are serious grounds for concern that the next outbreak of flu could occur on a pandemic scale – and that it could even be worse than the last. Experts also warn of a new “superbug” that is even resistant to the strongest antibiotics: there have been 44 reported cases of patients who have been diagnosed as having been exposed to NDM-1, the new gene that has its name from New Delhi, the place where it was first identified before subsequently defecting to Pakistan and the UK. A study in The Lancet Infestions Deseases draws attention to the severity of the situation and states that “ a worldwide public health problem is great”.

So how, if at all, can you protect yourself, your loved ones – and your company or business – from such a pandemic?

Hygiene management. It’s that easy.

Steps should be taken immediately to ensure that you and your staff are protected. With work safety clothes and respiratory masks – and air purifiers. The air purifiers from Trotec are equipped with HEPA and HyperHEPA filters which are so effective that they can filter up to 99.97 % of all particles larger than 0.3 microns and more than 99.5 % of even the smallest particles (e.g. viruses).

Models like the splendidly sophisticated but easy-to-use HealthPro 150, the universally versatile HealthPro 250, which scored highly with Germany’s consumer product watchdog “Stiftung Warentest”, not least of all because of its particle retention qualities which made it the most suitable of the tested models for allergy sufferers, and the professional Cleanroom 250 MG which is so efficient that it is certified as being suitable for use in intensive wards, operating theatres, food and medicinal production and processing facilities and data storage and server rooms.

Air purifiers from Trotec can protect you, your staff and your company against risks which could blow out of all proportion and rock or even cripple your company if swift action is not taken. Don’t be caught napping. Make a decision which will bring down the number of man hours lost and cut out the risk of being hit unawares by the next flu epidemic or pandemic.

Damage caused by water is daunting enough

Trotec building dryers against flood damages

Damage caused by water is daunting enough – get all the help you can with the TTK building dryers from Trotec

It looked as though we were in for a super summer.

Temperatures soared and topped marks on the thermometer which we were only accustomed to being treated to on holiday, in places as magnificent and exotic as the Côte d’Azur, the Italian Riviera, or the Balearic Isles. 35 – 38 – even 40 degrees Celsius – were not uncommon!

The met office confirmed what we already knew: that we were in the grip of a heat wave and that this June was going to be one of the warmest on record.

Ice-cream, air conditioner – and beer – sales exploded. People stayed up late and sat outside pubs and cafes risking turning up at work bleary-eyed the next morning just to savour the Mediterranean feeling and make the most of the unusually beautiful weather.

And then the rain came.

Within weeks the picture was a totally different one. Now it was the rain that was splashed across the front pages and making the headlines. The people who had groaned collectively when they lay awake during the long, hot nights which robbed them of their sleep now had to decide which was worse – too much sun or too much rain.

For those who lived near certain rivers or in certain parts of the country there could only have been one answer. As river levels started to rise and dykes burst and freak flash floods swamped the regions which they lived in, the inhabitants of many German states, especially those which had already been hit by similar catastrophes in previous years, would have given everything to be able to decide.

As many people who have themselves been affected, or who have helped others when these have been hit by floods and high water, the scale of damage that the receding water levels leave behind is crippling, daunting and often heart-breaking. The frustration at perhaps having to start all over again is enough to drive the strongest of men to despair. Luckily for some the damage can be contained – either because the dams or sandbags held and the water was only able to seep into the cellars and lower-lying areas or other precautions were taken and furniture and valuables were moved to higher floors before the floods came.

And because the damage resulting from the masses of water could be significantly reduced and restored by using the right drying equipment.

Building dryers from Trotec are just one of many effective means designed to dry out homes and buildings after water damage. The professional building dryers in the TTK series are extremely robust and reliable units which have proved their worth in tens of thousands of scenarios throughout the country and across the whole of Europe. The range covers a selection of models each designed to deal with damage on a certain scale. The smallest model in the series, the TTK 200, for example, is a high-powered, highly-mobile unit that is excellently suited for drying out rooms up to 250 m³. The brilliant yellow building dryer is equipped with a powerful rotary compressor, an automatic hot gas defrosting system and large, non-marking wheels that allow you to manoeuvre the unit to wherever you want it.

Although the other models like the highly-versatile TTK 400, the TTK 800 powerhouse or the colossal TTK 1500 each have an operating range or an area of application for which they are best suited, they all have a number of things in common: high-quality components, excellent dehumidification values and drying results and a variety of useful functions and valuable features which have earned them the reputation of being the premium choice for small, medium and large-scale drying operations.

Trust in Trotec – the name in building dryers and machines and equipment for water damage restoration.