21 Washington Avenue
Scarborough, ME
21 Washington Avenue
Scarborough, ME
888.293.2121
sales@myerstest.com
www.myerstest.com
888.293.2121
sales@myerstest.com
www.myerstest.com
Operang Instrucons
NOTE: By following these steps closely and consistently will increase the accuracy and repeatability of
your test results.
STEP 1: Use the dry, coarse-bristle brush to clean all residue from the Aqua-Check vessel and chamber cap.
STEP 2: Select a sample of the test material. Materials that do not readily separate into individual parcles,
such as clay or silt soils, need to be reduced by hand into small clumps.
STEP 3: Set-up and zero the electronic balance. Place the plasc sample cup on the balance and zero again.
Add small amount of sample material to the cup unl the balance shows the required 20g.
NOTE: If the moisture content of the material is expected to exceed 20% a 10g sample should be used, but
the value read on the gauge must then be doubled.
STEP 4: Place the prepared and weighed sample into the Aqua-Check vessel. For cohesive samples also
place the two steel pulverizing balls into the vessel.
STEP 5: Using the long-handled reagent scoop, add at least two full scoops of calcium carbide reagent to
the chamber cap.
STEP 6: Hold the Aqua-Check vessel horizontally, place the chamber cap on the end of the chamber. Posi-
on the black cap dot on the cap so it is facing away from your body when the pressure is released. Move
the srrup into place over the cap and ghten the top screw to the seal chamber. DO NOT mix the reagent
and sample before the chamber has been sealed.
STEP 7:
• Without Pulverizing Balls: Hold the Aqua-Check vercal so the gauge is facing down. Start to agitate
vigorously for 5-10 seconds. Turn the Aqua-Check around so the gauge is facing up and agitate again
for 5-10 seconds. Tap the sides to make the sample fall into the chamber cap. This process should be
repeated for 1-3 minutes, or unl the gauge reading in Step 8 has stabilized.
• With Pulverizing Balls: Hold the Aqua-Check horizontal and use an orbital moon to spin the balls
around inside the chamber. Agitate for 20 seconds and rest for 20 seconds, repeat this process three
mes. Periodically check the posion of the gauge indicator and connue the cycle unl the indicator
has stabilized.
Operang Instrucons Connued
STEP 8: At eye level, hold the vessel horizontally to read the pressure gauge. Wait for the indicator needle to stop
moving. The gauge will read in percent water content of wet weight.
STEP 9: Make sure the black dot on the chamber cap is facing away from your face and body, then slowly loosen the
top screw to vent pressurized gas from the vessel.
STEP 10: Place the used sample mixture and residue in an open dry container and dispose. Use the coarse bristle
brush to clean the vessel and prepare for the next test.
Accuracy
When tesng soils, it is recommended that the procedures are in Standard Test Method for Field Determinaon of
Water Content of Soil by the Calcium Carbide Gas Pressure Tester Method. This will insure accurate and reliable results.
For opmum accuracy with most materials the Aqua-Check results should be correlated with oven-dry tests for each
material.
1. Select several samples of the material to be tested that have a wide range of water content.
2. Carefully divide each sample into two representave specimens.
3. Run a test on one specimen in the Aqua-Check and record the gauge reading. Oven dry the other and calculate the
percent of moisture.
4. Plot the oven-dry moistures on a graph vs. the gauge reading and draw a best-t curve through the points. If there
is a wide scaer in points on the graph this could indicate operaon errors or that the material is not suitable for
this comparison.
5. On your graph, nd the point where the gauge reading intersects the correlaon curve and record that value as the
corrected percent.
Exceponally cool or warm ambient temperatures may cause uctuaons in the test results. Repeated tesng or hot
weather may heat up the vessel body and show test results that are arcially high. Allow the vessel me to cool down
before re-tesng.
